Daily News columnist Ronnie Polaneczky wins coveted Pulliam Fellowship

THE LONELY and brutal death of Christina Sankey in 2014 touched and disturbed Ronnie Polaneczky.

Ronnie, the Daily News columnist who often has publicized the plight of the lost and forgotten, wrote about Sankey in April 2014.

She told how the 37-year-old woman with the mentality of a 3-year-old was found dead on a frigid day in March 2014, half-naked and frozen, sprawled between two parked cars in West Philadelphia.

How many other Christina Sankeys does the city harbor? Ronnie wanted to know about those intellectually challenged adults, hidden away and left to an indifferent fate.

Now, she will have the opportunity to probe further. Ronnie has been chosen to receive the 2015 Pulliam Editorial Fellowship awarded annually by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. It carries a $75,000 stipend.

"When you find something that really tugs at the heartstrings and also cries out for a policy prescription, that's a winning combination," said Todd Gillman, Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News and chairman of the judging panel.

"And when paired with someone who has passion for the topic and the skills to pull it off, which Ronnie clearly does, this is a winner we can be proud of."

The foundation said in a statement that the "judges were impressed by the passion and critical thought Polaneczky has already brought to bear on the topic. And they were intrigued by a plan that includes not only advocacy journalism but envisions a summit and other efforts to raise awareness and spur much needed progress in the protection of needy adults."

"I am so grateful for the award, I can't tell you," said Ronnie, who has been a People Paper columnist since 1999. "When I wrote about Christina Sankey, so many parents called me with their own horror stories about how difficult it was to care for their aging, intellectually disabled children.

"One mother is 80, caring for her 55-year-old son, worried sick about what will become of him when she dies. So many other famililes are in the same boat.

"Yet there are not enough funds or other resources to help them. I'll use the Pulliam to tell their stories and get this issue above the radar for policy-makers with the power to make life better for those families."

Her boss was excited about it.

"We are all so thrilled that Ronnie was honored with this prestigious fellowship to do ground-breaking work," said Daily News editor Michael Days. "But we are not the least bit surprised. Her voice is an important one because she consistently brings both clarity and passion to whatever issue she tackles."

Ronnie is the third Daily News staffer to win the Pulliam. Sandra Shea, editorial page editor and director of strategic partnerships for Philadelphia Media Network, won the honor in 2012 with a plan to give a voice to the city's poor.

"The Pulliam provides an extraordinary opportunity for a journalist to dig deep into an issue impacting society," Sandra said. "And Ronnie's work will shed important light on how our society cares for the intellectually disabled."

Now-retired People Paper editorial writer Carol Towarnicky won the fellowship in 1993.