WNYC Studios presents: The Realness

07/19/18 • 4 min

Only Human

The Realness is about how a sick kid became a legendary rapper, but still couldn't escape sickle cell anemia.

The Realness is about how a sick kid became a legendary rapper, but still couldn't escape sickle cell anemia.

Previous Episode

Aftereffect Ep7: “The man behind an empire”

For decades, Carlton Palms' elusive founder, Ken Mazik, has wielded his power and influence to sway members of Congress and state legislatures into bending the rules in his favor, from scuttling laws that would have limited the use of physical restraints, to securing leeway from the state of Florida in order to amass a fortune in Medicaid funding.

As one of his former employees told us, "Ken Mazik made millions of dollars tying up little kids."

Next Episode

Aftereffect Ep8: “They call him Cheese”

One day in February, a group of staff packed up Arnaldo's belongings, moved him out of Carlton Palms and into a three-bedroom house in a suburban neighborhood. On its face, it's the type of setting disability advocates strive toward. Arnaldo has his own bedroom, more autonomy, a staff that looks after him.

At the moment, Arnaldo is the only resident. He'll eventually share the house with two other men, but just days before the first is slated to join Arnaldo, he dies - under suspicious circumstances in the care of Carlton Palms.