The family of a student who sustained life-altering injuries due to a hazing incident believe he survived ‘for a reason’.
Daniel Santulli started his freshman year at the University of Missouri in the fall of 2021 and, like many new students, decided to join a fraternity.
However, this decision nearly claimed Daniel’s life during a fraternity pledge event in October.
On that night, Daniel, who was 19 at the time, was compelled to drink an entire bottle of vodka, resulting in his hospitalization.
It was subsequently discovered that Daniel suffered brain damage from severe alcohol poisoning due to the hazing incident, which has left him unable to see, walk, or speak.
His blood alcohol levels were more than six times the legal limit when he was found unconscious.
This harrowing incident is being further examined in a series titled Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life, which includes interviews with Daniel’s family.
According to his mother, Mary Pat Santulli, Daniel had been extremely ‘sleep deprived’ in the days leading up to the near-fatal event.
Mary Pat told Fox News: “Prior to the incident, he was very sleep-deprived.
“[The fraternity was] draining his account… He was very drained… At that point, I talked to him and said, ‘Danny, you don’t have to go through this. You can quit. You have to do what’s best for you’.”
The Houses of Horror episode reveals that the night leading to Daniel’s life-altering injuries wasn’t the first time he’d been hospitalized; just days earlier he required medical attention after being instructed by an older fraternity member to climb inside a trash can filled with broken glass.
Security camera footage captured the events of October 19, which his parents have since viewed.
Although very difficult to watch, Daniel’s father, Tom Santulli, states that they are now ‘on a mission, and we’re going to hold people accountable for what happened that evening’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyaMPKbk0eU
Speaking about his son’s survival, Tom told Fox News: “I think Danny’s alive… because other kids were not as fortunate when there was a hazing incident.”
“He’s alive for a reason,” he added.
Daniel now requires round-the-clock care, with his parents serving as his primary caregivers.
The Santullis also have additional caregivers and nurses assisting with Daniel’s care, along with ‘different folks who focus on speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy’, his father explained.
Since the 2021 incident, Ryan P. Delanty, Thomas Shultz, and Alec Wetzler have all pleaded guilty to charges related to Daniel’s case.