|
The
following letter was forwarded by Ron Panzer of hospicepatientsalliance.org on
June 4, 2009.
Urgent request for
your help from Elaine Renoire of the National
Association to to Stop Guardian Abuse:
Gary Harvey is a Veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a
heart attack and subsequent fall down a flight of stairs.
Because he did not execute advance directives, his wife initiated
guardianship proceedings and was initially appointed her husband’s
guardian.
However, her husband received substandard and neglectful care at the
nursing home – neglect that could have caused his death. Despite Gary’s
wife, Sara’s, best efforts, the nursing home continued to ignore a defective
trach line for over two weeks. Finally, in desperation, Sara cut the
defective part of the trach line to force the nursing home to act. She did
this with full knowledge of the staff and in fact,
borrowed a pair of scissors from staff to do the cutting. (Sara’s act
did not harm her husband in any way nor distress him.)
The county reacted to Sara’s action by accusing her of attempted murder
(although charges were never filed) and used their version of events to take
control of Gary’s guardianship. Immediately, Sara was punished by the
county restricted and supervised visitation and shunting her away from all
medical information and decisions in regard to Gary’s “care”.
Last week, they called her in to inform her that they will be going to
court to get a court order to stop Gary’s nutrition and water and put
him on DNR status.
“Supporting the troops” should mean to support them when we need them as well as
when they need us. Gary Harvey needs us now.
I am asking for your support of Gary Harvey right to live. I ask you
to contact the local TV station that covered this horrific story (it ran
last nite on WENY TV – New York) and support Sara Harvey’s right to make life
and death decisions for her husband instead of court-appointed strangers and her
effort to bring him home. See:
http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=9145277
The video from this broadcast is also on YouTube: We would appreciate
support at this site as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It22yZ8MYEI
A profile of Gary’s case is on the NASGA website at:
http://www.stopguardianabuse.org/garyharvey.htm. Gary is also featured
on the “Veterans in Peril” page of the website.
Time is of the essence – the county has called for an emergency court
order to withhold nutrition and water and put Gary Harvey on DNR status.
Please help Gary and Sara Harvey with your support --- and any publicity
you can offer.
Yours,
Elaine Renoire
NASGA
www.StopGuardianAbuse.org &
http://NASGA-StopGuardianAbuse |