Join us Sunday evening, November 11th, 2012, at 7:00 CST!
5:00 PST … 6:00 MST … 7:00 CST … 8:00 EST
Listen Live HERE!
Callin # 917-388-4520
Linda Kincaid, Elder Advocate, California, will co-host this show.
Calls are welcome the last 30 minutes of the show. Calls are limited to Q&A about Gary Harvey and his case.
Please contact us through email to discuss your own case or general concerns about guardianship.
***************************************************************************************************
Back ground: Gary Harvey
In 2006, Vietnam era veteran Gary Harvey sustained a traumatic brain injury from a fall down the stairs in his home. The injury left Gary in a semi-vegetative state, requiring assistance with all activities of daily living. Gary’s wife Sara wishes to bring Gary home and care for him. Sara has the necessary training and equipment in her home to provide the care Gary needs.
Rather than allow Gary the best quality of life possible and the companionship of family and friends, Chemung County keeps Gary isolated. Chemung County DSS made numerous unsubstantiated accusations against Sara. As a result, the court gave guardianship to DSS. Chemung County DSS rapidly depleted Gary’s assets and denies what simple joys he might still enjoy. Gary’s days are spent alone in a hospital bed, isolated behind a closed door.
Shortly before Chemung County exhausted Gary’s assets, St Joseph’s Hospital Ethics Committee recommended terminating Gary’s life. Chemung County DSS petitioned the court to remove Gary’s feeding tube and allow him to starve to death. Sara went to the media, and Gary’s life was spared.
With Gary’s assets depleted, St. Joseph’s Hospital now bills Sara’s private medical insurance. In 2011, the bill was over $900K. Sara believes that if she objects or cancels the insurance, Gary’s life will again be in danger.
*****************************************************************************************
To contact us: ppj1@hush.com
Or call: 320-281-0585 Skype
Mar 21, 2013 @ 03:50:27
I read this when it was posted, and now I reared it. People do notrealize how this can hit them or their family, no matter if someone is disabled or not. I was reminded of it, when I heard from my younger sibling thattheir best friend of 30 years,had collapsed, was in intensive care, lung collapse,(90% loss of lung function), highfever and it took days to diagnose.(Except my sibling noted that pal had black mold in house due to fish pond out front leaking into house and was coughing for 6 months.) Breathing machine, feeding tube. Days later, diagnosis:pneumonia due to toxic mold. After 1 week, breathing on own. Probable lung damage. Who decides? When? And if this person, should there be significant lung damage, has another episode in the medical realm, will the person get the Gary Harvey treatment? Will the spouse be cut out of the picture, i.e. decision making? Why should someone disabled by any condition, not get the full advantage of medical care as s/he or spouse would want,(one hopes there is a caring not harmful spouse hmmm, reminds me of a national past story) if person has not given instructions and is not able to communicate? Note: thereare many people who have assistivebreathing devices, oxygen, etc. And on communication: the individual mentioned in my story,was kept in heavy sedation, semi-consciousness (why, I have no idea)so there would be a problem ofthat individual expressing his wishes.