President Barack Obama called up a woman with Multiple Sclerosis from Air Force One on Thursday (April 15) and apologized that she was barred from her dying partner's bedside. Here is her blog about the incident. (http://thelpkids.com)
Janice Langbehn was on a trip with her partner of 17 years, Lisa Pond. Only 39 years old, Pond suffered a brain aneurysm.
Langbehn is NOT an MS activist, she says, "it's just something I have to live with and deal with every day." (For some people, like me, that makes us all an activist!)
Langbehn not only had the three children she adopted with Pond with her at the Florida hospital, but she also carried with her a power of attorney and other legal documents to show that they were a couple.
Langbehn was told by the hospital publicist that she was in an anti-gay state, and was forced to wait for eight hours in the waiting room.
Obama made a rule change that makes it easier for same-sex partners to make medical decisions on behalf of their partners. The new rules would affect any hospital that participates in Medicare or Medicaid, the government programs to cover the elderly and the poor.
In the lawsuit, Langbehn reported that the stress of the situation exacerbated her MS symptoms.
"However, this is a great legacy to her, to show that Lisa didn't die alone in vain," Langbehn said.
(See the CNN video below)
Comments
On her blog Janice states this not a gay right, it is a human right. Everyone should have the right to have the people they have chosen to be at their side in the hospital.
As a former Floridian, I'm embarrassed such discrimination continues. When are the Anita Bryant-types going to get it?
Did they require PROOF that the Sister was indeed the Sister?
Who made healthcare decisions in the interim/absence of any other family member, and before the Sister arrived??
Is denying a Legal Power of Attorney Good Healthcare Practice for anyone???
The Hospital should be made to apologize publicly, to pay restitution to the widow, to pay punitive damages to a GLBT org of her choosing, and they should have to lead the way in making policy for all Healthcare institutions to acknowledge pre-designated decision-makers in the event of incapacitation.
Here's the emails to the Jackson Memorial Executive Staff:
eneida.roldan@jhsmiami.org
david.small@jhsmiami.org
christopher.bayer@jhsmiami.org
GKaiser@med.miami.edu
michael.casanova@jhsmiami.org
SSears@jhsmiami.org
rcuming@jhsmiami.org
john.brandecker@jhsmiami.org
MAkiti@jhsmiami.org
mhuot@jhsmiami.org
tlucas@jhsmiami.org
dsalinas@jhsmiami.org
Edwin.Odell@jhsmiami.org
It amazes me that in this day and age something so sad could happen. I'm glad that it's being taken care of now, though.
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