Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Courtney's story





Courtney was born with Cerebral Palsy but has never let this get her down. She has always had a tenacious spirit and was born with a “can do” attitude. It was this attitude that led her ambition to be voted to the homecoming court at her Delaware, Ohio high school.

In 2013 at her annual Spring IEP meeting, Courtney decided to make a personal goal to be nominated to the homecoming court her senior year. “It sounded like a fun idea and I wanted to do something different for my senior year. So I put it as one of my goals” said Courtney. With her goal set and with the help of her good friends, she formed an action plan.  The group came up with a YouTube video and Twitter account and set out to win the votes of her classmates. It became a real 21st century campaign.

Not only did Courtney get on the Homecoming court with her good friend Caleb, but they went on to win Homecoming Queen and King. When asked, the advisors in charge said this was a special event. Although there was a nice mix of students in the running for the Homecoming court, it appeared that the student body that normally did not vote or play an active role in the outcome was using this event as a platform to get involved. They were invested in the outcome and embraced the difference. With a school body of 1400 members, Courtney and Caleb won by a landslide. It was an overwhelming pledge of support for the girl who was used to obstacles.


Courtney also participates in school by answering phones in the office and working in the library during her free periods. She goes to typical classes and especially likes video production class.  Upon graduation, Courtney will be seeking full-time employment using her new skills as a receptionist. 

We are glad to read and share Courtney's story! One of the most important things that we can learn from Courtney is that no matter what life throws at us, it is our attitudes and ambitions that decide our fates. We are the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls. Let us remember "impossible" things are happening everyday. We wish Courtney success with her career goals and  in life. Congratulations Courtney! 


Thursday, May 1, 2014

Beyond failing to report

10tv reports the 30 day sentencing of a nurse in the death of Makayla Norman.
Click the link to read the report http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/apexchange/2014/04/30/us--malnourished-teen-death.html
In addition to the sentenced , Kathryn Williams RN, 3 others were indicted in this child's death, Angela Norman (mother), Mollie Parsons (LPN), and Mary Kilby (RN). Court documents reveal that at the time of Makayla's death, she had lice in her hair and eyebrows, un-bandaged bedsores covering her body; some of which were filled with dirt and feces, a two inch impacted rectum,an interior pelvic area obstructed by a dilated colon filled with feces, which had begun to block one of her kidneys; a build up of thick, dry secretions due to a lack of oral care, and pneumonia in both of her lungs. Her cause of
death was determined to be nutritional and medical neglect, with the death being contributed to by complications of cerebral palsy.
Kathryn Williams RN, was the supervisor of Mollie Parsons; according to documentation and billing submitted for payment, she visited Makayla one time monthly. Mary Kilby RN, was the supervisor to Kathryn Williams and according to documentation and billing, visited Makayla one time every six months to ensure her continued eligibility of services. Mollie Parsons LPN was the direct care support to Makayla; according to her documentation and billing, she provided services to Makalya for 11 years, 48 hours per week; although neighbors report only seeing her 3-4 times per month (My gut tells me that the 3-4 visits per month were most likely to split funds with Makayla's mother rather than to provide care and services to Makayla).
The health care professionals responsible for ensuring Makayla's health and safety are guilty of so much more beyond failing to report the abuse and neglect of Makayla. In my opinion, setting aside their theft of tax payers' dollars for fraudulent claims, they each are responsible for her death itself. They each made the decision time and again to not care for Makayla and to not ensure her health and safety.
There are many fantastic people in this field that do a wonderful job of providing care and assistance to those that require support. However, those few that prey on the vulnerabilities of the system itself and those that rely upon it, leave an ugly mark on us all.