Testimony of family regarding Dad’s MRSA
My family, Maine State Nurses Association, representaves and friends have all prepared testimony for the Health and Human Services Committee hearing on April 7. I have written the entire story of Dad’s unnecessary hospital acquired MRSA pneumonia. I have had this story in my head for 3 months. When I knew we had to present testimony to the HHS about Dad I asked my family members to write something. My mother, who is very humble and unassuming, didn’t really feel that she could say much about it. Then she read what both of my brothers, my nephew, my son and I had written. She laid awake all night thinking about what she might say. She then asked me if I thought it would help if she said something. I told her of course it would. She said “if it kept me awake, it must mean I should write something”. So she did. It is short and to the point and very poigniant. The testimonies of my other family members revealed to me the pain and hurt they went through during Dad’s illness. His death has effected each of us profoundly but differently, but it was just as hurtful to all of us.
I respect my family and especially my mother for writing from their hearts to help LD 1038 pass. All of them will help, with their testimony to save lives. We couldn’t do that for Dad. We tried for all we were worth to help him, but the disease won.
My testimony is brutally honest and a bit long. But, his story needs to be told in detail to have the intended impact. He suffered terribly and he was confused and frustrated with his terminal infection. About 2 weeks before he died, I had finally convinced the nursing home doctor to do some diagnostics to see where we stood with Dad’s health. When I explained the tests to Dad, he said “What I have is really serious isn’t it?”. He had no idea. And, neither did I at first. The preventable scourge that Dad was given in his hospital blindsided me and my family. By the time we had the results from Dad’s diagnostic tests, he had died.
Dad would be so proud of his family now. He always was anyway. But if he could see all of us standing up and giving our testimony to pass a bill that will save lives, he would absolutely burst with pride. He would cry if he could see his 13 year old nephew Cyle read his testimony about his Grampy. I know I will.
Please, call or write your senators and representatives to support LD 1038. We need to stop MRSA and other Hospital acquired infections. If you have a story and would like it presented to the Health and Human Services committee, please contact me at kathydayrn@aol.com and I will help you with that. The hearing is in Augusta on April 7 after 2pm.
Hello again Dear Kathy
I am so very happy for you and your family and the results that you are getting from all of your hard work and efforts. I am as equally pleased and grateful that you are taking the time out to share such helpful information with others. As you already know, like your dear father, my dear mother died on 12/04/2008 from another hospital acquired infection, C-Diff. (Clostridium Difficile). My sisters and I reported the neglect of the health care facility that my mother was rehabilitating in, to the Department of Community Health (The State of Michigan) on 01/02/09. The investigation report that we just now received back on 04/09/09, was the biggest cover up , straight out lies and fabrications that one could ever imagine. After calling my sister to share the report I had received and then slamming the phone down in her ear because of the state of anger I was in when she ask me to stop reading it because the more I read the more her blood pressure was rising. I just burst into tears and cried for about an hour. Then I signed on to look up your blog. I will be emailing you as well. As much as I wish there were some other recourse, I am convinced the only one is to get a bill passed to help prevent this horible experience from happening to others. Thank you again for all work and I will continue to keep you and your family lifted in my heart.