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Background
& Overview
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| This page is dedicated to the
experiences of the families being affected by the Rolland decision.
These are the stories of the severely disabled individuals whom
are being forced to leave where they call home. We also have
testimonials from other involved individuals, such as the Director
of Seven Hills Pediatric Center. Please take the time to read
these stories and help these families save their loved ones. |
| The Story of Deirdre Salha |
| Deirdre's
daughter, Serena Salha is a Seven Hills Pediatric Resident |
WOULD
GOVERNOR PATRICK MOVE AN INFANT INTO A GROUP HOME?
 Imagine
for a moment, that you are the parent of a severely brain injured
child who will forever remain at a developmental age of less
than 12 months. Your child does not recognize you, receives
nutrition through a feeding tube, suffers with daily seizures,
cannot walk, talk, bathroom him/herself or make personal choices.
What would you do?
I am imagining that you would fill their world with every possible
therapy, explore every educational avenue, medical treatment
and device. I'm sure you would spend your days and nights devoting
your love and care to them as their parent. You would spend
countless hours browsing the internet in search of information
and techniques to fill your child's world with everything they
needed. You would wonder if it was fair to have more children,
because you couldn't imagine taking one waking moment away from
your precious child.
In between almost daily visits to a Specialist, you would probably
have a revolving door at your house where certified aides, nurses,
and various therapies would take place. Most days, you would
need to spend your time on the phone with insurance companies
to fight for the needs of your child, so "work" as
you know it would be out of the question!
When you had physically, mentally and financially exhausted
yourself, you would probably start to listen to the advice of
your child's Pediatrician, Neurologist, Orthopedist, Gastroenterologist,
Nurses Aide, Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist.
They would recommend that you try some respite care. You would
most likely push this thought away because you wouldn't trust
anyone to be able to care for your child with unconditional
love and patience all by themselves. You would wonder if your
child was just left in their wheelchair or bed for hours screaming
out to communicate a need.
This is the position that my family and I were placed into 8
years ago when we were introduced to a unique and amazing Pediatric
Nursing facility in Groton, Massachusetts called Seven Hills.
Seven Hills Pediatric Center is a skilled nursing home that
is licensed by the state of Massachusetts to provide 24/7 care
to medically fragile individuals who suffer from severe cognitive
impairment and are considered to be of mental age below 12 months.
Who could have imagined that a place existed where your child
could receive every possible Specialists care under one roof?
Where you could find enthusiastic educators with brilliant modifications
to foster your child's needs to learn and communicate; regardless
of whether they could understand or not, a variety of experiences
and activities out in the community several times a month, a
dedicated and loving staff of nurses aides and nurses to administer
medications, soothe your child with music, snuggle with them
on a beanbag chair or know when and how to calm your child with
a whirlpool bath or massage. All this phenomenal care within
a beautiful grassy setting which incorporates wheelchair and
glider swings, encourages, fosters and welcomes family visits
at anytime of the day or night.
What if all of the sudden without your knowledge, someone who
had never met your child had the power to remove them from this
setting and place them in a group home?
This is exactly what is happening to 43 of the roughly 70 individuals
cared for at Seven Hills. As a result of a class-action lawsuit
(Rolland v. Patrick), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
the Department of Mental Retardation plan to move these young
individuals to group homes, a plan that occurred without prior
knowledge or approval of their parents and/or legal guardians.
The original intent of the Rolland suit was to allow mentally
retarded adults the freedom to choose a group home placement
over a nursing home. Surely, the ideal is for people with disabilities
to reside with their families and/or within the community. However,
this is not a "one size fits all" situation. Our children
are thriving in their home and community at Seven Hills. Many
of the parents fear that their child cannot possibly receive
what they need in a group home and they fear for their child's
health and well being. Several parents have expressed that this
could very well mean a "death sentence" to their medically
fragile child. These are individuals that will never be able
to talk, walk, dress or bathroom themselves. A skill for our
children would be for them to be able to swallow food by mouth
or make eye contact.
Would Governor Patrick move an infant into a group home? One
needs to trust that families who love and care for their children
are acting in their best interest and should play a primary
role in the decision-making process when it comes to a change
in the setting in which their children reside. |
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| The Story of David Braga & His
Family |
| David
is a Seven Hills Pediatric Resident |
| David
Braga finally got to come home for the first time at 7 months
old after an extended stay in NeoNatal Intensive Care. His
brain did not receive oxygen fast enough which left him mentally
retarded. David also suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and his
a quadriplegic. His digestive and respiratory systems do not
function properly. David has a loving family, his parents
and five sibilings were devoted to
caring for him and keeping him in the family home, but as
David got older it became harder and harder to care for him.
David has called Seven Hills
Pediatric Center home since he was 11 years old. It is the
staff of Seven Hills & their excellent care that has kept
him alive. He is now 31 years old and facing possible eviction
from the one place that keeps him safe. This
is his story. » |
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| The Story of Erin Poulin & Her
Family |
| Erin is a Seven Hills Pediatric Resident |
| Erin
is a beautiful 32 year old woman who has lived at Seven Hills
Pediatric since she was 9 months old. She
doesn't speak; she doesn't cry. She is in a wheelchair and is
fed through a tube in her stomach. Erin requires round the clock
medical assistance and care that her parents cannot provide
in a home setting. Erin's name is on the Rolland
Community Placement List, which was drawn
up in November 2007 arbitrarily after the Rolland Suit Settlement.
Her inclusion means that Erin may be moved into a community
setting that does not offer the same medical standards without
consent from her doctors or from her parents. A transition of
that magnitude would only serve to put her life at risk. This
is her story. » |
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| The Story of Eric Voss & His Family |
| Eric is a Seven Hills Pediatric Resident |
| Eric
is a 27-year-old quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. When he was
younger he was able to reside at his family home, where his
parents with the assistance of registered nurses, cared for
him. However tragedy struck for Eric at 17 because following
hip surgery, Eric went into a coma for three weeks, suffering
additional brain damage. Afterward, he needed 24-hour monitoring
to prevent a similar episode and moved into Seven Hills. Eric
is fed through a tube. He cannot talk and has little affect,
except to smile sometimes at voices he recognizes. He requires
a custom-made wheelchair. A transition to a community setting
would not allow him to receive the same level of care that he
requires to ensure his health and safety. This
is his story. » |
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| The Story of Patrick Sheehan
& His Family |
| Patrick is a Seven Hills Pediatric
Resident |
| Patrick
is a 22 years young resident at Seven Hills Pediatric. He suffers
from cerebral palsy, is a quadriplegic and has tendency toward
massive seizures. His seizures are severe and frequent, sometimes
as many as eight in a row. Patrick was actually born dead and
it took them 15 minutes to revive him. Until their son was 18,
Sheehan and her husband cared for Patrick in their home, with
the help of registered nurses. At that point, doctors advised
Sheehan to place Patrick in a nursing home. He has been at Seven
Hills for four years, and now receives the medical monitoring
he needs. He is another resident facing eviction from the place
that is keeping him safe. This
is his story. » |
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| Janay Trabucco |
| Janay is a Seven Hills Pediatric
Resident |
| Janay
Mary Faustine Trabucco is one of the exceptional angels on this
earth. She has lived at Seven Hills since November of 1978.
She has endured medical turmoil and struggle. This
is her story. »
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If you have a story of your
own that you would like included, please use our Share Your Story
Page. |
