Hi CHarles, I was surprised you didn't do a piece on the little baby boy Riley, from St. Stephen..How the health and community services were not helping the family trying to bring their baby home. He has a terminal illness and they haven't got the funding to have nursing care for him at night. The community helath services said they were on a waiting list for a year, but now going public with their story they have speeded up the process a little bit for them ATV news at noon says they are now trying to get it set up for them very soon!!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
WOULD THE LORD GOVERNMENT HAVE HELP THIS FAMILY IF THE MEDIA WOULD HAVE IGNORE THIS EMOTIONAL ISSUE????
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3 comments:
Maybe, but media attention will always speed up the process. It isn't right but it always does.
Pray this family has all the help that is needed and a miracle happens. This should help pave some help for others but with our government I would not hold your breathe.
Employer grants family's wish to bring dying son home
Last updated May 10 2006 01:02 PM ADT
CBC News
The path has been cleared for a dying infant to return
home from hospital after his father's employer offered
to pay the baby's home-care costs.
Shawn Comeau wants to bring his seven-month-old son,
Riley, home to St. Stephen so his family can be
together for what little time the child has left.
Shaun Comeau (CBC)
Shaun Comeau (CBC)
Riley has spinal muscular atrophy and needs
respiratory equipment, a feeding tube and 24-hour care
to stay alive. Even with all that, his family has
accepted that he won't live long.
"We don't know how much time we have left," his father
said.
"It's not how long you have with him, it's the
quality. It's the quality he has while you have him."
Comeau says he earns too much money to qualify for
government funding to pay for the nursing care Riley
needs – and too little to pay the $144 per day that
will cost.
"My Blue Cross covers 80 per cent for nursing, which
is fine, but the other 20 per cent is $12 an hour," he
said. "That's $144 a day. We're looking at seven days
a week. I can't afford that."
Riley has been in and out of hospital since Feb. 17.
Relatives are helping out with his two older siblings,
aged two and five, while their mother Diane stays in
Saint John with Riley, and their father works in St.
Stephen.
Comeau met with his MLA eight weeks ago to plead his
case for funding, but is still waiting for an answer.
On Tuesday, his employer - who wishes to remain
anonymous - offered to pick up the home-care bills.
"It felt like he just took that 1,000 lb. weight
that's been sitting on my shoulders off," he said. "I
couldn't describe the feeling I felt because it meant
my son's coming home."
But even though the cost of home care is no longer an
issue, Comeau is still angry with the government
bureaucracy. He says no family should have to cope
with that kind of pain along with the inevitable death
of their child.
"I believe it's the government's job to step in and
say 'we'll help you, we'll send your son home,' " he
said.
Health Minister Brad Green says the province carefully
evaluates all requests for home care, and that it
takes time "to determine precisely what level of care
is required, how we can deliver that best for the
particular patient, and if there is an opportunity for
potentially for that to be done at home."
Meanwhile, the health region says it may still pay for
Riley's home care. Doctors and nurses will meet with
the Comeau family on Thursday to discuss a plan for
Riley's release from hospital.
Province will pay for baby's home care
Last updated May 11 2006 09:35 AM ADT
CBC News
Health Minister Brad Green now says the province will
cover the home-care costs of a dying infant from St.
Stephen.
Seven-month-old Riley Comeau has spinal muscular
atrophy, and doctors have given him just months to
live.
His parents, Diane and Shawn Comeau, launched a public
appeal this week to have Riley released from the Saint
John Regional Hospital, and for the government pay for
the nursing care he needs while at home.
The Comeaus feared their son would die in hospital,
instead of surrounded by family, but said they could
not afford the care required to bring him home.
On Tuesday, Shawn Comeau's St. Stephen employer
offered to pay those additional costs, after Comeau
said he got nowhere with an appeal to the provincial
government.
* FROM MAY 10, 2006: Employer grants family's wish
to bring dying don home
Just a day later, Green said the province would pay
for Riley's nursing care after all.
The health minister also apologized Wednesday for
leaving the Comeaus in the dark about their home-care
options for Riley.
The Saint John health region is now planning to review
its discharge policies to avoid any future stress and
confusion for families.
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