Then we rushed to get up, get him ready...Jon goes out the door with him as I'm trying to get ready to meet a friend in Lakeland....They get to school....and Shad realizes he left his books at home....turned around came home, by that time it was 10 am.... we then had to get the little ones up and Steve had committed to work on my garden ( I am so ashamed of it-overgrown with weeds) So at this point I just said for Shad to do his work at home. At his school, kids work on an individual pace anyhow so he could do everything at home.
I left to drive to Lakelend and got a call from CBS news, they wanted to do a story on our situation with Selah's insurance. So I agreed to meet them at 2pm at home. In the meanwhile I called home and made sure everyone picked up at home!!!
On the way home got a call from the writer who wrote the story on us in the Tampa Bay Times, I find out the former state rep Mike Fasano who is newly appointed as the Pasco Co Tax Collector has really taken our story to heart and is contacting the state about us and encouraging all our elected officials to help us out! We do not know this man and yet he is stepping out to help us! I'll never complain about taxes again:) We hope to thank him personally at some point!!!
One of the points Mike Fasano made is that we might be forced to put Selah in a nursing home. That is a scary thought. Although we are eligible for Medicaid this month, we are so on the edge that any small change can make us ineligible for Medicaid so it does not good for us to even think about depending on Medicaid to pay for nursing. In October Steve turns 18 years old and then we have one less dependant....at that point, we very well could lose our eligibility for Selah's Medicaid, if that happened...we'd be out of nursing altogether! We are middle class enough, that we barely qualify for Medicaid for our children who are handicapped. At one point Sam lost it as his secondary insurance for over 3 years, due to a small raise in my husband's pay. We have been grateful for the help we have received that has helped us with some co-pays but we depend on Blue Cross as our primary insurance and will continue to depend on it.
SO if we were to lose our coverage with Blue Cross, then we lose our secondary with Medicaid which is based on income/dependents...then we'd have NO nursing and how would I cope with three handicapped children? It could really compromise Selah's safety. What if Sam had a appointment? Would I try and bundle up all the kids and all of Selah's equipment and take her? I couldn't leave her with Steve....I can not imagine the logistics of our life if we did not have nursing care. I run all day as it is, and I'm glad to do so BUT I'm only one person!!! I have NO one to help me during the day when Jon is at work and guess what he has to work and be on the grounds of the prison 40 hours a week.
Obviously when we adopted the girls, we realized where they were and the kind of care they needed. We could supply that care. In the months from May-August when the accident happened, I never once even had a baby sitter for the little kids...if I went somewhere, they went with me, pretty much all of them unless Jon was home! It was great...but back then, Selah could walk some and had no extra equipment....Life is so different now!
I had someone say "well you signed on for this" After I finished pounding their head into the ground.....Oh just kidding..... I said "you can never "sign on" for tragedies" The life we expected, changed.... and now our needs have changed with it.
I so feel our situation with this insurance denial is very much aligned with the Department of Justice's lawsuit against the State of Florida and its' care for its most needy children.
Here is the news article .... http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/pasco-tax-collector-mike-fasano-steps-into-the-fight-between-state-agency/2138002
Girl who nearly drowned in Erie Canal gets help from Mike Fasano by Lisa Buie
ZEPHYRHILLS — Mike Fasano might have stepped out of the Legislature and into the Pasco Tax Collector's Office, but he's still willing to spar with Florida agencies for Pasco residents.
The former lawmaker has taken up the cause of Selah Clanton, a developmentally delayed 9-year-old who was left severely brain damaged last year when her stroller rolled into the Erie Canal. Florida Blue, her family's health insurance company, recently notified her parents that it would no longer pay for 24-hour nursing care in their home.
Jon and Yvonne Clanton appealed. Jon Clanton is a chaplain at Zephyrhills Correctional Institution, so the agency that oversees state employees' benefits reviewed the case.
On Wednesday, the Division of State Group Insurance upheld Florida Blue. The Clantons vowed to appeal further.
The state's decision drew outrage from Fasano.
"What they want to do is force this girl into a nursing home, and that is a disgrace," said Fasano, who sent emails to state Sens. John Legg, R-Trinity, and Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; state Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes; and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
"I strongly encourage you and the other members of the Pasco County Legislative Delegation to come to the support of Selah Clanton and ask the Division to reconsider its ruling and allow the in-home care to continue."
Fasano's letter comes a month after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, alleging that it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act in its administration of its service system for children with significant medical needs. It said nearly 200 children were unnecessarily segregated in nursing facilities when they could be served in their family homes or other community-based settings.
"To think he would take the time to help someone he doesn't even know is amazing," Yvonne Clanton said Friday.
Fasano, 55, a New Port Richey Republican, was recently appointed as Pasco County's tax collector after incumbent Mike Olson died in June. He served in the House for eight years and the Senate for a decade before again winning a House seat last year.
Lisa Buie can be reached at (813) 909-4604.
Is that an amazing story or what????????
The former lawmaker has taken up the cause of Selah Clanton, a developmentally delayed 9-year-old who was left severely brain damaged last year when her stroller rolled into the Erie Canal. Florida Blue, her family's health insurance company, recently notified her parents that it would no longer pay for 24-hour nursing care in their home.
Jon and Yvonne Clanton appealed. Jon Clanton is a chaplain at Zephyrhills Correctional Institution, so the agency that oversees state employees' benefits reviewed the case.
On Wednesday, the Division of State Group Insurance upheld Florida Blue. The Clantons vowed to appeal further.
The state's decision drew outrage from Fasano.
"What they want to do is force this girl into a nursing home, and that is a disgrace," said Fasano, who sent emails to state Sens. John Legg, R-Trinity, and Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; state Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes; and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
"I strongly encourage you and the other members of the Pasco County Legislative Delegation to come to the support of Selah Clanton and ask the Division to reconsider its ruling and allow the in-home care to continue."
Fasano's letter comes a month after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, alleging that it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act in its administration of its service system for children with significant medical needs. It said nearly 200 children were unnecessarily segregated in nursing facilities when they could be served in their family homes or other community-based settings.
"To think he would take the time to help someone he doesn't even know is amazing," Yvonne Clanton said Friday.
Fasano, 55, a New Port Richey Republican, was recently appointed as Pasco County's tax collector after incumbent Mike Olson died in June. He served in the House for eight years and the Senate for a decade before again winning a House seat last year.
Lisa Buie can be reached at (813) 909-4604.
Is that an amazing story or what????????
Had a great lunch with a new friend and then rushed home to find the news crew already at my house. (this is why you NEVER leave your house messy LOL) We did an interview that went great. We did not get to see it at 5:30 tonight because we had a huge rainstorm and it knocked out our TV.
http://www.wtsp.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2625329964001&odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|featured And our story is here... hope you can see it. I can not get my computer to play it..... The joy of living in the country...all our electronics is on satellite so if it is bad weather, everything goes down!
As soon as the news folks leave....Selah takes a turn for the worse. She had been having some extra secretions but we weren't worried...until her heart rate started soaring. She came close to having a storm but thankfully her nurse was able to give her the meds she needed to calm her down. I called the doctor and she put Selah back on the antibodic inhaled med! We were very afraid we would have to take her to the hospital as she got sick so quickly BUT having a nurse here, we were able to deal with the issues, and she is still at home (fingers crossed that tonight will be a good night!!)
At the same time our Occupational Therapist is here for Sam and Sarah (and they both did a good job working on feeding themselves!)
We then had to drive to Brandon in a monsoon to pick it up since that is the only pharmacy where we can get this amazing medicine from. Hopefully that will do the trick for her. If not she won't be able to start the Oxygen Therapy on Monday. PLEASE pray for her!!!!!!!!!
Sam on his truck!!!!
Shad and Sam playing
These sweet pictures are from last night. The boys must have played for 30 minutes in there. If you look in some of the pictures, you can see Selah's room and bed...even tho she can't play like she used to, it's so good to have her near her whole family.
Today has been a crazy busy day.....I'm amazed daily at the turns my life takes. I sometimes feel I'm on a roller coaster and can't get off...just got to go with the ride....LOL That was what today felt like to me!
God bless that man!!! I will definitely be praying HARD for all your concerns!
ReplyDeletePeople who criticize should shut up and thank their lucky stars. They obviously do NOT understand how life throws you a curveball and you can never plan for things. I wouldn't blame you pounding someone ;)
Ah if only my daughter was closer to you at college--she loves gardening, I know she'd pitch in. Hopefully we can come visit when it's a bit cooler (I'm having problems w/ heat and traveling) and you'll have some help with those weeds ;)
Your kids are so precious....what great photos :)
Hang in there xo
Are the other kids allowed to play in Selah's room? Maybe the indirect contact, or even direct contact, especially with Sarah because they have a longer history together, would encourage her to become more engaged. Maybe play could throw her a lifeline.
ReplyDeleteWe normally keep her door open as we have a small house but I don't let the little ones really go in there much since there are machines and it is a small room. Plus I worry about one of them having a little bug and giving her something.
DeletePraying, Yvonne, that God will intervene for your family and make a way--a healing way--for Selah to get the help she needs.
ReplyDeletePraying for all of this for you....Many people all over the country are losing their insurance of all kinds...And the premiums are going up sky high...I have no insurance and cannot afford to even look for it...I have a bunch of painful medical issues and I just pray for my HEALER to watch over me..
ReplyDeleteLove from NC