Justice for Ann
Dear UPMC,
In 2021, [this is what happened]
We were told she'd get better in 2 years, so we made the decision to move her to Pittsburgh, where I could act as her caretaker. I bought a 2nd house (as a millennial) and relocated my mom and little brother from out of state so I could be my mom's caretaker.
We will make do, we always have. We are smart, resourceful, and resilient, no matter how you characterize us in your charts. My mom remains as she's always been: Always kind, grateful, optimistic, and trusting. You have taken advantage of that trust.
In this image, I'm holding a paper my mom saved from when she was a nurse in San Francisco. She worked when the bridges collapsed In cardiac ICU. She cared for one of the first infants born with aids. She was the person they'd send to people who were dying alone, to hold their hand. She deserves more than this from her life.
This is my younger brother starting his first day of high school while we all lived in my tiny two bedroom townhouse. I miss those days. It was " hard. But we had some hope. We & trusted. We thought if we worked hard enough things would be Ok. He's 18 now and our family dog is 15.
More than anything, my heart hurts for him. I feel like I failed him. I made the wrong choice to just listen to what they were telling us and plan for the future with the information we were given.
In case you are doubting my mom's mental clarity or character...
My mom's paralysis prevents her taking notes or even holding documents, so during her neuro-psych testing she had to dictate and direct another person on how to draw images and do mazes. She is brilliant. Following, my mom was overwhelmed with gratitude and wanted me to help her write thank you cards to the staff on 6F at Mercy. She remembered the name (and spelling!) of everyone who worked with her.
This is how hard we worked in the summer of 2021 to change our entire life and plan for a better future after my mom rapidly lost use of her arms. I bought a 2nd house in the 2021 housing boom and my brother helped me renovate it. We moved all of her and my brother's things from an hour away.
We sent messages to Dr. Moossy, tried to coordinate resources in a new city, followed up, documented everything. We did all we could think of... And you did nothing. I begged Dr. Moossy to send my mom to inpatient rehab and were told "she didn't fit the criteria" and "insurance wouldn't approve it." Scripts were never sent to PT. I bet if my mom had been evaluated back then, so much decline to her mobility could have been prevented.
