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Where Could I Go But To The Lord


Robert is a seven year old special needs child with many chronic medical problems:(ie: suck/swallow disorder requiring 14 hours per day of tube feedings, obstructive apnea when sleeping, asthma with chronic congested cough, reflux disease, neurological deficet related to myotonic dystrophy and global developmental delay). He is my special blessing from God.


Robert lived in an apartment with his parents and older brother. The place was unclean and roach infested. His parents had no parenting skills whatsoever. The two boys were always dirty and mostly neglected. Robert would frequently not get his required feedings or his medication as ordered. He would spend most of his time in a crib in the livingroom or his room and sometimes in a high chair two feet in front of the tv and ignored by everyone in the room. Protective Services was in and out of the home and never did anything for the children.


I am a registered nurse. I was sent by a nursing agency to become his nurse August 1992 to work part-time day shift. After a couple of months Robert's nursing hours were changed to night shift. I became his only nurse working 70 hours a week, until 1996 and than worked 60 hours night shift per week. I know this was not by chance, but God's will.


In March 1996 Protective Services asked me to keep him in my home until they finished their investigation on the parents for neglect and lack of supervision, after his brother set the townhouse on fire that they were renting. The older brother was made a ward of the state, is in foster care and up for adoption this spring. Robert was just forgotten and left in my care without the state obtaining court orders or written permission from the parents for his removal from the parents care. I continued to get paid for providing the night nursing with the medicaid system, his doctors and everyone involved in his care being aware that he lived in my home. Nobody seemed to care that he lived with me. Why should they, it was free foster care and he was entitled to the nursing.


In November 1997 Robert went into a Managed Care Organization (MCO) since the Medicaid system had changed. For three months I continued to be his nurse and getting paid. The MCO was aware of the fact that Robert was living in my home full time.


In February 1998 the MCO stopped his nursing on the grounds that his medical condition didn't require nursing. The MCO notified the agency and didn't properly notify the parents. This was against the Federal and State Medicaid regulations. I fought to get his nursing reinstated, on the parents behalf, by calling the Governor's office after failing to change the MCO's decision. I ended up being slandered and falsely accused of many things after the MCO was ordered to reinstate the nursing, because they had violated the parent's and Robert's rights. Nursing never started up because the MCO wouldn't allow the parents to keep the same agency they had since Robert came home from the hospital in January 1992. The parents were told I couldn't be his nurse because it was a conflict of interest with him living in my home. State regulations state that the nurse could not be a member of the family or one who resided in their home. There is no state regulation that says Robert is not allowed to live in the care of his profesional caregiver, after being placed there by the state. Besides, there is no place to do the nursing at the parents home, since they are living with a relative and there is no place for Robert to sleep.


Protective Services showed up at my door in April 1998 with allegations of neglect against me on Robert. The case was closed (Praise God) with the allegations unsubstantiated and the worker agreeing my home was the best place for him with his medical condition. The parents also informed everyone that they wanted Robert to continue to stay in my home, since they were unable to provide a home for him nor take care of him with his medical conditions.


The next thing I knew, Maryland Board of Nursing was investigating me. I am not allowed to know who my accusers are and they are vague on what they are investigating. They went to the nursing agency and reviewed six years of nursing notes and time slips I had submitted. Thank God they found nothing wrong with any of the records. The investigators came to my house to interview me, with my attorney present, and first said fraud had been looked at, but that was dropped. Praise the Lord! They questioned my being a competent nurse, why Robert was living with me and why don't I just turn him over to Protective Services to be placed. According to the attorney,the case is still ongoing, but they won't tell him anything else.


In July 1998 The MCO, Robert's doctor, his parents, along with my attorney and myself had a meeting to discuss nursing. The MCO offerred to sent another nurse from a new agency for a short period of time to train whoever was Robert's caregiver to care for his needs. The parent's refused the new nurse, aruging the fact that it made no sense to bring in a new nurse, who knew absolutely nothing about their son, to train the nurse their son had for six years. The MCO argued that the caregiver, me, could tell the nurse everything about Robert. The parent's refused on the grounds they thought it made no sense, if I had to train the new nurse on Robert's needs. They told the MCO to pay his nurse of six years for the nursing he was entitled to have under state COMAR regulations. The MCO refused, so I continue to nurse Robert, as I have for the last six years without pay.


Since I haven't been paid since February 1998, we are bankrupt. We cannot afford to pay our bills. We cannot afford to pay the $2000.00 retainer fees all the lawyers want to take the case to court. They all agree that I am entitled to be paid for the nursing I still do and that the state says he is entitled to have.


God had his reason for placing me in Robert's life and I know that this is God's will for me. I will continue to love, care and advocate for his medical needs. I thank God daily for the blessings of this child. Robert is a loving, joyful and special child of God's.


God is leading us down another path now. He has put it in our hearts to adopt Robert. I am believing in God's love and grace for us to do His will and provide for the attorney fees and medical expenses that our insurance won't cover for Robert (mainly his Pediasure, which is his only source of food through his feeding tube). I know He is a loving and faithful God. He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


I felt led by God to do this homepage. I will update as His blessings come to fullfill His will. God Bless everyone that reads this and maybe can take the time to email their support, encouragement and prayers. If anyone has any suggestions of any kind, legal help or anything, I would be blessed to hear from you.


FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

James 2:14-26

In April 1999 I finally was able to get Robert out of the MCO, with the neurologists help, and put into the Medicaid system in the Rare and Expensive Program. Once that happened Robert'nursing was reinstated. Glory to God!!! Medicaid did put the stipulation on me that the only way they would pay for his nursing is if he lived with his parents. They would not bring a nurse into my house. So, I found the family a place to live and Robert went back home to his parents, with me being his nurse and still taking care of him. God provided for my income to be returned and my being able to take care of Robert and continue to protect him. Hallelujah!!!

The adoption is on hold until our finances can be straigthened out. The court had wanted proof that we could afford the child. That was hard to do, since I had not been paid in fifteen months and we were close to bankruptcy. I feel God worked this out for the time being, by getting Robert into the REM Program and my getting paid again to do the nursing. In time God will provide the way to finish what we had started with the adoption. God is so good and is showing His love and sending me Blessings daily!!!


God's Blessings

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