Just received a note from a client:
SAMPLE LETTER
Subject: PLEASE HELP THIS WOMAN!
Date: February 20, 2006
Dear (Senator, Congressman, Secretary, Mr., Mrs. etc.),
I wanted to bring your attention to a story I (saw on Washington D.C.'s Channel 9 News on Friday) OR (heard from a friend) about a veteran's family from Lusby, Maryland.
I found the story of Richelle Baker Starnes and her family to be both shocking and incredibly moving. She and her mother, Kathy Baker, were promised lifelong medical care related to the HIV tainted blood Mrs. Baker was given at a civilian hospital in Oakland, California in 1979. She had been rushed to the nearest hospital by ambulance after her ectopic pregnancy was repeatedly misdiagnosed by military doctors.
Mrs. Starnes was conceived two weeks after her mother received the HIV infected blood transfusion and subsequently born HIV positive. The Navy did keep their promise of lifelong care to Mrs. Baker, who died two years ago from Aides- many years after she was expected to die. Mrs. Starnes, however, has so far beat the odds and is living a normal life without Aides. She believes it's because of the quality health care she's received at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), the very care the Navy now wants to take from her.
Mrs. Starnes was recently notified that the Navy will be breaking the commitment they made to her parents by canceling all HIV related medical benefits she receives at NNMC for the past fifteen years. This cancellation will occur in June, just one month before the birth of her first child. Not only is she concerned about her own future, she is now concerned about receiving the best possible treatment during her pregnancy to insure her unborn child is born HIV negative. She needs the Navy to honor their promise to her mother. She needs them to DO THE RIGHT THING.
If an act of Congress can be obtained to allow a military dog to be retired early to help a wounded veteran recover from her injuries, Congress should also see Mrs. Starnes' situation as a no-brainer. Budget cuts are important to us all for the health of our country, but not when they put the innocent family members of our veterans at risk.
I would appreciate your looking into this situation and doing whatever you can do to help.
Also, here is a link to the news story that aired on Washington's Channel 9 on Friday. (You may need to copy and paste it to your address bar.) If you take a minute to watch the video, I have no doubt you will feel compelled to help right this wrong.
Clip to the brief video: http://www.wusa9.com/video/player.aspx?aid=28814&bw=
Clip to the written transcript: http://wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=46930
Thank you for your time.
SAMPLE LETTER
Subject: PLEASE HELP THIS WOMAN!
Date: February 20, 2006
Dear (Senator, Congressman, Secretary, Mr., Mrs. etc.),
I wanted to bring your attention to a story I (saw on Washington D.C.'s Channel 9 News on Friday) OR (heard from a friend) about a veteran's family from Lusby, Maryland.
I found the story of Richelle Baker Starnes and her family to be both shocking and incredibly moving. She and her mother, Kathy Baker, were promised lifelong medical care related to the HIV tainted blood Mrs. Baker was given at a civilian hospital in Oakland, California in 1979. She had been rushed to the nearest hospital by ambulance after her ectopic pregnancy was repeatedly misdiagnosed by military doctors.
Mrs. Starnes was conceived two weeks after her mother received the HIV infected blood transfusion and subsequently born HIV positive. The Navy did keep their promise of lifelong care to Mrs. Baker, who died two years ago from Aides- many years after she was expected to die. Mrs. Starnes, however, has so far beat the odds and is living a normal life without Aides. She believes it's because of the quality health care she's received at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), the very care the Navy now wants to take from her.
Mrs. Starnes was recently notified that the Navy will be breaking the commitment they made to her parents by canceling all HIV related medical benefits she receives at NNMC for the past fifteen years. This cancellation will occur in June, just one month before the birth of her first child. Not only is she concerned about her own future, she is now concerned about receiving the best possible treatment during her pregnancy to insure her unborn child is born HIV negative. She needs the Navy to honor their promise to her mother. She needs them to DO THE RIGHT THING.
If an act of Congress can be obtained to allow a military dog to be retired early to help a wounded veteran recover from her injuries, Congress should also see Mrs. Starnes' situation as a no-brainer. Budget cuts are important to us all for the health of our country, but not when they put the innocent family members of our veterans at risk.
I would appreciate your looking into this situation and doing whatever you can do to help.
Also, here is a link to the news story that aired on Washington's Channel 9 on Friday. (You may need to copy and paste it to your address bar.) If you take a minute to watch the video, I have no doubt you will feel compelled to help right this wrong.
Clip to the brief video: http://www.wusa9.com/video/player.aspx?aid=28814&bw=
Clip to the written transcript: http://wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=46930
Thank you for your time.
What happened to her mother is horrible, but it's not the Navy's responsibility to provide care for her if she is no longer a dependent. :shrug:
We are talking 30 years ago (almost), at that point, people didn't get 2nd opinions......Point being she through NO fault of her own was given HIV positive blood.....Wether she should have gotten a 2nd opinion or not is irrelevant, if she would not have gotten the tainted blood, someone else would have, and they would be dealing with this now.....
And the tainted blood was given to her at a civilian hospital.