Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Straight Talk About Saving Gary Harvey

The story of Gary Harvey is not unique and, sadly, could become more common. But when I heard from his loving wife Sara recently, it occurred to me that this is a case that everyone should be made aware of because it is about a couple who should never have been made to suffer simply because one of them became severely disabled.

Before I share Sara’s plea, I want you to know why Gary Harvey is so important to each of us who believe in human dignity, human rights and human personhood.

Until January 2006, Gary Harvey was leading a normal life. Then, one day, he suffered a heart attack and fell down a flight of stairs. On that day, his life and the lives of his loved ones changed forever. The injuries he suffered left him permanently, severely disabled.

Gary Harvey was placed in Chemung County Nursing Facility - and a familiar battle began. Sara, Gary's wife, started complaining about the quality of care - or lack thereof. After pushing their own allegations, the facility was successful [in 2007] in having Sara removed as her husband's guardian, severely limiting contact and removing any right to make decisions on her husband's behalf.

From that point forward, Sara has been struggling against all odds to save her husband from what she fears could be the same fate that confronted the Schindler family’s beloved Terri Schindler Schiavo — death by starvation. When I spoke to Sara on the phone yesterday, she said again, “I just want to bring Gary home.”

Full Article and Source:
Help Save Gary Harvey's Life

See Also:
HelpBringGaryHome.com

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

All who believe in human dignity and human rights must know about these things. Chemung County Nursing Facility, the facility who is to provide care for Gary has turned this family's world upside down.

Anonymous said...

Chemung County Nursing Facility and other nursing facilities are to care about people. They should be standing behind Sarah and supporting her to take Gary home! Are they only interested in the money being paid for Gary's bed at Chemung County Nursing Facility?
American Life League is one good place for Sarah to get support but she needs many! Any Pro Life agency would be interested in this I'm sure. God creates us and God brings us home. It's not for humans to decide.

Thelma said...

Guardianship is big business today; it's all about money and control.

Lives mean nothing - especially after there is no more money left.

Anonymous said...

You're right Thelma. When the moneys gone in guardianship they hand the ward over for medicaid to try and support, breaking that system. In cases like Gary Harvey's they just try and pull the plug. They don't care about anything but the money.

jerri said...

i don't see the real reason for the county's steel grip on Gary Harvey unless there is something they want to keep in the dark they had plans to end Gary's life how much worse could it get? do you suppose there is a lot of revenge stuff going on here with supervised visits between husband and wife? is this their way of showing Sara Harvey who is boss? i can't even imagine the financial burden that Sara has to carry 365 days a year for how many years?

i hope society is paying close attention because Gary could be your husband and we would be reading about you!

Betty said...

Thank you Judie Brown for your article and your interest in both Gary and Sara Harvey!

Anonymous said...

Good article. Thanks for posting and following this story.

Diane said...

Thank you Judie Brown for your interest. These folks need to be exposed and it runs accross America. Not just in Chemung County.

What is it they they are hiding? It certainly can not be becasue they care about Gary. They treid to kill him off and why? Did the well run dry? Now that it has been replenished with insurance coverage, now they do not want to give him up? it certainly is about Money.

How many surgeries and where was his guardian when all this was going on? without an ounce of accountability or explanation ! Why? Why is the judge letting them get away with it?

StandUp said...

It's not right that Sara Harvey should have to fight so hard to be able to bring her husband home.

Would Chemung County want to trade places with Gary Harvey? Of course not. No one wants to be in a facility when they could be at home.

I'm with Diane, why isn't the judge doing something?

Mike said...

Great article by Judie Brown - full of common sense and concern for the Harvey family.