The Check Is SO Not In The Mail

Yesterday morning I faxed over to Victim's Comp the letter from KidThree's former pediatrician stating that all our OTC supplies were medically necessary because of KidThree's status as a Victim of a Violent Crime and that said supplies would be necessary for the rest of her life as her condition (paraplegia) is permanent. I wrote a note on the fax cover sheet asking my contact there to give me a call when she got the letter to tell me whether or not it was sufficient to get money pried loose. She obligingly gave me a call and said that the letter was all that she needed, but that now the request would have to be routed to the State Review Board since the cumulative total of OTC items was over $100. When I asked her how long that process would probably take, she estimated a month or two.

The sad thing was, she wasn't kidding. What on earth could possibly be in that process that would take that long? It is such a straightforward claim. KidThree was shot in a crime of which she was an innocent victim. We are cooperating fully with the police and prosecutors. The items for which I'm requesting reimbursement are items specifically purchased for special care of KidThree because of her paraplegia. They are things we never had to purchase prior to her injury and are things that are not used for anything or anyone else, just for KidThree and her personal care. Why oh why oh why does it have to be so complicated? Honest to goodness, it should not be this hard. The program was set up because of the understanding that violent crimes occur without warning and can decimate a family's finances. That is what happened to us. The shooting was out of the blue, unexpected, a fluke, a stray bullet not intended for my girl who just happened to be in the vicinity. Our family finances weren't just decimated, they were obliterated, eradicated, wiped out of existence. My job? Gone. Checking account? Overdrawn as often as not. The details of our claim are all verified, the status of crime victim, KidThree's total lack of anything to do with the crime other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, our cooperation with police and prosecution. How on earth can a program intended to help us out take months and months to get a reimbursement on verified expenses? I'm going to have to go back to my state representative to ask for help in getting this expedited or I won't see any money until KidThree and I are evicted and living under a bridge, which probably won't be an accessible location.

And now for a cheerier topic: yesterday was KidThree's first day at the special gym. Oh my. What amazing things there are for disabled people and how wonderful are the able-bodied who run them and work with the disabled people. At $95 an hour, it is worth every penny and then some. If I could get Victim's Comp to fund this, I would make the three-hour round trip every single week to get KidThree to that gym. One of the trainers went over paperwork and information with us first, then KidThree worked with her and then another trainer for a total of two hours. They had her doing amazing things, including STANDING UP! One of the trainers got her between parallel bars and braced her knees with his legs and had her STANDING UP! He explained that standing up helps her maintain bone density, keeping her as healthy as possible so that if stem cell research ever does come through for us, she will be a good candidate. KidThree was listening and following instructions like I've never seen her do before. She is now willing to let California Children's Services purchase a special machine for her that will put her into a standing position; she had previously been dead set against that machine and was totally unwilling to listen to reasons it was good for her to stand up. Either enough time has gone by that she is able to listen, or these trainers were able to explain things to her just right, and she listened. Wow. And she looked so beautiful and proud of herself while STANDING UP that I had to go over and give her a kiss and tell her how wonderful she looked STANDING UP. I did see her STANDING UP in rehab, but that was while encased in that machine that looked like a medieval torture device; here she was holding herself up with her arms, with the trainer just providing stability for her legs. The strength and power were all hers. Oh Happy Day!

We went to see my parents after that, as they live only ten minutes from that gym. We had a good visit and set up a dinner date for next week, then drove home. We got hooked on 'The Wire' recently and had a dvd with the last two episodes of Season Three waiting for us in the mail, so we had a good time watching those episodes, then took our tired selves to our beds.

This morning I am watching BabyJ, always a treat as he has about the sunniest disposition of any child I've ever met. We go for walks, go the playground down the street, do 'mountain climbing' on a little hill in the parking lot of the Korean Church, and read books about Thomas the Tank Engine. I do so love spending time with BabyJ.

I'm further into the biography of John and Jessie Fremont and still enjoying it immensely. The politics are so clearly explained and the couple themselves are so interesting to learn about.

Now off to try to wake up a little more to be ready for the day. I do hope I get a nap after watching BabyJ.

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