Why I filed to represent my daughter’s Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Idaho

               No, I am not a lawyer, just a mother who will stand up to anyone or anything that threatens to harm my children.  In 2012, I learned many disappointing facts about the judicial process in the US.  The most unsettling was the reality that justice eludes the process in many cases.  I took on my daughter’s case after the two attorneys representing her interests attempted to intimidate me into dismissing the case with prejudice, using altered medical records.

                I keep asking myself, why these two men thought they could so easily undermine us, especially when all the evidence shows that they lied.  Well, I realized after filing one petition after the other, that the processes in Idaho were set up so that defrauding a legal case was pretty simple to do.  All the lawyers had to do was undermine me, and lie on the expert witness.  Of course with my limited resources, I would not be able to stand against them. 

When I filed pro se to represent my daughter’s case I was given all of the legal documents.  They were not concerned because no one was going to hear me in Idaho.  I imagine that Idaho officials thought I would go away after their refusal to address my concerns and their success of portraying me as a misguided mother.  But I am not the average person, and I feel compelled to expose the corruption so that another family does not encounter the same issue. 

                It was difficult to watch my daughter struggle to regain cognitive and physical abilities while fighting politicians, lawyers and public servants who attempted to strip her of her civil right to legal recourse.  Many days, I wanted to scream, why me.
                As I attempted to keep my children focused and stand against the unethical processes in Idaho, I realized that many other families across this nation was fighting similar battles.  What is alarming, is that the number of patients being harmed and sometimes killed is rising, but there is little in the news about it.  There are no in-depth documentaries about the many lives lost each year.  Families are left traumatized by a system that has no compassion, and then undermines their loss by defrauded them to keep from being exposed.

                Mothers and fathers are losing children.  Children are losing parents.  Yet, the silent killers are protected and the patient and families are being written off as delusional.  Not so.  In my book “God’s Miracle Among Corruption in Idaho,” which will be released soon, the deception of the officials in Idaho is obvious.  I, myself, was portrayed as a misguided mother.  The many officials and boards I wrote to ignored the evidence, even said that my concerns were not founded.  Yet, the truth was in the files. 

                While the number of those who are responsible for negligence in the medical community is small, millions of patients are affected by them.  Another disappointing fact, their colleagues know who they are, but take a vow of silence to protect them.  Because this is a billion dollar industry, no one wants to really stand against them.  I am raising my voice, hopefully, so that others will not encounter what millions of others, like my family, have endured.  When I filed pro se to represent my daughter’s case, I never imagined that I would find that the process was corrupt.

                 

Protect Patient's Rights

Thanks to everyone who liked and reposted the post "The Affordable Care Act - A Mother's Appeal to President Obama. The appeal focuses on the part of the act pertaining to patients rights/medical malpractice torts, which was left in the hands of the states. In Idaho and other states patient's rights are not protected.

If you haven't read it, please do so, and make a comment or like it and pass it on. Like many of you, before we met with medical negligence, I worked, paid my insurance premiums and life was good. I never would have imagined what families go through when a doctor destroys the life of a patient. It still happens. I pray it does not happen to any of you. Something needs to be done to prevent it. Only a small percentage of doctors are accountable for preventable medical errors, but they affect millions of lives each year. Some patients die and others, like Robyn, are left disabled

The Affordable Care Act - A Mother’s Appeal to President Obama

Dear President Obama,

Recently, I downloaded a copy of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  I applaud you for your hard work in making insurance affordable to all citizens.  I know that many people attempted to undermine your efforts.  I am glad you succeeded in passing this act.  However, I was disappointed when I read the Sense of the Senate on Medical Malpractice Reform.  The reform of Medical Malpractice Statutes should not be left to the discretion of the states.

President Obama, in October 2007, my 13-year-old daughter’s dreams were destroyed by the negligence of a doctor in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  She was just entering her teenage years.  She was an honor student, as of matter of fact, the spring before she had a stroke, she was inducted into the honor society.  She was excited about all that life was showing her.  She also aspired to be an athlete.  She ran track and she was one of the fastest runner on her track team.

October 1, 2007, a neurologist prescribed Zomig to her for numbing sensations she had in her limbs.  On October 5, 2007, she was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, because she had a massive stroke.  On October 9, 2007, she was declared brain-dead.  We were told that the Robyn we knew was gone, that her spirit had left her body.  There are no words to explain how this devastated and forever changed the lives of my family and me.  Consequently, God allowed Robyn to live.

President Obama, I found out later that Zomig was only to be given to patients diagnosed with migraine headaches.  It was also not recommended for children. My daughter, Robyn, never had a migraine headache.  Nor, did she have headaches with the numbing sensations.  Robyn was actually diagnosed with a rare condition called MoyaMoya, which causes the carotid arteries to occlude causing transient ischemic attacks (mini strokes), which explained the numbing sensations.  Consequently, Zomig causes the constriction of the arteries too.  The Zomig prescribed by the neurologist acerbated her condition and caused a massive stroke.

In 2012, I discovered that her medical records had been changed to include a diagnosis of migraine headache.  This was revealed when the attorney representing Robyn’s interests in a malpractice case attempted to intimidate me into dismissing the case, with prejudice, six months before the trial date.  At this time, I realized that I was in the midst of systemic corruption in the medical and legal communities in Idaho. 

President Obama, I am a minority.  My daughter’s basic human rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness were stripped from her, and her right to civil recourse was silenced by the criminals within the legal system in Idaho.  As African Americans in Idaho, our rights were violated and the legal system in Idaho took an active role.  I have collected the information that the officials there were able to suppress.  I wrote a book and placed the evidence in the book, “God’s Miracle Among Corruption in Idaho.”  It should be out within a few weeks.  I hope you obtain a copy.  I would send you one but I doubt that you would get it. I am appealing to you in this blog in hopes that you will read this appeal and obtain a copy of the book.  I also pray that U.S. Attorney General Holder obtains a copy.

President Obama, if you do not step in and help, I am afraid that systems like the one that exists in Idaho, will continue to violate the basic human rights of patients. Too often, the rights of citizens are not protected.  Like many citizens, before my daughter’s stroke, I worked, paid my insurance premiums, and was content.  I could have never imagined what transpired in our lives in 2007-2012, in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

“God’s Miracle Among Corruption in Idaho,” will be out in a few weeks.  If the evidence was not there to support my claim, it would be difficult to believe that officials in Idaho committed these acts.

President Obama, I hope this post reaches you.

Sincerely,

Veverly Edwards

Hold on to your faith

When God makes a promise to us, sometimes the way He delivers it is unbelievable.  Hold on to your faith today.

Don’t Shrink from the Enemy

I am thankful to God that I took a step back and am much calmer and at peace in addressing this issue and following His plan.  Now, when I consider the amount of deception and the levels of officials in Idaho who have taken part in defrauding Robyn’s Medical Malpractice case, I am no longer surprised.  The love of money and corrupt politics will cause people to take immoral measures, but I will not shrink from the enemy

The most disheartening reality is that the truth is not hidden.  The officials there just refuse to acknowledge it. I am sure they are wondering, “What is keeping her going?”  The Lord and the truth. While they may be able to defer the truth from rising, they are not omnipotent and it will be revealed.

The fact that this doctor destroyed the life of a vibrant-intelligent-African-American girl does not matter. Maybe it is because in their twisted reasoning and sense of entitlement, Idaho officials decided that the doctor’s reputation and monetary contributions in their community was more important than Robyn’s life or any other minority in that community. 

See, I don’t believe Robyn’s case is the only one that has been defrauded in Idaho.  It is difficult to fight there and many times people give in.  I believe the officials in Idaho are afraid if this case makes headlines many others whom they have defrauded in the past will come forward and all their skeletons may come falling out of the closet.

But I am not worried, because maybe God is saying it is time to reveal the deceit and inhumane practices in Idaho.  Just maybe, it is time for those who have been abused by the system there to obtain justice.  With Robyn’s case, the evidence is obvious. Our problem is the system will not acknowledge it and have painted a distorted picture of me.  Robyn’s attorney gives others the impression that he did everything possible in her case, and that I just refused to acknowledge there was no negligence and that what happened to Robyn was inevitable.

Yet, no one will address the fraudulent records.  Robyn was an outgoing child who participated in activities at school and church.  The diagnosis of migraine headaches that sometimes lasted all day, is a lie. Dr. Garland wrote that into her file after he realized his grave error, and it can be disputed by anyone who knew Robyn before the stroke.  

There was no reasoning for Dr. Garland to prescribe Zomig, a drug not recommended for children and only to be given to patients when a diagnosis of "migraine headaches" has been established. The fact that the drug could prove fatal to someone with other neurological problems appeared to have no bearing on the fact that he was giving it to someone complaining of numbness in her limbs. This leads me to now believe he had no clue to the drug he gave her in his office.

Most people did not know about the numbness Robyn was experiencing in her limbs because it was not consistent.  Dr. Garland's actions were not just negligent but gross negligence. There is nothing in her medical history that supported this diagnosis and it is evident by the medical records, but they have painted the picture of a distraught mother who just won’t accept the unfortunate fate of her child.

Every source for recourse I submitted a complaint to in Idaho, rejected the information in the files.  I am sure that many have to be uncomfortable and the plan has to be, if no one acknowledges the truth, she will go away.  Yet, I am not going anywhere and yes I do expect the truth to rise.  I am waiting on God and following His instructions.  He will decide when to reveal their deceit.  I am at peace and will not shrink. The truth will rise.

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” 

Dr. Martin Luther King

Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason with the Wrong Attitude

As God reveals some things to me, I will share them with you all.  The most difficult part of this journey has been watching the enemy and the corruption throughout the legal system in Idaho.  Even though God had already shown me that our win would not be in the court system there, but that I needed to go through the processes, it still angered me when I saw all the evil.  As a matter of fact, I had forgotten and totally lost my focus.  I actually expected that someone would come forward and stand up for what is right.  What I have learned with my Father God is attitude is most important.  Doing the Right Thing, for the Right Reason with the Wrong Attitude does not work.

Essentially, the very flaw that I try hard not to allow to surface came right in and took the driver’s seat and it wasn’t until the Lord showed me myself that I realized my hot temper was at the steering wheel. I have shone the light on the enemy so it is only right for me to share that my attitude has been a stumbling block for me in this situation. As I go forward you all can help, when you see my tempter flare just send me a message and let me know that you saw Old Veverly in the post.

For those who may be wondering, even though it appears I have lost every battle in the system in Idaho, it is OK, because it was necessary for God’s purpose.   God has instructed me to stay focus on Him and let go of my anger so that I can get control of my temper.  Oh, and to stop watching the enemy because I am allowing their actions to move me to anger which distracts me from what I should be doing.

There are many who have faced the injustice and corruption in the legal system in this country.  It can be overwhelming to the mind, body and spirit if you expect justice and it does not come to fruition.  I honestly have no clue how God is going to work this situation out, I am just blindly following Him because I trust Him.  He has never let me down and has always shown up when I needed Him. 

I ask myself, “How did you allow your temper to get so far out of control?”  I now recognize the day the attorney showed me the false records, old Veverly, hopped right up front.  I was boiling hot when I realized what they were attempting to do.  Although the Lord had shown me I was not going to win against these individuals on their ground, I did not anticipate the deception that I encountered nor the evil. 

This is why it is important that we put on the whole armor of God. My heart was already torn and vulnerable, the last thing I needed was to expose it to the evil doings of these people.  The doctor had destroyed Robyn’s life, and to add changing her medical records and the entire system cover it, oh, I was hurt, angry and as hot as a firecracker.  Had God not stopped me, the anger would have consumed me.  He shows me what some will tell me, but I don’t always listen.  For me, healing and moving forward is about being honest with myself and accepting my mistakes and learning how not to make the same mistake again.  Attitude is as important as the stand for right, because you can’t stand for what is right with the wrong attitude.

The Question I asked God and His response.

The last few months, I have been questioning God about all the evil in the world and the innocent who are being destroyed.  I am sharing this for two reasons.  One, I know there are many out there who question God and become discouraged when he is silent.  Two, because I want to share his answer with those of you who have been following me.

As a mother, this has been a very heart-wrenching journey.  To have Robyn’s life and dreams snatched away at 13-years-old, was like someone taken a knife to my heart and digging out a piece, leaving an open, bleeding, painful wound.  When my eyes where opened to the ugly truth of what transpired, I became so angry.  I did not realize that instead of God being my driving force my anger had eased its way behind the wheel.  I did not recognize it because I could not take my sights off what the doctor and officials in Idaho conspired to do.

It was disheartening to see Robyn struggle to recover some resemblance of a normal life, knowing that Dr. Garland committed gross negligence and then changed her medical records.  But what I allowed to distract me for about a year was the conspiracy that took place right before my eyes.  I would have never known what transpired had Robyn’s attorney not been arrogant enough to show me a medical record Garland altered and then attempted to coerce me into accepting that I filled it out.

If there had been any doubt in my mind, I would have pulled back, but Robyn never had migraine headaches. Garland added it to the file to cover giving a prescription drug (Zomig) he should have never given to a 13-year-old, and surely not to a patient presenting numbing sensations with no obvious signs of what was causing the numbness.

After realizing what they were attempting to do to the medical malpractice case, I sought out every means of recourse.  I filed a complaint with the Idaho Falls Police when I realized that they had violated a criminal code by allowing the fraudulent information to be introduced into the investigative process as true. I initially attempted to file a report about May of last year, but the police refused to take one. It wasn’t until this year after writing the Idaho Falls City Council that one of the members questioned the responsibility of the police. Consequently, the last time I spoke with the officer investigating the case was in September.  He mentioned a letter that Garland supposedly wrote on October 1, 2007 as evidence of Garland’s innocence.  My reply to the officer investigating the case, “how can a letter written on October 1, 2007 contain information about events that transpired days later?” I haven’t spoken with his since then.

I filed a complaint with the Idaho Bar Association against the attorney representing Robyn for attempting to undermine the medical malpractice case.  The attorney lied before the board during a recorded hearing.  I sent information received from a court reporter verifying his deception during the hearing.  They wrote back, “He properly performed his duties.”

Robyn and I filed a complaint with the Idaho Board of Medicine.  Robyn received a letter on August 21, 2013 that stated the case was open and would be presented to the board and that they would update us every 45-60 days.  We were initially told that the process could take months.  Well, we received a letter dated September 9, 2013 from the Executive Director of the Idaho State Board of Medicine. According to the board, the facts did not warrant formal disciplinary actions and they have closed the matter.

I sent the medical board records that I had and I assumed they requested Garland’s records. Robyn has no record of migraines in her medical history.  The referral from her primary care physician to Garland was for numbing sensations in her limbs.  While at Garland’s office on October 1, 2007, I filled out a document that asked for medical history.  Headaches/migraine headaches was first on the list and I did not check it.  These were just a couple of the documents that conflicted with what Garland wrote in the records. 

I am an educated person. I know how to fill out a document. If Robyn had migraine headaches that lasted all day and had been having them for two months, as Garland added in a letter and the medical records, I would have selected migraine headaches and I am sure her primary care physician would have added that to the referral. 

Thus, my reasoning for asking God, “Why do you allow evil people to hurt innocent people?”  I talked to my pastor and he mentioned to me that Habakkuk presented a similar question to God.  I decided to read Habakkuk.  As I read through the book of Habakkuk, God revealed to me that there were Christians among the deception in Idaho.  Not just those who have misrepresented Him and called themselves Godly to deceive others, but Christians have taken part knowing the deception of the evil doers misrepresenting Him.  He also reminded me that His Grace extends to all of His children.  He gives us all the opportunity at repentance because His desire is that none would be lost.  He also reminded me that when Christians do evil towards their sisters and brothers and refuse to repent, He allows that same evil to consume them.

The Lord also had me to come clean regarding the anger hidden in my heart which I denied to myself.  I imagine everyone else saw it, but me.  I had even prayed for these individuals, but it was not heart felt. I was so angry that I was beginning to not recognize myself. I wondered, “How did I get to this point?” Consequently, my anger became a barrier between God and me.  The more I watched the corruption, the angrier I got, and the harder I fought. I soon lost focus of God even though He was near.

With as much corruption and evil in the world it is easy to strike back with like force, but as a Christian God is the source of my strength and the strength of my life and I cannot respond to evil with evil. I know that God does not forsake his own and I trust in that.  I would have lost hope when I was told Robyn was brain-dead, but he stepped in and asked me to trust him and to focus only on him.  If he had not talked and walked me through that, I would not be writing this blog today. 

I have cut the cords to the anger that bound me and God has restored and renewed the hope that had started to dwindle.  I am putting behind the year that I struggled with the enemy-expecting that truth and justice could somehow be accomplished in their courts and sources for recourse.  I am going to follow the route God had already given me.

As I go forward, I am doing as I have in the past, focusing on him, allowing him to talk and walk me through this.  I will post my progress and hopefully and prayerfully, I will complete what God has commissioned real soon and I will be able to share it with all of you.