JMH Sued Over Access To Dying Gay Partner

A woman is suing Jackson Memorial Hospital because she says she was denied access to her lesbian partner as she lay dying in bed.

Janice Langbehn says she and her children were kept away from her partner, Lisa Pond, as she battled for her life. Now, Langbehn is speaking out and suing JMH.

"I'm finding the strength to speak out so this doesn't have to happen to any other family because what happened to us was very wrong," Langbehn said.

Pond had just boarded a cruise ship at the Port of Miami when she collapsed from a brain aneurysm and was taken to Ryder Trauma Center. At that point, Langbehn said the mistreatment of her and the children started.

"He looked at me and said, 'I'm Garnett Frederick, I'm a social worker and this is an anti-gay city and state and you won't get to see your partner without a health care proxy,'" Janice recalled. "So I said, give me your fax."

The Washington state women had been together for 18 years and legally adopted the children. They also had planned for a situation like this. Langbehn said friends faxed a power of attorney form giving her the right to make medical decisions for Pond.

However, Langbehn and her children had to wait 8 hours to see Pond. By that time, Pond had slipped into a coma, from which she never recovered.

Langbehn has joined forces with Lambda Legal to sue JMH. Her lawyer said there was no excuse for the behavior.

"Despite a doctor's acknowledgement that no medical reason to keep the family apart, no one at Ryder allowed family to be together," said Beth Litrell, an attorney with Lambda legal.

"I sat there and kept racking my brain, and kept screaming into the Miami night, you know, and I felt like a failure without holding her hand," said Langbehn as she sobbed.

CBS4 contacted Jackson Memorial Hospital for its side of the story, but an attorney for the hospital told us she could not comment on a pending lawsuit.

Reference and direct link:
http://cbs4.com/local/jackson.miami.lesbian.2.757090.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Janice
• Langbehn
• Jackson
• Memorial
• Hospital
• lesbian
• partner
• dying
• gay
• access
• discrimination

[Jeannenyc57]

This happened to me. Family came in and took everything. I couldn't even see my partner in the hospital. She died of cancer. I have started a group on legacy connect

Please join. We are a great group. Just go to legacy connect and look under groups

Gay & Lesbian, You don't have to leave your real name. I hope you do join us. Jeanne

[Damien5280]

@Jeannenyc57

I'm glad that posting these videos does have a positive effect on occasion.

Good luck and I hope your group grows powerful!

[thetwominds]

I by no means condone homophobic behavior but there are two sides to every story. Jackson Memorial saved two of my family members, one of which is gay, and never was his partner denied access to see him. We can not condemn the hospital for the fault of an individual and their alleged hate speech. It's such a vicious cycle. Suing wont bring anyone back. Everyone should just learn from this and move on.

[Damien5280]

Nothing brings back the dead and I agree suing can't do that.

But it can help to prevent it from happening again.

Most likely the hospital will rid themselves of the person at fault and create a policy to prevent this from happening again.

~D

[Pkr]

This is probably worth fifty million dollars from the hospital but even that would not overshadow the hate and indecency expressed by those within that community. I hope that this isn't reflective of the entire staff...

[gingi7195]

This story just broke my heart. I'm so sorry this family had to go through all this I sure hope they win big in their law suit.Sure the money wont bring her back but maybe it will wake these jerks up and force them to realize we are people to ans we should be allowed to be with our partners.

[Jeannenyc57]

@Damien5280 Thanks so much. We need a voice! This cannot continue! Be well, Jeanne

[Jeannenyc57]

@Pkr I totally agree, I have been there

[shadowpkl]

I remember Janice so well...she was always really, extremely nice. This is terreble and I can't imagine anyone doing this.

[gotham23us]

@thetwominds

Rubbish. We can and we should blame the hospital for anything done by its employees. She waited for HOURS to get inside. There's no way "one employee" could have kept her out without someone else realizing what was happening.

And y'know what? There may be "two sides to every story," but I'm not always interested in hearing the other side. What happened in that waiting room was just wrong: PERIOD. And you know it!

[Clemburke1111]

There is no such thing as Karma,,and yes I believe this happens, it was done to my Brother and his Parner. It is domne all of the time.

[jtn412]

do you really hope this for someone you do not know? Do you always take what someone says as the truth? I have seen so many times a comment taken the wrong way.

Do you really think the social worker said that? Not possible she heard something that simply was not said? I believe she believes he said it, but I do not believe it was said. Watch yourself when you wish the death of a loved one on someone you don't know. Karma is a funny thing.

[Clemburke1111]

I hope that social worker has a loved one that dies in the near future and thinks of this.