Kept From Dying Partner: Woman Partner of 18 Years Kept From Dying Partner
 

I heard this audio story on Public Radio last night. There is about 18 minutes of audio. "Rights Beyond Marriage"

EDIT: I believe that it is worth our while to spread this story/url. Please do so.

http://thestory.org/archive/the_stor...riage.mp3/view

Janice Langbehn's family was on an anniversary cruise off the coast of Florida went things went terribly wrong. Her partner Lisa Pond collapsed of an aneurysm. Janice Langbehn says the hospital staff refused to allow her and their three children to see Lisa as she was dying. The hospital denies that sexual orientation had anything to do with what happened, and this was part of standard procedure at the trauma unit, where visitor access is often limited.

Janice talks with Janet Babin about what happened and why she's filed a lawsuit.

Humbly Yours, Bruce Chris

The story had me in tears. Definitely worth sharing. It's hard to even imagine that such an injustice could take place. :(

Jen, I luv ya, but you're too innocent. No, it's not at all hard to imagine
 

That this sort of thing can, and all too often does happen in the world that we live in. And that's the main reason that I am trying to spread this story, and the URL that supplies the audio, as far as I can.

With Sorrow, Bruce Chris

Innocent, sure. Just because it's common it does not make it any less painful or any easier to comprehend though. Pain is pain. Injustice is injustice. I can believe it can happen, but not the pain of being in her shoes.

I wonder whether this would have happened with a common-law heterosexual couple. Does anyone know what normal hospital policy is on that?

I don't know what the laws are. The woman seemed to think that there was no reason legal (or otherwise) that she should have been kept from her partner in the last several hours. She seemed to think that a husband would have been able to see her. Knowing that these things happen a lot, I would have every reason to believe that she is right. :o