During these unprecedented times, some of us are fortunate enough to be with our families.  Sadly, if you end up becoming very ill you are left to be separated from your family and loved ones when needed the most.  Family members are having to get updates from the nurses and doctors who are very overwhelmed and if lucky enough they will be given the opportunity for a short Facetime.

My mom has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.  For the majority of March, she was in the hospital where my father chose to sleep, to give her the support she needed. We would often change shifts so I could visit her while he went home to take a shower.  Soon thereafer they changed the rules to no visitors, at which time my father chose to permanently stay with her.  Due to BOTH of the efforts of my father and the medical staff, she became a bit stronger and returned home late March.  

A few weeks later, on 4/20/2020 she became unresponsive and was taken to the local hospital by ambulance.  She was intubated and in the ICU for 5 days.  During her stay, she tested COVID-19 NEGATIVE.  However, we were told no visitors and only short Facetime communication of 1-5 minutes were given.  She was not given the care we trusted the local hospital to give.  We brought her home where she felt safe and cared for.  

On 4/27/2020 she became unresponsive again and she told us she would rather die than be separated from us and back in the hospital alone, scared, and full of strangers.  We had no choice, but to send her to the ER, however it was at a different hospital.  She lost her pulse at the hospital and had to be resuscitated.  She was intubated again and soon sent to the ICU where her vitals improved.  She was again tested for COVID-19 and again tested COVID-19 NEGATIVE.  She has not fully woken up, but whenever she facetimes with me and my father, she is more engaged and motivated to recover than she is with the doctors and nurses.  

While I understand the seriousness of COVID-19, I feel that it is inhumane to let ANYONE be in the ICU with this condition and not be able to be with a family member.  Please do not let COVID claim someone who it has not even touched.  I am pleading with you all to join me in fighting for my mom and others to be able to be with their loved ones in a crucial time.  Please sign to capture state governors' attention to this issue to adjust the hospital visiting policy for the COVID-19 pandemic so that ICU patients do not have to go through their battle alone.

THE DONATIONS YOU MAKE ARE GOING TO PROMOTING THIS PETITION BY CHANGE.ORG.  I DO NOT SEE THEM NOR DO I RECEIVE ANY OF THEM.  I AM ONLY ASKING FOR SIGNATURES AND SPREADING THE WORD�