Hello I would like to share my story with you When I was born I was completely blind I had six surgeries done on my eyes I started seeing a little it was better than nothing I started seeing when I was 11 years old seven years after that when I was 18 I end up being a quadriplegic it was my senior year in high school in all happen in 1981 October 8 when my life completely change it was a Saturday morning I was in ROTC drill team that morning I told my mother if she could take me to practice she told me if I don't want to go to the store with her and my little brother I said no so she took me to the school ground so I could have practice we got there and before I got off the car she asks me again if I was sure that I didn't want to go with them I said though I don't want to go I want to stay for practice she took off I was already there for 10 minutes I have noticed that part of the team wasn't there and also the destructor wasn't there either this kid that was younger than me he was 15 years old at that time I used to wait hundred 33 pounds and that kid waited close to 350 pound he started horsing around with me and we end up playing wrestling he got me from my back he put his arms around me I switched I was not able to put my hands in front of me so my head went first to the floor plus all his weight and up top of me when I hit the floor my neck top I tried to get up but I was not able I started feeling weird I felt inside my body like I was drinking like a midget he told me to get up I did try again but I was not able I told him I cannot get up he thought that I was joking he told me you are pretending I told him I'm not joking I started sweating he notice that I was sweating big-time he called the rest of the kids everybody ran where I was my best friend got close to me and he asked me if I was joking I said no I feel weird she was the only one that had a car and he went to his car to go to the small store that was close by there to use the public phone he came back to tell me that the ambulance was on the way I told him to go and tell my mother that I was going to go to the hospital I told him also not to tell her exactly what happened to me the reason I said that because he barely had her second heart surgery a month ago and I did not want her hunting to happen to her when she here the news what happened finally the ambulance got there from the school ground all the way to the hospital I was able to breathe on my own when the ambulance got to the hospital I started feeling short of breath when we got in the hospital I don't recall what happened when I woke up I was in ICU connected to a respirator my mother told me that on the way to the hospital he saw a ambulance but she would not sure if I was in that ambulance she also told me when she arrived to the hospital and the doctors told her what happened to me she was very surprised what happened to me she told me also that she thought that I only broke a arm the doctors did not let her see me that day until the following day that same day my doctor came to see me and told my mother and myself that I was only survive 72 hours my mind went blank I did not know what to think or say after the 72 hours pass my mother and my older brothers decided to take me to Houston I went by a helicopter and I went to a hospital there at Houston the name of the hospital was Methodist Hospital couple of days that I was there the doctors told my mother and my older brothers that I needed surgery on my back but it was 50% that I could die in surgery but if I would've survived with therapy I only could possibility that I could only move my hands but he was not going to guarantee anything so my mother and my brothers decided to leave me like that I was in Houston six months after that they told my mother that she needed to find a nursing home for me they did Brownsville they brought me back and I went to a nursing home there and Brownsville the name of the nursing home was good Samaritan nursing home I was by myself in the room thinking crying I close my eyes and suddenly I heard a noise in the room I opened my eyes and the window unit air-conditioned caught the curtain and started a fire I was not able to talk very well I started making weird noises with my mouth and also whistling like crazy until somebody could hear me
To Brownsville I said okay that sounds good that night finally somebody came to my room and saw the fire they started taking me out the room and the rest of the patients outside the nursing home I was only one connected to a respirator they call the ambulance to take me to the hospital I was not able to breathe on my own until everything settled down the following day the nursing home told my mother they were not going to take me back because I was too much responsibility she needed to find another nursing home I was in the hospital until they could find a nursing home for me that take patience they are connected to a respirator they were not able to find nowhere in the Valley of the social worker from the hospital found a nursing home but it wasn't here in the Valley I needed to go all the way to Killleen Texas they took me over there by helicopter I was there at that nursing home for two years the name of the nursing home that I went to was Belhaven nursing home I was scared and confused I did not know what to think what to say I was tired of what was happening my mother and my brothers every other weekend went to see me I did not want to eat or drink water I wanted to die I was already there six months I was losing a lot of weight I was getting sick very often pneumonia urine infection and they were taking me to a hospital that was close to the nursing home I started talking to got saying why this happened to me I'm scared and confused I want to die I don't have any future what did I do wrong to go through this one day this girl came to my room and started asking me questions he asked me what was my name I told her she told me that she works with the state I come and check the residents in they don't have any complaints are they doing okay I did not say anything she asked me to you like the food at said it's okay I guess do they treat you okay yes You been here for a long time I said no I come from Brownsville she asked me why you came all the way down here I told her because my mother was not able to find a nursing that would take patience with a respirator she told me are you sure about that you want me to investigate for you I said okay that sounds good and took off a month after that this lawyer came to talk to me that my mother and my brothers got so they could sue the high school he told me that he was going to need me in court but I needed to go to Brownsville she told me I will pay to take you down there and bring you back with a nurse I said okay I really didn't care the only thing I had in my mind was that I wanted to die but I wanted to die where I was born and raised in Brownsville he'd told me I will let you know when we have to be there in court and I will arrange everything when I find out I said okay couple of days after that I got very sick I had pneumonia I went to the hospital when I got better I came back to the nursing home I barely got there at the nursing home I was there already one hour and the attorney came to talk to me again and told me the day that they needed me at court I said okay he did not know what I was thinking I said to myself when I get to Brownsville I will let myself go and died nobody knew what I was thinking and what I wanted to do I waited already 90 pounds it was like a roller coaster for me I was getting sick very often this lady the same one they came and talked to me a couple of months back that were with the state came to talk to me again to tell me this nursing home and Brownsville six months they were going to set patience with the respirators I did like the news she told me also to Brownsville I said okay here when I hear that to arrange so y's ou can go in back to Brownsville if you want when I hear that they are ready accepting the patients with respirator I was already there 10 months I was losing a lot of weight I did not want to eat I was in the big depression I got sick again and went to the hospital it was like a roller coaster of me getting sick the attorney went to the hospital to visit me the nursing home told him where I was she told me that he already had a date to go to Brownsville but he was going to wait into I went back to the nursing home so he could make arrangements to get me there so finally I went back to the nursing home I was parodied there 30 minutes and my attorney came to tell me we got to be over there in Brownsville Thursday I will make arrangements for you to get you over there I said okay it was Tuesday when he told me that Monday came I started running a temperature I could not believe it what was happy to me my temperature was hundred and three I felt terrible Wednesday my attorney came too busy me the nurse came to the room to take my temperature and my temperature was still high they attorney said I cannot take you like that is a risk I said I could make it he told me I got a better idea I will make a video of you me asking you to questions and I could take it with me to show it in court I said okay I did not like that idea of it so he told me I will let you know how it went so he took off 75 million went down the drain we do not get anything I was already in the nursing home a year and two months and that lady from the state came to talk to me to ask me are you ready to go back I said what do you mean she told me the nursing home and Brownsville is already accepting people with respirators and I ready talk to and they will take you so 1983 Christmas Eve I came back to Brownsville I was barely turning 21 years old I waited 79 pounds seven years after that my mother died when she died my weight was 120 pounds I really wanted to die I knew it I was on my own I did not want to be in a nursing home anymore I was thinking wondering what else was going to happen to me this man in a wheelchair passed by close to my room he dropped something he had on his lap he was trying to pick it up after he'd pick it up he turned his head and said hi to me and I responded back he asked me what is your name I told him he said to me my name is David he also asked me have you been here a long time I said no I asked him what about you he told me I don't live here I come and see a consumer that I have here by work with Seo independently with I said what is that she told me that me go see my consumer and I will come back and talk to you I said okay she did he explained to me how they'll work and also that they were other programs and also he told me you don't have to be here they are programs that could help you to get your own place I said okay he told me also to think about it and get back to me he gave me his phone number yes I thought about it in the way I was scared and confused I didn't want also to be in the nursing home all my life so I did call him a couple of months after that and I have questions for him and one of the questions was if I didn't like it if I could come back to the nursing home he said yes you have rights I said what about if they don't want to take me back he told me you can call advocacy I said what is that she told me they have attorney that will fight for your rights he gave me the number were to call I did after three months and I started asking questions they told me transfer the call to Rosa Torres as she will answer your question I spoke to her and she did explain my rights and how advocacy works he also told the if you decide to get out give me a call I said okay I thought about it couple years after that and she told me what I needed to do to get out the nursing home I was scared and confused I was not sure if I would making the right decision she did help me a lot I believe in Jesus a lot and I've been blessed several ways and I continue being bless I've been through a lot Jesus until now have not turned me down the only thing that he did not complete what I want is of me walk again but he has his reasons like everybody else this year in July is going to be 15 years that I've been out of the nursing home October of this year is going to be also 36 years that I've been a quadriplegic click the link so you can read something else you can read http://openjurist.org/776/f2d/1263/cavazos-cavazos-v--states <http://openjurist.org/776/f2d/1263/cavazos-cavazos-v-united-states>
