Those who have been there praise Obama’s mandate on hospital visitation rights

By Andy Eddins
Apr 19, 2010 at 02:44 pm

As reported by Darryl Fears and Lena H. Sun in The Washington Post:

"Kate Fleming was dying. But her partner, Charlene Strong, couldn't get to her. A social worker at a Seattle hospital barred Strong from the room because she wasn't a blood relative, she said.

"'I was horrified. I thought it was so wrong,' Fleming's mother, Audrey, said Friday from her home in Alexandria. Her daughter died in December 2006 after nearly drowning.

"Strong produced an award-winning documentary, 'For My Wife,' advocating domestic partnership rights in hospital visitation. When she learned of Obama's decision Thursday night, 'I could not stop crying,' she said.

"...In Baltimore, Lisa Polyak also applauded Obama's decision. Eleven years ago, Polyak said, her partner, Gita Deane, was delivering their baby at Union Memorial Hospital. But Polyak said the anesthesiologist told her to leave and that if she did not, Deane would not get anesthesia for pain relief.

"Even though Polyak had medical power of attorney, she felt she could not argue with the doctor. 'Having the right document doesn't mean anything in a crisis.'"

Click to read the full post: [Link]

See video of Lisa Polyak and Gita Deane interviewed on CNN, posted on Queerty.