Oct 7, 2023
Above is a picture of a robotics coder, a position young Mr. Davis had before being diagnosed with M.S.
Meet David Davis, an impressive man with a sweet, beautiful spirit. To meet David is to meet a gentle, humble soul. His faith in God is sure and unshakable. His voice is soft, matching his light brown eyes, which are warm and comforting. While David was working as an engineer, coding robotics for surgeons, one day, he fell. He thought perhaps he tripped over something, but when he turned to see the culprit, there was nothing there. David's legs were weakening. He noticed slight weakening throughout his body. He was always active, healthy, and on the go, so he naturally thought it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. After prompting from family and friends, David acquiesced and sought medical attention.
At the young age of 39, David was Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.). M.S. is a debilitating, incurable disease that can strike at any age. The body's immune system turns on its host and eats away at the protective covering of nerves. This nerve damage results in a disruption of communication between the brain and the body. Thus, the stages of the disease begin, slowly eating away at the body until complete paralysis occurs. David was eventually placed in a long-term facility in Brick, N.J., Complete Care at Laurelton. For the six years that David has been a resident at the facility, David has endured many incidents of neglect and abuse. David is sure not to indict everyone at the facility; there are a few attendants who are caring and kind. David has a coloscopy bag because he was given food he could not digest. The food eventually got stuck in his colon. David reports that the ensuing surgery resulted in the removal of portions of his intestine. The operation would have been unnecessary if the facility was more attentive. He now relies on family and friends to send him food that he can safely eat, as he no longer trusts the food at the care facility.
Due to negligence, David was not turned over at the prescribed intervals in his bed, resulting in severe bed sores. The wounds were so severe they had to remove part of his scrotum, and he is now told that additional details of his genitalia may have to be removed. Again, these operations are due to neglect and were completely avoidable. David reports that when an attendant does come around to dress the wounds, it's a harrowing ordeal. They use a medical device and roughly scrape the wound. His mail is routinely opened without his authorization, items have gone "missing" in his room, and due to a lack of staff, he is frequently not given his medication on time. David has been placed in hospice as he was given months to live three years ago. His will proved to be much stronger than his prognosis. The aforementioned horrors notwithstanding, one of the most egregious acts was when a staff member took photos of his genitalia and forwarded them to a number of people. That attendant was subsequently fired, crediting the claim's reliability.
David now lays in his bed 24 hours a day. He is immobile save for the ability to move his right hand slightly. He communicates with a voice slightly over a whisper and with his eyes. His smile is quick to come, and his laughter even quicker. As we spoke and he related to me abuse after abuse, his love for people and God shone on his face. While I visited with David, I noticed a fly in the room. I couldn't help but think that that fly was just a fly, harmless and inconsequential to me. To David, however, that little insect could be grievously pernicious. I wanted to leave; I didn't want David to see me tearing up. But I had to stay until that fly left the room.
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