Wheelchair-bound woman trapped in house fire, critically injured; her absent mother arrested

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10364433

Published Sunday June 22, 2008
The latest: Wheelchair-bound woman trapped in house fire, critically injured; her absent mother arrested
Kevin Cole

A 23-year-old Omaha woman confined to a wheelchair was critically injured in house fire Saturday night near 65th and Maple Streets.

Tawnisha Harbour was taken to the Creighton University Medical Center and then transferred to the burn unit at Clarkson Hospital.

Omaha Police Officer Michael Pecha, a police department spokesman, said the fire at 6557 Maple St. was reported about 7:45 p.m. It appeared to have gutted the house, but the extent of the damage was not known, he said.

A police investigation determined that Harbour was left unattended in the house and was unable to escape on her own. Her mother, Cherie Harbour, was booked into jail on suspicion of abuse of a vulnerable adult.

Tawnisha Harbour has been in a wheelchair since being injured in a car crash on Sept. 18, 2003.

Harbour, who was 18 at the time of the accident, was driving a 1986 Oldsmobile north on 30th Street about 12:20 p.m. when her car swerved into the path of a southbound car.

As Tawnisha Harbour tried to correct her error, her car was struck on the driver’s side.

[glowing]

1. I don't get it.. is she a complete invalid? AND if she is why isn't the state

or someone providing 24hr monitored care? I could understand leaving a minor unattended.. but a 23yr old woman?

[Hekate]

2. "The state" may consider this family crisis something the family is supposed to take care of solo

Compassionate conservatism doesn't have that in the budget -- and those church ladies in the faith-based charities initiatives didn't really sign on for this.

A friend of mine had a bad stroke and survived three years. When the long term disability insurance ran out, his wife went through their savings. She has a good job, a grown son at home, and was able to hire home health care aides to cover one shift a day. After that, it was up to her and her son to take care of Dad's needs, which were substantial. And that's just about the best-case scenario.

If the woman in this story is a quadriplegic she needs 24/7 care -- and her mother needs respite. If her mother has no money, then what? Is mom supposed to be trapped inside the four walls of her house for the next 25 years?

I think there is a whole lot more to this sad story.

Hekate

[TomInTib]

3. I agree. Why should a parent be saddled with a disabled adult?

I don't get it, either.

On top of that, the accident was fully the fault of the daughter.

[LeftishBrit]

4. It should be irrelevant whose fault the accident was...

there should be help given to all carers on a no-fault basis; or there will just be many more tragedies such as this one.

[dems_rightnow]

7. Oh well, if the accident was her fault

.... then to hell with her. :eyes:

[TomInTib]

8. I didn't mean it that way.

What I meant was it's not like her mother caused the woman's disability and therefore should bear any responsibility.

I am so glacially slow on the keyboard that I often fail to ustilize enough words to adequately express myself.

But I am nine kinds of Hell on bottleneck (slide) guitar.

[LisaL]

5. I don't get it. The woman is an adult. Even if she is in the

wheelchair, is her mother supposed to be with her 24/7?
The mother might need to go out, go the store, etc.

[kath]

6. There must be more going on here than meets the eye.

If the cops' only concern was that the mother left her daughter unattended, wouldn't the charge be "neglect" rather than "abuse"?

Perhaps the daughter has horrible bruises, old fractures, or other evidence of actual abuse.

We are so far behind other nations. Those pinko commie Yurpeens have govt-run systems of **respite care** to go along with their health care systems. The UK has had such for at least 22 years. I know because my sister, who is in special ed, spent some time in England on a Fulbright teacher exchange and was impressed with the respite care system, noting that no such thing existed in the U.S.

[medeak]

9. no mention of paralysis

just wheelchair bound..could mean anything. Am going through the same with 92 yr old parents..income just hair above to qualify for any care from medicare ect. Social worker told me only available help is private pay and have hired 2 russian women to care for them (am 600 miles away) It's horrible to punish the mother this way in my opinion..it's probably the same scenario...some people fall between the cracks of state and federal help.