Unyielding Courage: Advocating for My Special Needs Child Against Medical Negligence

Do you know what it takes to stand up against medical negligence, especially when it involves your child? In this moving episode of the Jess Ngaheu podcast, Jess shares her profound journey of advocating for her special needs son, Hawaiki, against medical negligence. She discusses the relentless challenges and emotional struggles of securing the proper care and uncovering the truth about her son’s medical condition. This episode is a powerful exploration of parental advocacy, trust in intuition, and the hurdles of navigating the healthcare system with a special needs child.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why Parental Advocacy is Non-Negotiable: Jess emphasises the critical role parents play in advocating for their child’s health, especially in complex medical situations.
2. How Difficult is it to Access Medical Records? Jess discusses her struggles in obtaining Hawaiki's medical records, highlighting systemic issues in healthcare communication.
3. What Happens When Diagnoses Go Wrong? The episode covers the initial misdiagnosis of Hawaiki's condition and the devastating impact of discovering the truth about his severe brain damage.
4. Importance of Legal Battles for Justice: Jess talks about the ongoing court case for medical negligence, showing the legal complexities when fighting for a child’s rights.
5. Trusting Your Gut: The story reinforces trusting one's intuition as a parent when it comes to the well-being of a child.

Chapters:

(01:17) Struggle for Medical Records: Challenges faced in obtaining Hawaiki's medical records and the importance of documentation.
(02:39) Diagnosis and Heartbreak: Initial diagnosis, the emotional impact of learning the truth about Hawaiki’s condition.
(07:41) Advocacy Beyond the Hospital: Experiences with Jetstar regarding accommodations for Hawaiki, demonstrating broader advocacy beyond medical settings.
(13:40) Hospital Challenges and Ryan’s Rule: Detailed experiences in the hospital, including invoking Ryan's Rule due to inadequate care.
(20:20) Facing the Truth and Ongoing Legal Battle: Discussing the lawsuit and the determination to fight for Hawaiki’s future.

Quotes:

• "If you feel there's something wrong, there definitely is something wrong. No one can ever tell you any different."
• "You are the greatest expert on your child, not a GP, not a doctor, not even someone that specialises in that field."
• "It is heart-wrenching finding out those details, but thank Christ, I'm fighting for him with this lawsuit."

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