happy new year

[Ken. Levine]

Happy new year to all.

With each year the fight to prevent more brachial plexus injuries continues. We continue to fight the efforts of the obstetrical community to deny that excessive clinician traction is the cause of the children's injury and that children can be permanently injured by the maternal forces of labor. The false and medically unsupported theory that children can be permanently injured by the maternal forces of labor simply provides ob/gyn's with a convenient excuse when they deliver a child with a brachial plexus injury. In fact, until ob/gyn's accept the truth of how brachial plexus injuries happen, the training will not go far enough, the issue will not be taken seriously enough and more children will be at risk, and will be injured.

There are a few brave and honest ob/gyn's such as the group from Johns Hopkins whose research has established the cause of the injury and how doctors can be better trained to avoid injuring babies.

In the past year alone I have fought these issues in courtrooms in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia, Illinois, Arkansas, Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota among other states and I am just one of many lawyers who deal with brachial plexus cases.

With the continued support of the UBPN community and a few brave doctors willing to come to courtrooms and tell the truth, even if it exposes a medical error by a colleague, we will continue to spread the message that brachial plexus injuries can be avoided with better medical practice.

I continue to marvel at your strength and courage. Your dedication to your children and hard work to help them recover as well as they can. You do so much and show a grace and dignity that is beyond explanation. Recently in a trial in Atlanta I asked a mother of a 5 year old child with a 5 nerve injury to explain what her daughter could not do. She stopped, looked at the jury and said she could not answer that question as all she could focus on was what her daughter could do, on her daughters strength and courage even at age 5. She went on to say she would never accept that he daughter had any limitations. That mothers courage and attitude came through loud and clear to everyone in the courtroom and you just knew that no matter what it would take her daughter would make it in this world.

Happy new year and best wishes to each and every one of you and your beautiful children.

Ken Levine
Klevine@Klevinelaw.com
http://www.Klevinelaw.com

[Kath]

Thanks Ken

I would like to add one thing to your statement.

Unless this injury is reported under one universal code and we have accurate statistics, we will never be able to demand that they are lowered.
This birth injury is referred to as rare, we all know it's not.
The medical community needs to face reality and acknowledge the fact that unless you regain 100% function... we are not cured or resolved.

Happy New Year to all!

[swhite1]

Bless those in a tireless fight for our prescious children. It can not be easy for you. God bless you all.