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The Stories Of The 43 Families Affected by the Possible  De-institutionalization of the Residents at Seven Hills Pediatric Center
The Story Of Janay Trabucco
Resident of Seven Hills Pediatric Center
 
Janay Mary Faustine Trabucco is one of the exceptional angels on this earth.

In November of 1978, at the tender age of 5, she was admitted to Seven Hills at Groton, then known as Montrath Pediatric Nursing Home, with diagnosis’ of severe brain damage, cortical blindness, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and failure-to-thrive, to name a few.

After her birth, Janay did not neurologically progress as a normal child, and was closely attended to by many specialist doctors, in various Boston hospitals. One neurologist from Children’s Hospital stated that if Janay was skillfully cared for by professionals throughout her lifetime, her prognosis to live a long life would be successful; even though her brain was constantly seizing and was experiencing grand mal seizures with her entire body.

While daily attending the Professional Center for Handicapped Children in Andover, Janay’s medical status did not change. Due to the fact that her body was growing, she continued to endure much more abnormal seizure activity. Janay needed daily anti-convulsant med changes, and was quickly treated. She began to sleep all day in school, and stay awake all night. She also began to develop decubiti, as she preferred to sleep in only one body position. She adamantly refused to be in any other position, through extremely loud vocalizations, which kept the entire neighborhood awake at night.

One cold winter day while ambulating with Janay in my arms to transfer her to her seat in the school bus, I slipped on a tiny piece of ice, and Janay flew out of my arms, with both of us landing on cement in different directions. Janay sustained a neurological concussion from the fall, and remained in the hospital for a week.

Within weeks, she had acquired whooping cough, transmitted thru other children unknowingly. Her pediatric neurologist had recommended not to administer the pertussis vaccination, which most like would cause more severe convulsions to Janay. While receiving IV antibiotic therapy as an inpatient, Janay continued to convulse in the hospital.

A long search began for a long-term placement for Janay. One social worker informed me, that in one facility, she would not place her dog there, and she greatly disliked her dog.

Janay continued with declining health, while at home. She also acquired at this time bilateral pneumonia, and began to refuse nutrition & hydration, resulting in a great weight loss & exacerbation of her failure-to-thrive. Once again, she slowly recovered, only to acquire more acute respiratory illness’ which required more hospitalizations.

After her admission to Seven Hills, Janay began to improve, medically. Adjustment to the new facility took close to one year, and she received highly nutritionalized, pureed foods & fluids, and never endured respiratory illnesses anymore. She was daily receiving highly-skilled nursing care. Many recommendations were made for G-tube placement. With Janay’s failure-to-thrive at bay, her entire body flourished, but with many orthopedic abnormalities. Within years, she needed multiple orthopedic surgeries for her L) hip, which had dislodged from her hip socket. A few years later, Janay’s spine had become so abnormally deformed due to her non-ambulatory status, that all her internal organs were threatened with potentially fatal consequences. After more orthopedic surgery with 150 hooks & rods to her spine, Janay was skillfully cared for by a highly skilled nursing staff, at Seven Hills at Groton, requiring transfers from bed to her custom-made wheelchair, with a Hoyer lift. Further orthopedic surgery was required when the top of the spinal rod began to protrude thru her neck, and had to be trimmed.

With the Seven Hills at Groton new building, built with the highest medical technology & medical equipment, in October 2006, Janay responded to this transition from the old building, very negatively. She began again, to adamantly refuse to eat & drink, due to a change in staff & environment for her. Once again she lost weight, and became dehydrated & required IV therapy thru hospitalization. Janay’s failure to thrive, had arisen again. With quick skilled nursing care, she was closely monitored & treated by nursing at Seven Hills at Groton for any further medical problems, and presently is. Her weight has stabilized once again, and her failure-to-thrive is not a threat currently.

Janay had already experienced the “transitional trauma” which could have ended in her fatality.

I strongly believe that any residential change for Janay would be detrimental to her life.

As her legal guardian, and biological mother, and also as a taxpayer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 40 years of my life, I absolutely forbid any change in her residence. Janay happily attends multiple “into the community” events, and is taken outside very frequently by Seven Hills at Groton staff, & also on a voluntary basis, which is much more often, than mandated by law.

Janay loves the community she is in, the events she attends, the highly skilled nursing staff at Seven Hills at Groton, the outdoor Sensory Garden at her residence, and many more amenities too numerous to mention. Any change to her current lifestyle, would cause personal harm & injury, to Janay’s health & well-being.


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* These pages constitute a repository of recent historical information and no longer concern an active suit.