I live in NW, IN. About 30-40 miles away from Chicago. Is there a reason you asked about Springfield? Yes, Linda, there is a very specific reason and it's a long story -- here it goes. I'm a peer counselor here at Kessler in New Jersey and about 5 years ago I met this guy Matt, newly injured, around 22, he fell off a second story balcony and broke C 4,5 After about 6 or 9 months he was transferred to a group home (he was never married) not far from me, I still continued to visit him. He adjusted pretty darn well despite having permeant double vision from his fall, he always seemed to have a girlfriend. His latest he met on line over this past summer and she, Karen, came out to meet him November. Well, on December 20th she packed him up and moved him in with her and her 8 year old daughter in Decatur just outside Springfield. There a so many things that can go wrong here and it didn't start out good, starting with the transportation. Karen told Matt that she was buying a full size van to bring him out and to have for him, well she shows up in a mini-van not prepared to bring his chair. She came out with a guy-friend and he loaded everything up (including his chair) in a u-hall hitching it up to this guys car and puts Matt in the passenger seat with Karen. The "plan" was a girlfriend was going to come out with Karen to share driving because Karen was going to help Matt with weight shifts because he is unbelievably skinny and prone to breakdown. To top it off they drove away in the middle of a BIG snow storm. I am so worried about him and wanted to know if there was any way you could meet him to see if he is OK? I have a really BAD feeling about this situation and her motive. Thanks so much for offering Pete and I to stay out there, perhaps if one of Matt's family members goes out to see him they might be able to spend a night or two to save money? I've been talking with Matt's Mom and she is just sick about the whole thing. Matt has a special turning bed that he brought out with him, but did it get set up? He was on Medicaid in New Jersey but in IL you have to live there one month before you can even apply for Medicaid. What about medications, supply's? The group home he left had set up the visiting nurse but I found out he missed his first Doctor's appointment, but don't know why. I have no idea if the house he moved into is accessible inside or how many steps outside. He has a computer but it's not hooked up yet and Karen's computer is upstairs. He can't handle a cell phone. Matt's sister called Matt Christmas Day but Karen told her "Matt doesn't want to talk to you" Is this true? It seems to me that Karen has an extreme amount of control over him. Her plan is to be trained as a home health aid and do all his care because she is out of work on disability from a bad back. Since Matt had his accident he has only lived in Kessler and a group home that he could get around in very easily, all the doors were wide enough and the exit doors were automatic. He could run away whenever he got into an argument, which was often. He would get into fights with the staff and aid or a nurse, but because of his setting there was always a back up and a back up to that. Do you guys see where I'm going with all this, why I'm so concerned? He moved maybe 3,000 to 4,000 miles away from his family and friends. Thanks for listening, Bobbie
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