Posted on 07/30/2014 4:02:34 AM PDT by Wolfie
Funeral today for 9-year-old girl waiting on medical marijuana
WEST SENECA, N.Y. -- Friends, family and community members crowded into a church in West Seneca Wednesday morning to say final farewells to a little girl whose story touched all of Western New York.
For more than 8 months, 2 On Your Side has been following the journey of 9-year-old Anna Conte.
Anna had Dravet Syndrome, which caused her to have uncontrollable seizures.
Anna and her family were relentless in pressuring state leaders to pass a medical marijuana program, because a special oil-based version of cannabis worked wonders for kids in other states where it was legal.
Finally, the state legislature passed a bill and Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law. However, at the governor's insistence, the State Health Department has 18 months or longer to get the program up and running.
That proved to be too long for little Anna. Earlier this month, a seizure put her in a coma, and she never recovered.
A fund has been set up in Anna's memory. You can donate to the "For the Love of Anna Needs Fund" at any M&T Bank branch in WNY.
The Conte's and other families continue to press the state to expedite access for medical marijuana for children who need it.
Christine Emerson's little girl Julia also has Dravet Syndrome. They were at Anna's funeral.
"The service was beautiful, and it was a great representation of who Anna was," Christine said. "Just full of life."
Christine has a simple message to Governor Cuomo.
"Flat out, it's just not good enough," Christine said. "It's not good enough, and if this were his loved one, I'm pretty sure that he would make a different decision. Our kids deserve better."
Are we supposed to conclude that weed would have kept her alive?
Prayers for Anna.
That’s what I am inferring which is ridiculous. I know what it is like to lose a child, my son died at 2 years old from leukemia. I feel for these parents. But I don’t think pot would have stopped this.
I understand that it reduces the frequency and severity of the seizures. Since she had one severe enough to put her in a coma, then yes, it might have kept her alive.
I believe that is the objective of the article.
They say the oil (ingested) stopped her seizures and that would have saved her.
Nothing like having .Gov involved in health issues. Especially when experimental procedures could/can be tried.
make that not “stopped” but reduced her seizures
She didn’t die because she didn’t get pot......geesh.....idiocy.
Here is yet another issue where conservatives can rip each other apart. (sigh)
That’s what I was thinking. Never let someone’s death go to waste if one can gain a political advantage from it.
For a child to die is sad beyond measure, but did it occur to the parents that instead of trying to drag the bureaucratic behemoth into making the medicine they wanted legal, they could have just moved to a different state where it already WAS legal?
If a parent believes it is a matter of life and death that a certain substance be arranged for their child, wouldn’t you go and get it even if you had to move?
It might have allowed her to eat better or sleep better or move with less pain. It might have given her a few extra months or merely weeks. What would that be worth to you with your child?
I do believe that's what they are implying.
If they were so determined to get her weed, they could’ve gone to Colorado. Never rely on the government to accomplish things quickly (not that I agree with this stupidity).
They were in the process of moving to Colorado.
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