Jeb quietly goes to the rescue of a 2-year-old

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | October 19, 2002 | Buddy Nevins

[Moonman62]

Angeline Abreu looks and acts like a typical 2-year-old, with smiles as wide as the Cookie Monster and tantrums as mean as Oscar the Grouch.

But Angeline is not like other kids. She has spina bifida, a serious birth defect in which the spinal column is open, incompletely formed and exposed to the air. Children with the disorder are often paralyzed and have other serious health problems.

Angeline recently got some help from an unusual quarter: Gov. Jeb Bush.

Angeline's story is a vivid illustration of how votes are sometimes gathered one at a time. As much as Bush's Democratic opponents try to paint the governor as unconcerned with average people, I've heard of numerous incidences in which the governor quietly stepped in to help.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

The Dims will eventually learn that the old and tired "Republicans don't care about people" trick doesn't work.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Desperate, she tried Bush, e-mailing him on a Friday. Bush, who personally reads thousands of e-mails a month from average folks, responded the next day. He said his office would look into Angeline's case. Sure enough, the governor's office interceded.

I know this to be true. I know a college girl who emailed him and he wrote back. They sent two or three emails back and forth. It was interesting for me to see what Jeb! wrote.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

ping.

[sweet virginia]

Thank you for posting this. I read the article and then sent the Governor an e-mail thanking him for this gesture. I live in Tennessee and I doubt that I would get that response from our current Rep Governor and I know I would not get any response if the Dem candidate were to be elected. I hope lots of Mommy's in Florida read this and it decides their vote.

[TheOtherOne]

Sure enough, the governor's office interceded. A nurse is sent to the school twice a day to insert the catheter. Better yet, the nurse is teaching Angeline how to insert her own catheter.

I am just curious who pays for this nurse to come to the school twice a day - the school? the govenor? It is easy to solve a problem by spending money and having a nurse there and I am glad the problem is solved, but I am curious how much this solution is costing FL taxpayers.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[Eva]

In California, psychologists or social workers are sent to schools to help individual, special ed kids learn to socialize, it seems like a nurse for this child would be a small cost in comparison.

[TheOtherOne]

That is my question. Is this a person who was aleady salaried to help at various schools or was a new position added and funded for this one student? And if it was added, who is paying for it?

One would think the district already has a least one nurse on staff.

[nightdriver]

"The Dims will eventually learn that the old and tired "Republicans don't care about people" trick doesn't work.

They seem to have amazing success with that tactic, though. All they have to do is stuff like show a fuzzy, out-of-focus video clip of a pickup dragging a chain and they automatically get all the black vote.

[Moonman62]

Jeb is ranked very highly for his economic policies. I am much more lenient with government spending to help people, when government policies have not stood in the way of wealth creation that can easily pay for it.

[freedox]

"I am just curious who pays for this nurse to come to the school twice a day - the school? the govenor? It is easy to solve a problem by spending money and having a nurse there and I am glad the problem is solved, but I am curious how much this solution is costing FL taxpayers."

Excellent question.

[sweet virginia]

It was a good deed. The cost does not equal the reward for the child and her family. This will hopefully encourage other like parents to send their children to public school and help the child to develop and grow and to be treated as normally as possible. What a wonderful thing for the child. It is money well spent, I have not objection if this were to happen in my home of Tennessee.

[Eva]

The thing is that the family probably qualifies for this kind of help in their home, so it really is not a big deal for the nurse to go to school, instead.

[TheOtherOne]

It was a good deed. The cost does not equal the reward for the child and her family.

The "It's for the Children" mantra cannot be a defense to all government spending - or it would never cease. The good deed and just reward is not always justified at taxpayer expense - also, perhaps there was a solution that would be more efficient, like her attending a school with a full time nurse already on staff.

[TheOtherOne]

Huh? Who pays? That is the question.

If she already has a paid nurse at home, then of course she could be at school. And yes, there are always ADA requirements. But this appears to be beyond those situations.

[ClancyJ]

Who pays?

What about the education funds? Maybe some of those funds will get to the people and teachers instead of just the administrators using them for their business trips, perks or bonuses.

This child has the right to an education same as the other children in the school.

[summer]

Who pays? That is the question?

Actually, there are other questions you should consider first: How old is the child? Answer: Two.

Consequently, she is probably not in a public school, since you must be five years old to attend kindergarten, and at least four to be in a public pre-school.

Thus, she's probably in a private school. A private day care for 2 year olds.

Private day cares do not usually have a fulltime nurse on duty. However, if there is a public school nearby, or a hospital nearby, there is probably a salaried nurse nearby. And, if the employer of the salaried nurse allows him or her to go to the private day care twice a day to do this, then, that is what's happening. I doubt the state hired a special nurse to go to a private day care twice a day at taxpayer expense solely for this one task. So, don't lose any sleep over it!

[summer]

Who pays? That is the question?

Actually, there are other questions you should consider first: How old is the child? Answer: Two.

Consequently, she is probably not in a public school, since you must be five years old to attend kindergarten, and at least four to be in a public pre-school.

Thus, she's probably in a private school. A private day care for 2 year olds.

Private day cares do not usually have a fulltime nurse on duty. However, if there is a public school nearby, or a hospital nearby, there is probably a salaried nurse nearby. And, if the employer of the salaried nurse allows him or her to go to the private day care twice a day to do this, then, that is what's happening. I doubt the state hired a special nurse to go to a private day care twice a day at taxpayer expense solely for this one task. So, don't lose any sleep over it!

[summer]

SOrry for the double-post !