Lauren has LEFT THE BUILDING!

12/4/1998

During this time of her life, Lauren was often restrained in a wheelchair. This is one of the oddities about the care for handicapped individuals. In an environment where 'restraints' are not supposed to be used, everyone involved was perfectly fine with using a wheelchair to restrain her. It was a constant struggle to get this care facility to get her out of her wheelchair. It went so far as for them to add more and more straps to help with the restraint process. Her chair initially only had a typical lap belt and a tray attachment. As time progressed, they added criss cross chest straps to try to keep her in her chair (she was a bit of a Houdini when it came to the chair). 

Here's where the fun begins.  

On December 4th, 1998, Lauren decided to go for a walk. To do so, she slithered out of her chair and, dressed for indoor activities and with no shoes on, she found her way to  a door. While she is blind, she's not without skills when motivated. She found the door handle and opened a door to the outside world. (What's that you say? The alarm should have gone off? Well, you're not wrong). Lauren then proceeded to walk down a ramp, across a parking lot, across a church field, across a neighborhood street, and she was finally found to be sitting in the gutter of the street. When she was returned to the facility, what did the facility do? THEY ADDED AN ABDUCTOR IN BETWEEN HER LEGS SO SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT AGAIN! She just proved she didn't need a wheelchair but they put her back in it anyway. 

(Note: At this facility, Lauren had a roommate by the name of Penny. During a conversation about Lauren and her chair, one of the nurses actually said, "Penny used to be a lot like Lauren when she first came here but she doesn't walk anymore") 

Also of note, this facility, 'Doty House', operated by a euphemistically named company called 'Abilities First', sought to have Lauren's Achilles' Heel cord cut. They went so far as to set up an appointment with an orthopedist at the University of Cincinnati hospital. When this procedure was challenged by family, and the doctor agreed, the facility Physical Therapist stated they could no longer work with Lauren. 

The facility sought to 'release tension' on her heel cord because she wouldn't put her heels down and she walked on her toes. On numerous occasions they were asked, then told, to get her out of her wheelchair and get her walking around. She didn't need surgery, SHE NEEDED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.