Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo
“The D’Amico family has fought hard to make sure that no other family goes through the pain they felt when they lost Fred because no one was allowed to be with him when he entered the hospital in 2020,” Sen. Addabbo said.
By Forum Staff
Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law a bill that will now give New Yorkers with disabilities the right to bring a primary care person with them if they are admitted to a hospital during a state of emergency or pandemic, according to State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who introduced the legislation in Albany’s upper chamber.
Addabbo drafted the bill after hearing the story of Fred D’Amico, an adult with autism that lived within the Senator’s district, who passed away at the hospital on March 31, 2020 after medical staff would not allow his mother or father, who were Fred’s life-long caretakers, to be with him at the hospital to advocate on his behalf due to COVID restrictions.
File Photo
Fred D’Amico with his mom, Maria
The new law — known as Fred’s Law — prohibits hospitals from precluding individuals with disabilities, who are unable to describe for themselves their medical condition, from having an essential support person accompany them for the duration of their hospitalization in response to a pandemic or state disaster emergency.
This means that during an emergency situation or a pandemic those with a disability, such as autism, would be able to have an essential person with them in the hospital to assist in their medical care.
“The D’Amico family has fought hard to make sure that no other family goes through the pain they felt when they lost Fred because no one was allowed to be with him when he entered the hospital in 2020,” Addabbo said.
“People with disabilities and their families must be heard in New York State and this bill accomplishes that,” added Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), who co-sponsored the bill in the Assembly. “Fred’s Law is a major victory for people with disabilities and their families that have a hard time receiving the proper medical care. This legislation will ensure that families with folks in Fred’s position will never go through what they went through, and that everyone has a voice in their own healthcare.”
