Prejudice kills

[nancylebov]

A man was left to die because he was fat and his house was messy.

While I don't think that behavior is typical of EMTs, I bet that wasn't the first time. It might have been the first time that a phone was left off the hook and the conversation was recorded.

It's not rare for fat people to have even more trouble than thin people in getting medical care of any sort-- I keep seeing people say that they showed up with serious problems, and were told to lose weight. It's important for everyone to be assertive about their care, and more so if you're fat.

Aside from the general awfulness of the situation, the claim is that fat is a problem because it makes people unhealthy, but I wonder how much of the statistics are actually related to bad medical care and dangerous methods of losing weight.


Link thanks to filkertom, and the story's been showing up all over my friendslist.

More links: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4012856.This_is_the_man_paramedics_are_accused_of__leaving_to_die_/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4030456/Paramedics-arrested-after-ignoring-dying-man.html

http://news.google.com/news?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&ie=UTF-8&tab=wn&ncl=1288260395

Addendum: Being assertive is only feasible if you're reasonably intelligent and not too ill. The comments to the link point how much at risk developmentally disabled people are. Pushing for a kinder attitude is important as well as assertion for individuals.

Comments

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Damn, I hope those EMTs go to jail for a long time - that's impressively disgraceful.

[goodbyemyboy.livejournal.com]

It's horrible that this happened but I'm glad that people found out what the EMTs did.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Worst thing about the story is that the one who suffers most in future is likely to be the operator who did everything right (because she couldn't save him, and though it's completely not her fault this is the sort of thing humans are irrational about) rather than the EMTs who didn't care.

[madfilkentist]

That blog presents a story without citing any sources. How reliable is it?

And let's be realistic; being overweight is a medical problem. Most Americans (including me) have it to a lesser or greater extent. It's not just an invented target for bigotry.

[madfilkentist]

From a link in another LJ, I found this story from timesonline.uk. It's an outrageous act regardless of the reason, but nothing is mentioned in that article about fat being a motive.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I need to get back to you about the prejudice thing, but at this point I'm getting ready for Arisia. I'll be keeping an eye out for whether the EMTs actually talking ahout his being fat.