Letter to the Editor

LIBERTY, January 14, 2010 - This is an actual letter to the editor received by i-dineout.com yesterday. My response and the reply from the author are at the bottom. You can't reason with these people.

Allen Youngblood

Dear editor,

I’m writing this in regards to the Gallery Furniture Homes for the Holidays that aired on Channel 13 on December 15, 2009.

The story I’m referring to is the family of Earl Bryant. First I want to say my thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and children for their loss. It is a very tough situation to be in.

My name is Brandy Gunn and I was the other party involved in the unfortunate accident that took Mr. Bryant’s life. I would like to tell everyone what my family and I are going through.

I know that we are extremely lucky to be alive and I’m thankful for every day that I get to be with my husband and children. The unfortunate accident occurred on September 29, 2009 around 7:45 am. My 2-year-old daughter and I were taking my 9-year-old daughter to school when Mr. Bryant fell asleep and hit us head-on.

I am grateful for all the people that took time out to stop and assist us and try to comfort my children because I was unable to do so.

My father, Glenn Bishop, being a volunteer for the City of Mont Belvieu Fire Department was able to be brought straight to the scene and help with my children. My father rode with my 2-year-old by ambulance to San Jacinto Hospital in Baytown. Luckily she only suffered from a sore leg and minor cuts to her neck from the seat belt. If any lesson is learned from her injuries, it is that car seats definitely save lives and every child under the age of 5 should be in one.

My 9-year-old suffered from a large laceration on her right leg from the seatbelt and wasn’t responding well to the questions that were asked, so [she] and I were taken by Life Flight to Herman Hospital. She received multiple stitches inside and out and stayed a few nights for observation. I thank God that nothing major happen to either of my children.

The injuries I sustained were the following, along with a week-long stay in the hospital: Broke left wrist, which resulted in surgery the day after the accident where they placed a plate and multiple screws to fix my injury; my right thumb was shattered close to the bottom joint and I had surgery on it a few weeks after the accident. They had to reconstruct the whole thing with multiple pins and screws inside and out.

I also suffered from a [broken] foot and ankle, no surgery required, but is still healing in the boot for about another three weeks. With all of this, I am supposed to be going to physical therapy 2-3 times a week but can’t afford to do so. They also recommend I get an MRI on my left knee because something is not healing right and could result in surgery. I’m not able to have this done because they want it paid for up front.

I was unemployed at the time of the accident so I did not have health insurance. As a result of that, the hospital stay was the worst I have ever experienced. Because of it I would not personally recommend anyone to stay at Hermann. A few examples: having no use of my limbs, the nurses had to bring in a bed pan and would leave me on it for long periods of time, leaving my husband to take care of me. They skipped me for every meal that should have been brought. And within a couple of days they wanted me to get up and and move around with a walker so they could get me discharged as soon as possible. They weren’t concerned at all for the way I was feeling or the pain I was suffering from.

All of these injuries in the long run seem very minor, because after all we are still alive, but the injuries are not what I am concerned about. Because of the accident, totaled car, surgeries, hospital stay, ambulance and life flight, we have over $100,000 worth of bills that cannot be paid. My automobile insurance is paying a little more than half of what is owed on my car and we are unable to get anything else at this time.

The financial suffering that my family is going through could have been prevented if the Bryants would have simply had automobile insurance themselves. I am not writing this wanting anyone to feel sorry for our situation or for any charitable contributions. I just want everyone to understand our situation and how it could have been prevented.

From the police report and the trooper making a personal visit to my home, we are under the impression that Mr. Bryant was working nights and stayed up the day before the accident and then went back to work that night with no sleep. Basically making it as if he had worked a double shift. The vehicle he was driving was registered in his wife’s name, which makes me feel like she should be responsible for the financial toll it has taken on us. Unfortunately we were told that nothing can be done and we are responsible for everything 100 percent.

Again I want to thank everyone that helped us during our time of need and for all the thoughts and prayers that went out to us. We are grateful for each and every one.

Everett Bishop & the Brandy Gunn and family

Allen Youngblood’s Response to Letter to the Editor –

In reading your letter I'm thinking of something else that would have helped you greatly in your situation but so many of the ignorant people living in our area are against it. That is Health Care Reform. If you would have had health insurance your situation would not be nearly as bad. Texas is the worst state in the union when it comes to the number of people who are not covered by health insurance. Everyone should have health insurance because you never know when something like this could happen. Unfortunately the best option for you and your family will most likely be bankruptcy. Medical bills is the leading cause of people having to file bankruptcy in this country. Yet, all I hear from the people in Liberty County is NO SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. How stupid. Keep voting Republican and see what you get.

Allen Youngblood

Reply from Everett Bishop –

So what your saying is you want my family to be another statistic and file bankruptcy?!?! That’s the problem with democrats, you want to see this country go to hell in a hand basket before doing anything just to say I told you so!!! Everyday I miss G.W. Bush more and more… I unlike most democrats joined the military when MY country needed us most. My most proudest day was when I re elected Bush while I was in Iraq!!! Oh and by the way thanks for caring about mine and the other family involved in this wreck!!! Just like a democrat caring about nobody but yourself. You and YOUR so called leader of our county will have your day of reckoning…