European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Continued from Page 1 about Adams future in the army. The sergeant first class a Light motor vehicle Mechanic reaches the 20-year Point this year and fears mandatory retirement which would mean the loss of the income and health benefits so desperately needed now. With a Long sigh that survives the Telephone connection Between Germany and the Adams Home in Arizona Steven Adams says a a it a been a rough year. I Don t think its started to even level out Stacey Adams is in the Hacienda do los Angeles a rehabilitation Center in Mesa Ariz for children and Young adults who Are chronically ill and unlikely to regain much of their Normal abilities. She cannot speak except to make grunting noises some of which the family interprets As Quot mama a a no Quot and a she looks like she Mouths t love you. She tries hard to talk but the words just done come a Steven Adams says. A a a. A when awake she must be turned every hour. When sleeping she is turned every two hours. She wears splints on her hands arms and feet to keep them from Curling with Lack of use. A a Stacy Salert Quot Steven Adams says. A she recognizes and is aware of everything that goes on around her. She knows Ana recognizes pictures of her Boyfriend Patrick Young. She recognizes him and loss of muscle control on the left Side of her face causes her left Eye to turn inward she is fed specially prepared food through a tube directly into her stomach. She is prone to upper respiratory infections and has an enlarged valve to her heart. The list unfortunately goes a on. A a a a a a a Bill Timmons the chief executive officer of Hacienda de los Angeles inc., which operates five facilities in Arizona says a a she a not expected to have a High degree of return 01 her Normal . A a a Stacey Adams and Patrick Young met at the special olympics in 1991. He is the 19-year-old learning disabled son of sgt. Major Homer and Bobbie Young in Katterbach Germany. A a Patrick and Stacey instantly became Boyfriend and Girlfriend staying weekends at each others Homes. A she has a bedroom Over Here Quot Bobbie Young says. A and she knows its Here waiting for her. A Stacey was so energetic. She was like a Butterfly a Hummingbird not knowing where to Light. 1 think her gear was always a always a in High. A a a she had a smile on her that would melt an Patrick will graduate from High school next month. He reads and writes and he would try to teach those skills to Stacey. A the would get so mad at her if she did no to do it right a Bobbie Young says. A the would Tell her a if you done to listed to me in a not going to marry a soon after the Accident the Youngs went to visit Stacey in the Hospital. Patrick fainted at the sight of Ner. A a a a a since returning to the United states last summer Stacey Adams has been in this Street Comer in of Forth Germany was the site of the tragedy fast year when teen Ager Stacey adapts Loftt attract try an automobile and critically injured after getting off a Public bus on her Way to school. Several facilities including a nursing Home where nearly All of the other patients were elderly. In january she was taken to Hacienda de los Angeles a Home of the Angels a where she receives individual treatment including a personalized educational program. A a it a set up for children Quot says Steven Adams. Quot its set up for children who need Active treatment. She a made More Progress since she a been at Hacienda than she has the whole year. A you can Tell she likes but her stay there May end soon. Stacey is the first patient the facility has treated who was covered by champs a the civilian health and medical. Program of the uniformed services. A a champs considers this facility to be a facility for the handicapped a Timmons says therefore it will pay Only $1,000 per month for the care. However Timmons explains Hacienda de los Angeles is a medically oriented facility. Stacey scare costs v a ss5�?Tfkxi Patrick Young holds a picture of Girlfriend Stacey Adams. A Stacey was so energetic. She had a smile on her that would melt an Patrick s Mother $9,000 per month. A the family does no to have the financial wherewithal to pay $8,000 a month above and beyond the $1,000 champs will pay a he says. Right now funds come from the Maricopa county managed care system but that Aid is due to end on the final Day of May. Applications have been made to two other financial Aid programs a the division of developmental disabilities and the Arizona Lon term care system. The second of these known As Altos is a possibility but a decision is not expected until late in june. Steven Adams has a Telephone number in his Wallet. It is for someone who works in the governors office. He Hopes there will be Good news. Cheri Adams says she will Chain herself to the governors desk if necessary to keep Stacey at Hacienda. Such worries add to the emotional Burden the Adames Bear. Before the Accident the family was not due to leave Germany until february 1995. With that in mind they purchased furniture and expected to be free and Clear of the payments by the time of Steven Adams Transfer. But the Accident changed All that. A a we a have been Clear sailing before �?T95,&Quot Steven Adams says. A now we re scraping the Bottom of the champs helps by paying 80 percent of outpatient costs. But that still leaves the family with a $1,000 Bill for a $5,000 wheelchair and $400 for a $2,000 Hospital bed in the Home used when Stacey makes infrequent overnight stays. The family spends nearly $120 on Gas each month just for trips to visit Stacey. Steven Adams compassionate reassignment a he assists with recruitment retention at the Roth program at Arizona state University in Tempe a May end sooner than he thought. He worries too that when his army career reaches the 20-year plateau he will be forced to retire a reality of the new smaller army. A financially no i can to afford to get out Quot Steven Adams says. A a there a not a red cent in the checking the Adames put in a claim against the government that is Well into seven figures. The paperwork filed last August is still at the . Army claims service Europe in Mannheim Germany. When it will be forwarded to the United states for a decision is anybody a guess. A a it a really hard to predict because in a waiting for things that i have no control Over a says Aleitha Friedel an attorney who is handling the investigation. The investigation will determine if the government took actions that led to the Accident and is therefore liable. A a it a a Neutral process. We investigate both sides a she says. A a we re looking to see what if anything the government did wrong As we do on every claim. A time it would be very difficult to a put a time Frame on Cheri Adams has been interviewing for jobs. One was a 3vi-hour drive away. If accepted she would have lived away from their Mesa Home during the week. A week ago she took a Job As assistant manager of a convenience store closer to Home. A i have to get a Job a she says. �?o1 have to do what i Nave to i never Felt a Pat Niso deep As this in my we and it would t ease up it kept getting deeper a a Chart Adams these Are Cheri Adams words As she describes the past year a there was a time for several months that i wanted to die. I just did no to want to live anymore. I wanted the pain to go away and it Felt As though i was dying inside. A i never Felt a pain so deep As this in my life and it ease up. It kept getting deeper. A my family was fearful i was going to take my own life. I never wanted to kill myself. I just wanted to die so the pain would go away. A i knew that if i did die it would Only make things worse for Stacey and my family. So i prayed and prayed and god finally eased the Steven Adams save a a in be been fearful of her mental health. In be been fearful of my mental health at the couple has considered counselling. A we talked about it once a Steven see Stacey on Page 5
