[NOTE: Email Speaker Therese Terlaje at speaker@guamlegislature.org and let her know you support her Bill No. 112 if you agree with what Asher Dean's mother has written to senators]
By Troy Torres
Christine Simbahan, the mother of Asher Dean Lubofsky, has had enough of the powerful forces on Guam, who have kept her and others from seeking justice and accountability for the death of her son, and many others to medical malpractice and negligence.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Ms. Simbahan has mourned silently and watched as Asher Dean's father stood on sidewalks protesting, testified before senators, and waged a relentless war against the seemingly corrupt medical industry on the island. Following an announcement by Speaker Therese Terlaje that her legislation - Bill No. 112 - to finally reform the law that makes it impossible for everyday people to seek justice against malpractice, several doctors have become vocal against it.
Ms. Simbahan decided to break her silence. She wrote a heartbreaking plea to the 15 members of the 36th Guam Legislature to put justice and the rights of the poor and the middle class ahead of the corruption that has plagued Guam for so long.
The following is the text of her letter, sent Thursday morning to senators:
Dear Honorable Guam Senator,
I am the mother of Asher Dean Simbahan Lubofsky. I live in the Philippines. I have kept my torment private for 2 ½ years. Its not my way to speak out and keeping to myself seems what makes others happy. I do have much to say and I want to speak with you. I can no longer stop myself. I won’t write and talk about Asher now as I can’t without getting upset too much.
I wasn’t going to speak at all until I read what your Guam doctors said in your newspaper and online. I think protecting ALL of your Guam BABIES and CHILDREN is more important than protecting doctors. I don’t get it. How can this even be discussed. How can people in charge there think their babies are not as important as these doctors. I was told that if I live there that doctors can hurt my children by negligent, especially if poor and I must accept it. After they hurt your babies then the people can’t stop them from seeing other babies and doing the same. Is this true? Do you allow this. In Philippines you can’t do that. How can a mother stop it?
Shame on the people who allowed this to happen. Its so hard for me to imagine this. Asher wanted to be a fireman. Maybe he would have saved lives. Maybe your children who died from mistake would have saved lives. We will not know that as the law favors the rich and kicks the poor.
Please change the law to allow parents like me to find out what happened to our children. Don’t send us away because we can’t pay arbitration and can’t do anything for you and have no words to fight with doctors. We even have more rights here in Philippines. Save a life by blaming those who hurt us, so they don’t hurt anyone again. Change the law to the new law 112.
I miss Asher so much. Watching these doctors escape from killing or hurting Guam babies or anyone breaks my heart. Its rich vs. poor.
Sincerely
Cristine Simbahan
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