WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JUNE 3, 2021 27
Maria and Fred D’Amico Courtesy of Addabbo, Jr.’s offi ce
Queens lawmaker’s legislation that would change hospital
protocol during a pandemic waits for Cuomo’s signature
BY JULIA MORO
JMORO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
If signed into law, Bill S.1035A,
also known as Fred’s Law, would
require hospitals to allow people
with disabilities to have a support
person present for their entire
hospitalization, even during a
pandemic.
The bill, first drafted by state
Senator Joseph Addabbo, passed the
state Senate and Assembly and now
awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo’s
signature or veto.
Fred D’Amico was an adult with
autism from Glendale. D’Amico died
alone in a hospital in late March of
2020 from COVID-19.
Medical staff would not allow his
family, who were also his caretakers,
to be with him due to COVID
restrictions.
Addabbo drafted the bill to prevent
this from happening again.
“After hearing D’Amico’s story
and listening to the pain his family
went through, I knew I had to try
and do something so no other family
has to experience this horrible
situation,” said Addabbo.
Addabbo said that legislation does
not often move fast in the state Legislature,
but he thinks the rationality
of the bill made the process move
much quicker.
“Here’s an individual who can’t
convey their medical condition,
what needs they have and yet
because of a pandemic and rules,
they were not allowed to have a
caretaker with them,” said Addabbo.
“If someone cannot convey a medical
condition and you’re in a hospital
for medical attention, it would just
be rational that that person should
have a caretaker with them.”
Connie Altamirano, an advocate
for the bill and friend of the family,
said that the D’Amico family has a
“lifetime of thinking ‘what if?’”
“They’ll always have to think,
‘what if we were there for him’ or
‘what if we got to say goodbye,’” said
Altamirano.
Maria D’Amico, Fred’s mother,
said the bill’s passage is crucial for
the cause and closure.
“Once this bill is signed into law, it
will not only give my son his voice
back but keep his memory alive,”
said D’Amico. “Through this bill,
my son will help others have a voice
and never be alone again.”
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer
Amato sponsored Fred’s Law.
“No other family will ever have
to go through what the D’Amicos
did because of this legislation, and
that’s a huge step forward,” said
Amato. “When Cuomo signs this
bill, people with disabilities will be
able to have their advocates with
them during hospitalizations, even
during emergencies like the COVID-
19 pandemic — allowing for peace
of mind, and proper advocacy and
decision making for the families.”
Addabbo and Amato, alongside
co-sponsor Assemblywoman Jenifer
Rajkumar, will hold a press conference
requesting Cuomo to sign the
bill into law.
The press conference will take
place at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June
4, at the Shops at Atlas Park, located
at 8000 Copper Ave. in Glendale.
The D’Amico family and
community activists will also be
present.
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