18 JUNE 10, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens leaders call on Gov. Cuomo to sign bill that
would change hospital protocol during a pandemic
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. held a
press conference Friday aft ernoon,
June 4, to call on Governor Andrew
Cuomo to sign a bill that would require
hospitals to allow people with disabilities
to have a support person present during
their visit — even during a pandemic.
Bill S.1035A, also known as Fred’s Law,
passed the state Senate and Assembly
and now awaits Cuomo’s signature or
veto. The bill has yet to reach his desk but
is expected to within the coming weeks.
Fred D’Amico, an adult with autism,
was admitted to Long Island Hospital
with COVID-19 in March of last 2020. His
family, also his lifelong caretakers, could
not come inside and advocate for him because
of COVID-19 restrictions. D’Amico
died shortly aft er being admitted.
The family stayed in the parking lot
during his hospitalization, oft en calling
to ask about his condition. Addabbo
said the hospital told the family “to stop
calling so much” at the height of the
pandemic.
The press conference was held at
D’Amico’s favorite hang-out spot: the
Regal Cinema at the Shops at Atlas Park
in Glendale.
“They weren’t there to comfort him,
they weren’t there to say goodbye,” said
Addabbo. “We have a lot to learn, for
the next pandemic, for other families.
If somebody enters a hospital with a
Glendale lawmakers and community members urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign Fred’s Law to ensure people with
disabilities have a support person with them at a hospital, even during a pandemic. Photo by Julia Moro/QNS
disorder or disabilities, it’s a lot diff erent
for them. They cannot relay their
medical needs.”
Maria D’Amico, Fred’s mother,
pleaded for Cuomo to sign the bill in a
tearful statement.
“No one should have to suff er the
pain we are suff ering every day,” said
D’Amico. “Please, Cuomo, sign this
bill.”
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer
Amato, who also sponsored the bill,
spoke about her time working as a paraprofessional,
when she would oft en deal
with students with disabilities.
“This was a no-brainer, not as an assembly
member, but as a mother,” said
Amato. “Sometimes it’s not easy to get
our colleagues to support an issue, but
this was not hard at all, because it’s the
right thing to do. We will make sure no
other family is in this situation.”
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
also joined the press conference and
supported the bill.
Connie Altamirano, a community
activist, introduced the D’Amico family
to Addabbo and advocated for the
passage of the bill.
“I’m so happy to see that the bill has
passed and I respectfully ask Cuomo
to please sign it into law so that the
D’Amico family can have peace of
mind knowing that other families will
not go through what they did,” said
Altamirano.
Chris Peplinski, a friend of the family,
has a brother with non-verbal autism
and said the bill“would be really impactful
for my family.”
“What happened to D’Amico shouldn’t
happen to anyone else,” said Peplinski.
Ridgewood youth activist works to raise funds for The
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Instead of spending his weekends
playing video games or hanging out
with friends, Jacob Altamirano will
be raising money at California Pizza
Kitchen in the Shops at Atlas Park to
help feed people all over New York
City.
The 11-year-old Ridgewood community
activist will send all proceeds
to The Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, a
small organization run by Father Mike
Lopez, a priest in Ridgewood.
Altamirano will be at California
Pizza Kitchen on occasional weekends
to hold events where customers will be
encouraged to give 20 percent of their
check to his cause. He hopes to raise
$10,000.
The young activist began volunteering
with The Hungry Monk Rescue
Truck when the pandemic struck
in 2020. He brought food and other
supplies to community members in
need.
His older sister, Jamie Longo, had
joined his eff orts, fundraising to supply
food pantries with menstrual products.
Last fall, both of the siblings were
recognized by former Acting Queens
Borough President Sharon Lee.
Altamirano took a break from volunteering
this past year to focus on his
schoolwork but is excited to get back to
it this summer.
“When I volunteered with The Hungry
Monk Rescue Truck, I learned that
there are so many people who need
food in our community,” Altamirano
said. “Poor people can’t buy groceries
or can’t get food. I want to help
anyone that can’t pay for their own
groceries.”
Until he reaches $10,000, Altamirano
will act as a host at California Pizza,
taking customers to their tables. He’ll
also go around giving out small toys or
gift cards and ask for donations.
Connie Altamirano, a community
Jacob Altamirano and Connie Altamirano at California Pizza Kitchen in the
Shops at Atlas Park. Photo by Julia Moro/QNS
activist and Jacob’s mother, sees a bright
future for her son.
“What I’m instilling in him is, even if
you’re fi nancially disadvantaged, you
can make a change in the world,” said
Connie Altamirano. “He’s being taught
‘my mother can do anything, and that
means I can do way more than she
can.’”
Jacob Altamirano will start hosting
these events in July. People interested
in attending can fi nd more information
on bulletin boards and Facebook
community groups around Queens.
Hungry Monk Rescue Truck
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