Belle's accessible bathroom

Hello. This is Belle. Bell was born perfectly healthy, until on day in the fall of 2012, where her world fell apart. Her pre-adoptive father brutally abused her. And then waited two entire days to seek medical attention. This resulted in Belle sustaining life threating injuries. My name is Nicole. and I am the Blessed mommy to 6 amazing children. 3 of our children have special needs, and are 100% total care (and lift). We adopted Belle in April of this year. Belle is an 8 year little girl who has a will to live like I've never seen. She was delt a terrible hand 5 years ago. She was an active toddler, who could tell a joke, feed herself, and run though a field of flowers. However, sadly, when she was in the care of another family, who vowed to love her forever, her life tragically changed at the age of 3. She was abused so severly by a man who was suppose to love her unconditionally, her foster father! His abuse led to many MANY life long health conditions for belle including: EPILEPSY, SPASTIC QUADRIPLEGIA, NONVERBAL, WHEELCHAIR BOUND, VP SHUNT, G-TUBE , but is overcoming so much! Though belle is non verbal, and non ambulatory, she will melt your heart in a minute flat.  We are creating this fundraiser, because many people asked how they can help! Our bingo sold out so fast, I didn't even have time to blink!   As you know, we are looking to create an accessible bathroom so it will be safer to bath belle, and out other children. Because she is a spastic quadriplegic it is not easy to lift her in and out of our garden tubs  (even with a lift). We need to create a safe, Functional bathroom for her.  The price is upwards of $11,000.00!! With your help we can make this dream a reality!! You know what they say, it takes a village!  if you can not donate at this time, please take just 1 second to share this for us! Thank you again! **PRAYING FOR JUSTICE** **warning LONG POST AHEAD** I have struggled with publicly sharing Belles story, many people think Belle was born with her conditions. That is not the case. She was a perfect healthy 3 year old little girl, who was violently beaten. People need to WALK AWAY when they feel like they can not control their actions. This could have been avoided, by simply walking away. We should get the ruling on Joshua Martin's parole hearing VERY soon. I am praying that is parole is denied, however we will have to live with the decision that is made, and come to terms with it. Below is the story when he was arrested. Beneath that is our victim statement. Both very hard to read. He robbed her of EVERYTHING. I wholeheartedly feel as though 5 years is not long enough for what he has done. But ultimately he will pay for his crimes in the end. ****************************************** A Lancaster County judge described the horrific injuries inflicted during a beating last year as a "life sentence" for 4-year-old Belle Roeting. However, Joshua Martin, the foster father accused of punching the child, doesn't deserve to be "warehoused" in prison for the rest of his life, the judge said Friday. "There is no good resolution here," Judge David Ashworth said while ordering Martin to serve 5 1/2 to 20 years in state prison. "The only appropriate remedy is beyond the means of this court." "It is my sincere hope that Belle will miraculously recover from this. It will require a miracle." Earlier in the hearing, Martin, 24, bowed his head and cried as a prosecutor described the many permanent injuries inflicted during the September beating in Reinholds, when Belle was 3 years old. "There will be no prom," Assistant District Attorney Randall L. Miller told the judge. "No first Communion, no marriage, no motherhood. "That's all gone now." Belle sustained a traumatic brain injury that blinded her and has left her in a wheelchair, dependent upon others to care for her, Miller said. Martin read aloud a message to his former foster daughter, who lived with him and his wife for 90 days before the beating. "To my dear Belle," Martin began, as he and his many supporters wept. "I'm very sorry, dear child. You were placed in my care and I failed you. I will forever hold myself accountable to you. I pray for you every day, that you will go on to live a long, happy life." Martin told Ashworth he was experiencing stress because there were three young children in his home when he struck Belle, whom he said had misbehaved at dinner. "I confess to you that for a short time period I became frustrated with Belle and handled her recklessly," he told the judge. "I'm admitting clearly to you my guilt. I'm asking you to forgive me." Among the approximately 40 spectators were Martin's family, as well as representatives of Lancaster County Children & Youth, who placed Belle with the Martins. Several of Martin's relatives asked the judge for mercy. "Joshua's caring and kind heart has always shown," his father, Earl Martin said, while holding his wife. Said defense attorney Jeffrey Conrad: "The action here is so incredibly out of character with the rest of this man's life. When he was at his weakest moment, he failed and struck a child." Miller countered that the beating itself wasn't the only crime committed; Martin failed to summon help for the child for two full days. Immediate medical attention would have limited the damage, Miller said. Instead, Belle now takes 13 different types of medication every day, can't swallow food and can't speak, the prosecutor said. Doctors at Reading Hospital and Hershey Medical Center literally saved the girl's life. "She was given her Last Rites. She was going to die," Miller said. "We were preparing [charges] for criminal homicide." Ashworth called the crime inexcusable. "This was a precious little girl and you took that away from her," he told Martin. "You can't take back what you've done. What you should have done, you did not do." Martin also was ordered to pay more than $118,000 in medical costs, which will continue to accumulate. Conrad said Martin and his wife, Marla, have a check for $45,000, which they will file immediately with the court. "That's everything these two have," Conrad said, noting the couple sold their house to raise the money. Marla Martin sat silently during the hourlong hearing, and walked out of the courtroom without saying a word. ****************************************** VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT Dear Members of the Parole Board, Thank you for allowing me to talk on behalf of my adopted daughter, Belle Hartman. Her parents’ rights were terminated landing Belle in foster care. Belle is a victim as the result of a non-accidental head injury, caused by the abuse and lack of medical care from Joshua Martin on September 2012. She was born a healthy baby, but at three years old her life changed forever. Let me tell you Belle’s story and how her life is today as a result of being horrifically abused and left for days without medical treatment. Belle came to live in our home when she was 7 years old through foster care. We were chosen as Belle’s forever family after being in care for nearly 7 years. Belle was with an amazing family for the last 4 years. They saved her life and we will forever be grateful for the Zeist’s. As a result of the horrible abuse Belle endured at the hands of Martin, Belle fell in love with us instantly. But how? I wonder how this sweet little princess could love unconditionally after what she had suffered at stranger’s hands. Someone who was supposed to love her and care for her unconditionally. Someone who volunteered themselves and committed themselves to be her protector. Martin failed her in every way! I knew the minute I looked into her big brown eyes that we needed each other and a special bond formed from that very moment. Our family spent a lot of time trying to meet Belle’s needs over the next days, weeks, and months. We found a routine that worked although it was very hard work. Belle became comfortable with us and knew she was safe and loved. I knew in my heart Belle was home. Belle knew she would forever be safe and loved. We adopted Belle on April 18, 2017. Belle’s health needs were complicated when we first got her and they have continued that way to this day. She had a feeding tube because she could not tolerate any food by mouth. She was unable to take any liquids because she would choke and vomit and potentially aspirate, leading to more health concerns, like Pneumonia or death. She could eat a regular diet prior to her vicious attack in 2012. Belle is severely behind on all of her milestones. Physically and developmentally, she cannot sit up, roll over, crawl, or even hold her own head up. She cannot say Mommy or Daddy. She is legally blind from being abused and a very sick little girl. Since we have had Belle in our home, she has had to be admitted to the hospital 4 times for Status Seizures. Belle will DSTAT, this means, her body temperature will drop dangerously low, her heart rate, blood pressure and respirations are very low. This resulted in anywhere from a 2 day stay to a week. With her first status seizure, we administered her emergency medicine, which must be done rectally. She stopped breathing on us. It seemed like hours until help arrived, even though it was just a few minutes. I remember that day so well. I did CPR on Belle, on her bedroom floor, as my husband called 911. It was the most terrifying day of my life. She spent several days in the hospital recovering from that seizure. Because of the abuse, Belle is fed by a pump approximately 18 hours per day. She had to be to be fed slowly because she cannot tolerate a large volume in a short amount of time. Again, this was due to the neurological damage to Belle’s brain. An act that we take for granted every day like swallowing was life-threatening for Belle. Let me fast forward to today and tell you what Belle's life is like now. Belle's current health issues are 100% due to her injuries from being abused by Martin. They are Epilepsy, legally blind with cortical vision impairment, Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy from lack of oxygen when she was injured, significant tone issues with painful muscle spasms, autonomic storming, respiratory and choking issues, extreme reflux, global delays - physically and developmentally, urinary tract issues, oral feeding difficulties, gastronomy tube, duodentis, hip and bone issues, nonverbal, non-weight bearing, vp shunt, hydrocephalus, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Some of those you may not be familiar with. Let me explain to you what autonomic storming is. Belle’s face and upper body get very red and splotchy. Her internal temperature becomes very warm. She gets stiff and starts arching. She becomes severely agitated and her heart rate gets very high. This can go on from 10 to 15 minutes or up to an hour. It requires emergency medication being given to calm her and stop the storm. Autonomic storming is a common occurrence with a bad head injury. It is very hard on Belle to recover when this happens and it's most terrifying as a parent. When she starts choking she will start gulping and swallowing and her eyes get very big and so scared. She has no way to clear her mouth when she is choking. Remember she has no control over her body to sit up or hold her head up. She must be suctioned to clear her mouth and airway. Without intervention, Belle could die during these episodes. Belle has the following doctors that she sees routinely: 1. Neurology- to monitor her medication for seizures and autonomic storming and in the future, to get painful Botox shots every three months for her tight and stiff muscles. 2. Ophthalmology - monitor her cortical blindness. She does not track objects and makes no visible signs that she sees my face. She does get the sweetest smile on her face when she looks towards the light, and hears familiar voices. 3. Orthopedics - Her right hip is repeatedly going out of the socket causing horrible pain to her. She had a surgery in November of 2015 that helped correct it. She was in a cast for months not able to move either of her legs. This COULD happen again. We have to be very careful on how we move, and position Belle. This is a very common occurrence for children who are non-weight-bearing and unable to walk. Also, Belle has needed heel releases because her feet would not bend. This was a very painful surgery. 4. Nero Surgery- this doctor follows her for her VP shunt she will have the rest of her life. This keeps fluid from filling up and putting pressure on her brain. The shunt could malfunction at any time, causing severe pressure, vomiting, and more. She is also followed by them, because next year she will be having a surgery to implant a Vaconerve stimulator to hopefully lesson the amount of seizures she has. This surgery is never 100%, and possibly could have no effect on Belle. 5. Gastroenterologist - this doctor monitors her G tube and her bowels. Belle can eat some things by mouth, but not very much. Because of her Epilepsy, there are days she cannot keep her head up, and is much too tired to eat by mouth. She has missed out on the simple pleasures of eating food. Belle has to relearn textures of food. She cannot eat anything too hot or cold, and everything must be blended to mashed potato consistency or she will choke. Belle’s tube must be replaced every 3 months 6 complex care team - this doctor overseas her growth and development. She coordinates her care and make sure Belle is receiving all the services that she needs. She told me that a child in Belle's situation with her health issues has about a 40% chance of living until she is 18. That was very hard to hear. You should not have to talk about letting your child go at the age of seven. SEVEN. 7. Nutrition- this doctor makes sure Belle is getting enough nutrients to sustain her growth. 8. Urology- this doctor monitors Belle for UTI, and her catching needs. Belle does not completely empty when she urinates, this causes Urinary tract infections, which makes her have status seizures. The hard part is, because Belle cannot talk, we do not know when she is in pain. She does not typically show any symptoms, until the status seizure. Belle goes to numerous therapies every week; Occupational, Physical, and Speech and Vision. It’s a total of 3 hours per week. It is absolutely necessary that Belle has each of these therapies. She has such stiff, tight muscles that it takes constant exercises and stretching to keep Belle from contracting and being extremely stiff. Still, to this day, Belle is not able to sit up, roll over, walk, talk, or even hold her own head up for more than a few seconds. She coos and babbles like a tiny baby. The only way she has to communicate her needs is to cry or get upset, and then it is a guessing game, as to what is wrong. When she's happy she smiles and makes clicking noises with her tongue. Belle's life today is anything that typical 8 year olds should be. Do you know how many milestones Belle has hit for a typical eight-year-old? ZERO!!! She DID hit those mile stones prior to the abuse. She was even potty trained! She knew her ABC’s, she knew how to count to 5, and she knew how to play with babies, and run through a field of flowers! She knew how to tell a joke, and how to feed herself. Joshua Martin stole all of this away from Belle! There's nothing typical about Belle’s life compared to her peers. Belle wears a diaper and always will. She should be signing up to play soccer or playing with her friends, but the truth is Belle will never do things her age typical peers can do. Belle will never drive a car, she will never get married, nor have children of her own. When Belle lies on her bed at home, it is in one position until I turn her, as she cannot reposition herself. I give her toys, but she is unable to even hold them. She listens to music but cannot see to watch movies or cartoons. She has no functional use of her arms or legs so she has no way to entertain herself. All play or activities require 100% assistance from others. In fact, Belle is 100% dependent on others for every aspect of her care. She cannot choose where she wants to sit, what she wants to play with, or what she wants to eat. She cannot tell me when something hurts or when she's thirsty or even when she has an itch. She can fuss or cry, but I have to try to figure out her wants or needs. It's not easy. She attends a regular elementary school, but is in a special education classroom. Sadly, she has to miss a lot of school, because her broken body cannot fight off germs like typical children her age. A simple cold turns into something far worse for Belle, and she will be out sick for weeks. She requires the assistance of a 1:1 aid in school. A Licensed Practical Nurse also attends school with Belle to provide her medical care. She will always require very special care; her whole life long. Currently, she has skilled nursing, as she cannot be left alone. She is entitled to 9 hours during the day and 8 hours at night. These hours are never filled, so that means, there are days that I do not sleep, because Belle cannot be left alone. Belle’s seizures are completely silent, and if we do not get her medication in time, the result could be fatal. The financial aspect of her care is enormous. We have insurance; primary is Medicaid. There are always out of pocket expenses that are not covered. She needs a lot of specialized equipment such as a stander, gait trainer, a wheelchair, a specialized bed and seating, adaptive car seats, bath seat, an accessible wheelchair van, and a Hoyer lift. It is a constant battle with appeals to try to get these things paid for and many times it requires us to do fundraising on our own, or to work 20 hour shifts to get what Belle needs. I work as a full-time Health Aide for two companies. Because of the increase in Belle's needs, therapies, unreliable nursing, and appointments, I am forced to miss time at my job to take care of her. I would be lying to say this has not been a financial hardship for our family. But Belle is a member of our family and we will never stop fighting for things she needs; we will not ever stop advocating for her and being her voice; we will never stop loving her unconditionally! If you look up Traumatic Brain Injury and see the list of all of the health problems that TBI can cause, Belle has every one of the issues except one. The only health issue that Belle did not get as a result of being abused is … DEATH. But, Belle still got a life sentence. She will suffer her entire life by what Joshua Martin did to her. I request that Joshua Martin be denied parole. Belle will certainly not get a second chance at her life March of 2018 and neither should he. I ask you to uphold his full sentence. I do pray that Mr. Martin has changed, but that doesn't change my opinion of his consequences. His actions have caused Belle a life of pain and suffering, being wheelchair bound, full of therapies, medications, painful treatments, surgeries, and a life of darkness. Belle is a fighter. She is my hero and I am so very proud to be her mother. A former nurse of Belle’s said something that will stay with me forever. "It was a daddy who broke her; it is a daddy who will fix her." I wish this were true; I wish Belle could be fixed, but sadly, it is not that easy. Belle will forever be in her own prison. The system did not fail Belle, Joshua Martin; the person who should have protected Belle above all else failed her miserably when he abused her. I do feel like if Joshua Martin is given parole, the system would be doing a grave injustice to Belle and ultimately failing her. Joshua Martin is young enough that he could have more children. Does he have any idea of what he's done to Belle long term? Will he ever know the suffering and pain that Belle endures every day of her life because of his senseless actions? We will never give up on Belle because she is worthy of love. Despite all the things Joshua Martin took away from Belle when he abused her, he did not take away her sweet personality, her will to fight, and her most contagious smile! Belle's brain damage is not temporary, it’s permanent! I ask you to recommend NO parole!! Thank you Nicole and Jason Hartman