Who punches a cancer patient?

Nurses Relations

Published

Lack of Public Awareness

November 25, 2014

Last week my dad was punched in the face and given a bloody nose while going for a walk in Cambridge, Mass. He has a Grade IV Glioblastoma and is in the ICU now. We are hoping to take him home on hospice tomorrow so he can have Thanksgiving at home.

He's an amazing man who meditates and knows how to listen thoughtfully. During this last part of his illness, he lost half his visual field. He's on steroids to reduce the inflammation. The side effect of the steroids is that he gets restless. His only solace is going for long walks. But he's a proud man and will not carry a blind person's white cane. I suggested it to him last month, not because I thought he was disabled, but so the general public might be a little more careful around him. He refused.

Last week he was walking as usual, when he got a little disoriented. This happens; it's not just being completely blind on the left side, but difficulty tracking movement. When he sees people or things coming toward him, he stops until they pass him. This time he stopped in front of a black teenager. I think the kid misinterpreted why this frail, thin man stopped in front of him. He reacted by punching my dad in the nose. My dad got his bearings and made his way home covered in blood (I think he was only a block or two away).

I implore you, please think first. If you see someone who is "off", take a moment before reacting. Perhaps they are just trying to get their bearings. Not every disability is immediately recognizable.

I'm sorry for your dad's attack. I do feel that it is important to remember that every person walking the street doesn't know his condition. What is a normal part of his disease process to his family can come across as 100 things to a stranger especially a layperson. It is impossible to know what the teen was thinking and feeling threatened is sometimes a split second reaction. I also think that including the teens race is what made it hard for some posters to focus on your father. God bless your family.

WRONG. The kid shouldn't have hit an old man period. I'm sick of people blaming the victim. If the kid felt threatened by an elderly man I hate to think what his reaction would have been if it had been someone younger.

I'm positive that the people who are blaming the victim would have a different opinion if it had been their elderly Dad.

See, it's the old race card. The young innocent black kid is the target of racial attacks these days from the likes of cops and little old frail men. Haven't you been watching the news?

Really though? Your comment is petty and irrelevant. Stop being an instigator.

The fact of the matter is that the OP mentioned the antagonist's race, but no one else's. What her intentions were of doing that - who knows. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, and say that there was no malicious intent. The point of the story is that her father is sick and dealing w/ enough already. Let's wish her and her family luck, and move on.

1 Votes
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

The OP has returned and clarified that her point to this post was to glean some support from other nurses.

Please lets try to be supportive. Thanks.

1 Votes
Specializes in occupational health.

It's been a long time since this happened and my dad passed.
I've been thinking about things since the I can't breath movement.
I was wrong to bring up race in my op. I was trying to be descriptive. That was all.
But I see now, race details were irrelevant.
I'm so sorry I did that and was part of the problem.

2 Votes
Specializes in NICU.
On 11/25/2014 at 1:58 PM, 1wellnessnurse said:

It's a moot point now. Hopefully he will come home from the ICU on hospice for one last Thanksgiving. His condition has deteriorated in the last few days.

So sorry for what you and your family went through it was awful.Violence is never the answer especially unprovoked,what they used to call in the old days "a chip on the shoulder".

+ Add a Comment