MONTROSE, Mo. — It took Samantha Lesmeister’s family four months to find a medical professional who could see that she was struggling with something more than her Down syndrome.
They can no longer can be denied lifesaving care, including surgeries for heart defects. But now, aging adults with Down syndrome face a health system unprepared to care for them.
A woman from Montrose, Missouri, with Down syndrome struggled to get treatment for a traumatic brain injury because doctors wouldn't look past her condition. Many adults with Down syndrome face similar barriers.
A woman from Montrose with Down syndrome struggled to get treatment for a traumatic brain injury because doctors wouldn't look past her condition. Many adults with Down syndrome face similar barriers.
MONTROSE, Mo. It took Samantha Lesmeister’s family four months to find a medical professional who could see that she was struggling with something more than her Down syndrome. The young woman, known as Sammee, had become unusually sad and lethargic after falling in the shower and hitting her head. She lost her limited ability