Gov. Hassan Issues Proclamation for Late Hampton Beach Woman

Submitted on behalf of Brian Evans

Governor Maggie Hassen of New Hampshire has become one of the first Governor's in America to issue a Proclamation for Sleep Apnea Awareness.

The Proclamation also honors Helen Marie Bousquet, who died on October 5th, 2012 after she was left unmonitored in a recovery room at The Holy Family Hospital following a routine knee surgery.

[Editor's note: Attempts were made earlier this year to install a memorial at Hampton Beach to honor the late Bousquet, who lived on M Street. The memorial efforts were abandoned due to resistance from public officials and residents.]

Her son, Brian Evans, has set up a website for her at www.helenbousquet.com. Actor Tom Hanks introduces her website.

"Hospitals need to update what they consider a Standard of Care in general. That standard is meant to protect them, not the patients. A patient with Sleep Apnea cannot be left unattended in a recovery room following any surgery. Sleep apnea patients can die at any moment in there sleep just at home, but to put a Sleep Apnea patient in an unmonitored recovery room, while giving them morphine to deal with pain from the successful surgery like the one my mother had, was and is a potential death sentence."

The American Sleep Apnea Association proclaimed January 21st, 2013, on what would have been Bousquet's 63rd birthday, as Sleep Apnea Awareness Day (see sleepapnea.org).

"Sleep apnea is not some small random condition, as I just found out the hard way. Unfortunately, she was in a hospital that didn't agree," says Evans.