I was looking at the sunset, thinking about the beauty of the world, when I became instantly aware of my effortless breathing, in and out, something Leo could not do. I thought about my ability to swallow, my ability to comprehend, my hands controlling the steering wheel, my eyes that see, my ears that hear, and then I felt the tears. All of these things, Leo could not do. Not even cry, or laugh or smile. I became so overwhelmed with grief and gratitude, tears rolled down my cheeks for what seemed like an hour. I thought to myself, so many people will never experience this. So many people will never learn the lessons I’ve learned from birth injured children. So many people will take this day for granted, and not for a second will they be grateful to breathe, to think, to hold, to talk, to walk, much less run. Gratitude is the number one lesson I’ve learned from brain injured children (and their parents).

They’ve taught me what it means to fight. Brain injured children and their parents fight for their lives everyday. The parent’s of these children suction their mouths and noses, so they can breathe. They prepare and replace feeding tubes all day long and into the night. They need medication several times a day. To sit up, they need a special chair. To take steps, another special chair. These parents know what it means to fight for their children. The fight never ends. Spend a few hours with these families, and you’ll realize everything you’ve ever fought for pales in comparison.

I’ve also learned what it means to love. Unconditional love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Not everyone will experience it. But when I see a parent look at their brain injured baby’s face, really look at them, I see unconditional love on their faces. They do not see what the child cannot do. They do not see the unjustness of how their child ended up this way. They do wallow in how hard it is to care for them –all they feel is unconditional love. These parent’s will do whatever it takes to give their child the best possible life. Their biggest fear, is losing them. Inevitably, birth injured children die too soon.

My final thought for this blog is “selflessness.” Before I became a mom, I was guilty of putting myself first sometimes. After I became a parent, I learned what it means to be selfless. It means putting the needs of your children, your spouse, your parents, even your pet –first. Parent’s of brain injured children are beyond selfless. They never have time for themselves. They pour every ounce of energy, strength, patience, love, compassion and kindness into their brain injured children. You know what else? They don’t complain about it either. They are so focused on their children’s needs, that’s all that matters to them.

We could all learn a lot from brain injured children (and their parents).

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The insurance companies did a great job convincing voters that caps would be good for Colorado. That it would somehow save money in insurance payouts and that saving would be passed on to you. I don’t know anyone who paid less insurance as a result. In fact, my insurance has gone up every year. But I do know a lot of people –too many people in Colorado –who had a loved one stolen from them due to the negligence of others, and due to the caps, they couldn’t even find a lawyer who would take the case.

You might be thinking, “why do you need money after a loved one is killed by medical malpractice? If that loved one was the bread winner, there is no one to support the family anymore. Think about the emotional pain of suddenly losing your spouse or parent. The survivors often need financial and emotional support. Wrongful death shatters a family.

In most other states, wrongful death cases are worth millions. Here in Colorado, your case is worth more if you break some bones in a car crash. I always thought Coloradans were getting a raw deal.

That’s why I was so relieved to read Colorado governor Jared Polis signed a new law that raises the cap for victims of wrongful death due to negligence from a couple hundred thousand to a couple a million.

The law doesn’t take effect until 2025.

Still, it means Coloradans will finally have a chance to receive financial justice. Doctors, nurses, medical staff and the hospitals they work for will be punished in the pocketbook for making mistakes that cost lives.

No amount of money can replace someone you love, not now, not ever. But Colorado’s cap was salt in the wound for so many families.

The post Finally, justice for Coloradans affected by wrongful death. appeared first on Heidi Hemmat Productions.

I just wanted to take some time to thank our clients. So many small businesses are struggling. And while we did slow down this month due Coronavirus concerns affecting our out-of-state travel schedule, our clients have been so wonderful to us –promptly paying invoices, being willing to try ZOOM interviews in place of our professional news cameras and crew in the short term, and promising more cases to come! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to:

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC, Pensacola, Florida

Bill Hahn, William E. Hahn, PA, Tampa, Florida

Steve Maher, The Maher Law Firm, Winter Park, Florida

Steve Brady, Brady Law Group, San Rafael, California

Scott Righthand, Righthand Law, San Francisco, California

Neil Eisenberg, Eisenberg Law Office, San Francisco, California

Dunn & Panagotacos LLP, San Francisco, California

Lawrence Knapp, The law Offices of Lawrence Knapp, Stockton, California

Stewart Tabak, Tabak Law Firm, Stockton, California

Michael Padway, Michael Padway & Associates, Oakland, California

Brown, Koro & Romag, Newport Beach, California

Chapa Law Group PC, Phoenix, Arizona

Garrey Woner Hoffmaster & Peshek, P.C., Scottsdale, Arizona

John Leader, Leader Law Firm, Tucson, Arizona

The law office of Jojene Mills, Tucson, Arizona

Bradley Paul Elley Esquire, Incline Village, Nevada

Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, Missouri

Miller Schirger LLC, Kansas City, Missouri

Leventhal Puga, Denver, Colorado

Burg Simpson, Englewood, Colorado

Greg Gold, The Gold law firm, Denver, Colorado

Bachus & Schanker law firm, Denver, Colorado

Anderson Hemmat, Greenwood Village, Colorado

 Elkus & Sisson, P.C., Glendale, Colorado

Bell & Pollock, P.C., Denver, Colorado

Larson & Larimer, P.C., Greenwood Village, Colorado

Anderson Injury law firm, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C., Colorado Springs, Colorado

Jim Gilbert, The Gilbert Law Group, Arvada, Colorado

Don Slavik, Slavik Law, Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Newport Beach, California

The Sanders law firm, Covington, Kentucky

The post Thank you to our clients, new and old! appeared first on Heidi Hemmat Productions.

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I know what you are thinking, “what? I hate lawyers, what do you mean, lawyers are good people?” Well, they are.

I am just returning from the Western trial lawyers association convention in Park City, Utah. I sponsor this convention because it’s a great way to market Heidi Hemmat Productions. As many of you already know, when I left my investigative reporter position at KDVR/KWGN, I started my own business–producing documentaries about severely injured people that help settle their legal cases out of court.

When I attend these conventions, I often listen to the lawyer’s presentations. If you hate lawyers, you probably assume the attorneys are talking about their biggest cases, the ones where they made the most money. So, you might be surprised to learn, most often, they are talking about the cases they took on because it was the right thing to do–cases about old people abused in nursing homes (usually–no money in that), or little kids molested by catholic priests–(hard to believe, but there’s no money in that either). I listen to their stories with awe and amazement, especially when I see grown men, tough attorneys, choking back the tears. Many of their presentations make me want to cry because, I too, have spent most of my life looking into the eyes of people who have been through enormous pain. I’ve cried with them, I cry afterwards, sometimes I think about them in the middle of the night. I never, ever forget them. I pray for them and everyday I thank God–that there but for the grace of God go I.

So trust me when I say, lawyers are good people. Yes, there are jerks in every profession. A lot of people hate reporters too, but when I think about all the good I was able to do for people by simply telling their stories with compassion and empathy–I know I was helping people. Now I feel like I am doing my life’s work–because the people I do documentaries about–their stories aren’t “newsworthy” but what happened to them is every bit as bad and many of them live in a private hell–unable to even tell their own stories. Those people need me, and they need their lawyers, especially the ones who aren’t afraid to cry.

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