Thursday
Aug212008
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Open Thread: Is Your House In Order?
Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 8:17AM Gina, The Blogmother 
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
For those of you who have not drafted a final directive or executed a medical power of attorney, get your house in order. Forget "tomorrow is not promised to you," the next MINUTE is not promised to you. You never know when a tiny blood clot behind your knee is going to dislodge and head to your heart or lungs. You never know when a weak spot on one of your arteries or blood vessels is going to explode.
When your family is grieving over your sudden loss, the last thing they need to be wondering is "what should we do?" Yesterday, I had one of my mortality moments when I heard that Congresswomen Stephanie Tubbs Jones died suddenly of an aneurysm. In an ideal world, our bodies will go at the same time as our minds and our souls, but sometimes with the advent of modern technology, the body remains. If that happens to me, I don't want my loved ones struggling with the question of what to do. That shouldn't be their burden to bear. My state lets me make that decision. If this happened to you, is your house in order?
Police found the 58-year-old lawmaker unconscious behind the wheel of her car Tuesday night after they noticed it swerving. She was taken to Huron Hospital in East Cleveland for treatment.
Tubbs Jones "collapsed when she suffered a very serious brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurysm that burst in an inaccessible part of her brain," Gus Kious, president of Huron Hospital, said at an afternoon news conference.
Tubbs Jones died at 6:12 p.m., according to a statement issued by her family and the hospital. Several news organizations, including washingtonpost.com, erroneously reported earlier yesterday that Tubbs Jones had died based on information from anonymous sources and retracted those reports after Kious's appearance. Washington Post
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Here is Representative Jones' bio from her Congressional Website:
Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Congresswoman Jones is a lifelong resident of the 11th District, which encompasses most of the East Side of Cleveland and parts of the West Side of Cleveland and includes parts of 22 suburbs.Currently in her fifth term in office, the Congresswoman, a strong advocate for many issues, has championed wealth building and economic development, access and delivery of health care, and quality education for all. The Congresswoman chairs the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics). Additionally, she serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and is an active member of numerous Congressional Caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus.Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has introduced several pieces of legislation including, the Uterine Fibroids Research and Education Act to increase funding for research on uterine fibroids and provide enhanced public education about this condition; the Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act, which would require certification of mortgage brokers and enhance penalties for predatory loans, and the Campus Fire Prevention Act, which would provide money to equip college dorms, fraternities, and sorority houses with fire suppression devices. Most recently, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced the "Count Every Vote" Act of 2005 which seeks to provide an all-encompassing solution to a broad range of voting irregularities that occurred during the 2004 presidential election. She is an original co-sponsor of multiple significant pieces of legislation, including healthcare for low and middle-income families and community reentry for ex-felons.Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has made a number of historic achievements in her distinguished career as a public servant. Prior to her election to the House, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones served as the first African-American and the first female Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor. She was the first African-American woman to sit on the Common Pleas bench in the State of Ohio and was a Municipal Court Judge in the City of Cleveland.Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has received numerous honors throughout her lifetime including the National Bible Association Capitol Hill Distinguished Leadership Award, Human Rights Campaign of Cleveland Equality Award, Backbone Campaign's Backbone Award, and the Carib News Multi-National Business Conference Marcus Garvey Award.Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is a graduate of Cleveland Public Schools. She received her undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University, graduating with a degree in Social Work from the Flora Mather College in 1971. She received her Juris Doctorate form Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1974. Additionally, she has received honorary doctorates from David N. Myers University, Notre Dame College and Central State University.An active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, she serves on its national Social Action Committee. She is a lifelong member of Bethany Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio and is a member of their Board of Trustees.
The Congresswoman was married to Mervyn L. Jones, Sr., deceased (2003), for 27 years and is the proud mother of Mervyn Leroy Jones, II
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Reader Comments (5)
I just saw Congresswoman Tubbs last month in Orlando, Florida at Delta's National Convention. She looked completely fine but seemed tired. It seems that it was just her time to go, because as I understand it, anuryesms are unpredictable. She could have gotten a cat scan but most folks don't have the symptoms that would prompt them to get one. Its true you've got to have your house in order. She will be missed.
I am SO ON THIS. My Dad died in March. My parents got their health power of attorney forms done while Dad was in the hospital in 2006. I did not think to get one for myself at the time. I should have. Maybe lawyer types can tell me this but if I am not in a hosptial will I have to go to an attorney to get a health power of attorney? I thought I could just go to a hospital to get them since my parents got one done a couple of years ago. I have already asked one of my friends to take over if my Mom is not available. I went to two hospitals in OK but they only had the advance directive forms available.
I will beg and plead with people to do this. Even as a relative you may have problems making decisions for your loved one. A couple of times they did not want to say anything to my mother until we produced the health power of attorney. I was shocked at this since she was his wife. Same with me as his daughter. I guess hospitals do not want to put themselves in a position to be sued. This is especially important for those that are not married like I am. I have no siblings so if Mom is not available I plan to have my close friend on the form. We just got an attorney to submit Dad's will to the probate court. If I need to go to an attorney to get this I will do it immediately.
Keep copies of your insurance cards, ID, the health power of attorney and advanced directives on a thumb drive on your key ring or printed copies easily accessible if you are not able to speak for yourself. Tell the people on the power of attorney form where those documents are. I lost count of how many copies I carried around for my very sick father. It saved a lot of time and prevented loss of cards. They usually appreciate not having to find a copier to copy that stuff.
Mom and I have also gone through all the documents since Dad died and are in the process of updating everything. We both have wills. I'm considering a living trust. The one thing that I am grateful for is that my parents went ahead and made decisions aheard of time. All I had to do was enforce what they said. It is hard enough going through the process. The problems I'm sure are exacerbated when nothing has been cast in stone.
I have all of that in order, did it this year my mom and I.
GREAT advice. you are so right. A Will, Power of Attorney.. all of that stuff. get contracts that clearly state who gets what in case of death. so true.
There is a great inexpensive software program you can buy for $29.95 to help you organize all your final wishes plus record all your personal vital information.