Testimony on HB81 — Pam Frank, Parent of a Son with Cerebral Palsy

Summary

Testimony on HB81 from Pam Frank, the parent of a son with Cerebral Palsy, who states the son has greatly benefitted from Trager and Feldenkreis work from several professionals. It states these professionals are different from massage therapists but seem to be lumped into a category of being massage. The testimony proposes that wording be added in an amendment to exempt them. It states that banning the practice in Ohio would force the practitioners to leave their homes or jobs and families in order to work, and asks that the wording be reconsidered and the exemption added.

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Full text

                                            Pam Frank
As a parent of a 37 year-old son with severe involvement of Cerebral Palsy, I feel a need to speak up
about the HB81 wording coming to the floor this Wednesday.
My name is Pam Frank and my son, Doug has greatly benefitted from both Trager and Feldenkreis work
from several very talented professionals. They are different from and not massage therapists but seem
to be being lumped into a category of being massage. I understand this Bill is to help control prostitution
and sex trafficking. I personally do not know of one of these people who are in any way involved in sex
trafficking or prostitution so I am confused as to why their practicing in this state might be banned. I
would like to propose that some wording be added in amendment to exempt them from being all in the
same category so that your plan is being directed where it should be instead of including those that are
not involved.
My son has had help from these professionals that have improved my son’s sitting, swallowing,
postures, strength etc. that were critical to his health and to his progress today. I cannot say enough
about the need for these people to be readily accessible to the many families struggling as we did. I
could not have taken my son out of state for these sessions and kept my job! Please think about the
importance of our local hospitals and their connections to these professionals as well. Many times the
handicapped individuals need so many people to help them develop properly that they could barely
make it to all the appointments that are local. If you ban this in Ohio, you create a scenario whereby
these practitioners are forced to leave their homes or jobs and their families in order to work. You take
help away from those of us who so desperately need it and you are not gaining anything by including
them in this category of massage workers.
I have had to really look for help for my son- massage people as well as specialty professionals, doctors,
therapists, nurses, surgeons, specialists in all areas because my son was born with Apgar score of 0-0-
1. That is , I have been told, legally dead. But my son has served our wonderful state on its Disability
Council several terms under Governor John Kasich and he has served locally, such as being “The Face of
Goodwill” and President of Cincinnati’s Reaching For The Stars chapter. He has been given a lot and has
given back a lot. It is part of his rights to get care.
Please reconsider your verbage and add the exemption! Thank you in advance for your time!


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