United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I was born with robpi in 1972. My pain problems started Nov. 04. I have a phone interview for disability on the 18th of July. They told me I would need my birth records. E-mailed Barnes hospital in St. Louis, MO yesterday to try and get my birth records. Got e-mail back today stating that they have destroyed all records from 1974 and back. They are only required to keep on file for 30 years. This is soooo frustrating. What are my options now? Anyone have any suggestions for me.

Tracy in Tennessee

Tracy
It funny some people have been able to get birth records who are much older than you and others can't.
I believe that there is a long form for our birth certificates that you can request from the Health Dept. in your state. It has more information on it than our regular birth certificates.

I found out that the hospital I was born in closed and my records were stored in a warehouse on some sort of micor film.... the warehouse burned down a few years before I found UBPN.

I still have not sent for my birth certificate with all the information on it. But I bet the birth injuries are not noted on it. I have a son your age and I had and SD delivery with him. He was not injured but I tried to get my records and they claimed they only had to keep them for 18 years... who knows.
I don't undrestand why you birth records are required because the law says they can destroy them.??? Maybe you should call them back. It may be a battle but don't give up.
Kath

Kath

I will try that. Thanks for the tip. It is just so ironic the years I tried to hide my injury and pretending not be different. And now trying to prove I have this injury. At times, I feel kinda bad for my mom. She has been truly GREAT. But I think it brings back bad memories and she has told me she wishes she would have let the doctors do the experimental tests on me 30 years ago. I have reassured her that I do not blame HER in anyway. Besides when she got pregnant at 31yrs. old with crushed pelvic bone(car accident-16 years old)-the doctor suggested that she have a theraputic abortion-told her she would never carry me to full term-and that she could die giving birth to me. She declined(obviously)-carried me two weeks over due date(gained over 100#)-was in labor three days-and when they thought of taking me by c-section I was already stuck in the birth canal. That is where the pulling and pushing came into play. These physcians should be held accountable for what they are doing!!!I blame them. My mom also said recently she wished she would have sued the doctor responsible but she felt so blessed that GOD spared me 32years ago. Plus the doctor told her that he saved my life. True he probably did!!But he should have seen the complications of this high-risk pregnancy at started with a c-section delivery. Now, I came to this conclusion with just a high school education..call me crazy but if he had of done that my life that he saved might have been a little bit easier and would not be in this situation to where I have to file for disability at the golden age of 32. I intend to fight to get disability and any treatment necessary and due to me to correct an injury that was caused by the ignorance and negligence of someone other than myself just as hard as I've fought to prove I could do anything a person with NO AFFECTED ARMs could do. Someone or some agency WILL be held accountable for this someday.

Had alot of PT growing up(prayer therapy). Now it is time for the other PT(physical therapy). That is my next step-thanks to most of y'alls posts. I hope I didn't ramble toooo much. God Bless!!!

Thanks again for all your support.
Tracy in Tennessee

I can be no help finding records. I have all my records from the time I was 2. See, that was when my father went into the Air Force. The military wanted all the records from me from birth on but amazingly all records from my Moms Dr, the hospital everything had been lost when the military asked for them when I was 2.....hmmmm....yeah, "lost".

I got my birth records about 7 years ago, 45 years after my birth. The hospital had closed so it took some digging to find out where the records had been transferred to, but I did find them. I called local hospitals to ask and eventually found someone who knew. Don't give up and don't believe the first account that they were destroyed. They could have been transferred to microfilm and still be somewhere. Keep at it.

Nancy

Tracy, I am rooting for you.I am sooo in awe that you will continue this fight!I will pray for you to have strengh...I KNOW you have the courage!!PLEASE continue to keep us informed;in my book, you do NOT ramble, we each must tell our story to help us all. Did I say I admire you?....keep on keeping on.I learn so much from you.
Love & hugs,
Carolyn J

Thanks for your suggestions and support!!!! I did alot of digging and battling, and PRAYING. It paid off, too.
My birth records were found on microfilm--not at the hospital I was born at--but I remembered being seen as a child at Labor Health Institute(LHI) in St. Louis, MO. Called them today--they faxed me a release of med. records--faxed that back--they said they should have everything(including birth injury records) to me within the next week. I am soooo relieved. Thanks again for your help. I am so glad that I found this site.

God Bless
Tracy

That is GREAT!!!!!

Tracy,

This is truely wonderful news. So glad you didn't give up.

Best luck!

Hugs, Karen

Tracy
I am so happy for you... Wow this is great and you will get some answers.
Kath