A man says he was unable to see his best friend’s mother read her last rites at a hospital because of his service dog.
John Greenan has multiple sclerosis and said he depends on his “partner” Buggs to stabilize him when he loses balance, among other things. When Greenan went to see his friend’s mother at Adventist Hospital in Bolingbrook, he was stopped at the front desk.
“They said I couldn't go upstairs with my service dog,” Greenan said. “I explained he's my service dog and I have a disability.”
The hospital said in a statement it has a policy that supports and provides guidelines for access to the hospital by service and therapy animals in keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Their policy includes restrictions to certain areas of the hospital, including ICU, dependent on specific patient needs.
Greenan said at the time of the incident, he talked to the patient advocate who "didn't even know if there was a service dog policy within the hospital." He said he also spoke with a compliance officer who “was apologetic and said that I understand ‘there was a mistake and I apologize and we will try to rectify it.' That's fine and dandy like but what about what happened?"
“I felt that this was discrimination, humiliation and I was embarrassed," Greenam said. "As a hospital, out of all the people, they should respect people with disabilities and the guidelines that the ADA provides.”
Although Greenan missed the rites being read at the hospital, he wants to use the incident as an opportunity to educate others because he says it's happened to him at least four other times.
“This is a big deal with people with disability. He goes anywhere I go and he has every right to go into a business,” Greenan said. “There are guidelines and laws designed to protect people with disabilities. And now is the time people learn.”
