Another Disturbing Violation

With application to Danielle's Law we were directed to another disturbing incident wherein Kevin Cook disregarded it. Just a few months ago a child-resident stated that he had fainted. The mere mention of loss of consciousness should have (under Danielle's Law) warranted an immediate telephone call to 911. The former Rainbow Of Hope Nurse insisted upon this. Kevin Cook refused it. In fact, witnesses have produced affidavits certifying that Kevin Cook outright claimed the child-resident was "faking it". Once again it took a series of telephone calls wherein valuable time was wasted before Cook contacted the Cape Counseling Services agency psychiatrist who was astute enough to order Cook to indeed place the call to 911. We feel certain that a court will not be satisfied by the "personal medical expertise" Cook drew upon to deny this child proper attention. "Faking it"??? How dare anyone make such an unprofessional statement in light of a complex and serious medical condition.

This bridges to another alarming discovery brought to our attention by our inside source. 4 child-residents at Rainbow Of Hope have dangerously high cholesterol levels. It's worthy to mention that High Cholesterol is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents and teens. The interesting point of note here is that these children did not have high cholesterol upon entry to the Rainbow Of Hope program. The fact that these levels have become elevated inside the Rainbow Of Hope environment leads to an issue of negligence.

We have documentation to support the facts that the former Rainbow Of Hope Nurse made 4 appointments with the dietitian at Cape Regional Hospital. We also have documentation to prove that this dietitian didn't honor the appointments. Furthermore, we have documentation to prove that the former Nurse spoke to Kevin Cook about enrolling the child-residents with high cholesterol into a program called "Get Moving Get Healthy" which is hosted by the Rutgers University Cooperate Extension.

This is a fantastic program where dietary students offer lectures and educational programs about eating healthy portions, sugar content of foods, the importance of exercise and other beneficial methods of reducing high cholesterol. The program is so successful that it has a lengthy waiting list. The former Rainbow Of Hope Nurse moved mountains and cashed in personal favors in the interest of the child-residents to get them involved in this program.

In March 2009, Kevin Cook went on vacation (though we question why he needed a break from doing nothing in the first place) and representatives from the "Get Moving Get Healthy" program called the former Nurse and said they'd be willing to accept the Rainbow Of Hope child-residents as a favor. Since Kevin Cook was off meandering in La-La land, the former Nurse informed Program Coordinator Lisa Polite about this opportunity that would benefit the Rainbow Of Hope child-residents with dangerously high cholesterol. Lisa Polite firmly said "No". What??? Where's the concern for the health and well being of the children? Not only did she definitively say no, but she added, "Not without Kevin's approval." Well... when Kevin Cook is off doing God-knows-what instead of seeing to his professional obligations, WHO makes decisions at Rainbow Of Hope??? Oh yeah... Lisa Polite "kind of" answered that when she told the former Nurse to contact Sam Totora for HIS approval. The former Nurse left several messages for Sam Totora who never so much as had the common courtesy to return the calls.

This needs to be underscored by the fact that the former Rainbow Of Hope Nurse conducted numerous Group Sessions about the merits of healthy eating and the necessity of exercise. It's obvious that Rainbow Of Hope staff doesn't involve the child-residents in a regular healthy regimen of exercise. The child-residents are permitted to lounge around all day while their "staff counselors" text on cell phones, play games on their cell phones, leave the property, sleep, watch television and surf the internet. If the staff was doing its job under the "professional supervision" of Totora, Cook and Polite, there wouldn't be 4 child-residents with unhealthy cholesterol levels residing in the program.

Kevin Cook's little "Clown Emporium" requires serious scrutiny. It is because of this that we've asked the New Jersey DHS Division of Medical Services to conduct an inquiry and investigation of Rainbow Of Hope. Visit their web site by clicking here. The representatives and investigators were shocked and alarmed to hear of this news and are very eager to descend upon Rainbow Of Hope to learn why the health of some of the child-residents has been compromised under Kevin Cook's and Lisa Polite's management. Of course all of this points back to Sam Totora as well.

It seems to become increasingly clear that Rainbow Of Hope is nothing more than a cash-cow for Cape Counseling Services and that all these statements about "Quality Care" mean very little as long as the agency is making a buck. The health of our children has now been obviously compromised. What will it take to make this program operate at a successful and appropriate level? Well... a court will determine that soon enough.