Joanna is 100% blind. When she was arrested on an ancient parole violation, she had her collapsible white cane with the red tip, universally recognized as a blind person’s “eyes”. The jail guards took her cane away claiming she could use it as a weapon. How? She can’t see to hit anyone! All those idiots did was TAKE AWAY HER EYES!
We did some research to find out Maricopa allows seeing people keep their canes, but in their infinite wisdom….takes away the blind ones’ cane!? Who could be more stupid than Maricopa jail? Why Perryville prison of course! Instead of getting her blind stick back from the jail, or ordering a new one, OR giving her a wheelchair in the interim, they give her a WALKER! Talk about an IQ of room temperature. The woman is healthy, she doesn’t need a walker…..she needs a cane to see where she’s going. But, no, San Carlos Medical reportedly was reluctant to give her something useful like a wheelchair.
Fortunately for Joanna, her mother is also on San Carlos and she is some raging Mama Bear! When Mom found out her “cub” was being mistreated, Carlos Medical was in a world of hurt:-) Joanna’s mom “acquired” a wheelchair, went to battle with medical when they tried to put her baby in the SNU (special needs unit, again she’s not sick, she’s blind) and roared her displeasure about Joanna not having a cube, and meals delivered until she could get her cane.
Allegedly, the medical department thought Joanna was “faking” being totally blind because when she was in Perryville in 2009, she had sight in one eye. Duh. Nothing can happen in 15 years?? Someone with a brain finally noticed Joanna’s eyes were “nonreactive to light”, that means blind, people.
This has a happy ending…..reportedly, Joanna has a wheelchair, cane is on order, cube is ready, and she will be enrolled in the braille program. Never underestimate a Mother’s love.