PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lezandre Khadu, Member of Freedom Agenda, on Intros 412 and 423
0:30:24
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8 min
Lezandre Khadu, a member of Freedom Agenda, provides emotional testimony in support of Intros 412 and 423, sharing her personal experience as the mother of Stephan Amani Khadu, who died while in custody at Rikers Island. She emphasizes the lack of communication and notification from the Department of Correction (DOC) during her son's medical emergencies and ultimate death.
- Khadu describes the distressing conditions at Rikers Island and the emotional toll of having a child incarcerated there
- She recounts a harrowing experience of not being notified when her son had multiple seizures and was hospitalized, learning about it from her daughter instead of DOC
- Khadu strongly advocates for the passage of the bills to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies and calls for the closure of Rikers Island
Lezandre Khadu
0:30:24
Good morning, everyone.
0:30:26
Good morning, council members.
0:30:28
Thank you for holding, miss Heron, and allowing me to express my support for intro 412 and intro423.
0:30:41
My name is Alessandra Cadeau.
0:30:42
I'm a member of Freedom Agenda and a mother of Stephane Martin Cadeau.
0:30:47
My son was twenty two years old when he entered the doors of hell, AKA Rockets Island, and the Kyiv Department of Corrections.
0:30:55
On December 19 2019 was the first time I ever went to visit my son and saw the firsthand, the harvest that were come occurring there.
0:31:05
I was so surprised that a place like this could function in our city.
0:31:09
I remember this filthy place, and it was so horrible and it smelled.
0:31:14
It broke my heart to know that my one and only son was a living dear.
0:31:20
I was still excited to see my sunshine.
0:31:23
Though so I held my head high and focused on a time with him.
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Having a child on rock his island or in the Kia of DOC is the most distressing feeling ever.
0:31:34
Not being able to help your child or do anything while they are suffering is the worst feeling.
0:31:39
I always felt so helpless when I came when it came to advocating for him.
0:31:45
The COVID came into the world Excuse me.
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Enter rockets island upside down.
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No human contact from family and loved ones.
0:32:00
When Stefan was moved to the boat, I never got to see him in person, only tele visits.
0:32:06
But I was okay with that as long as I got to continue to see and hear my son.
0:32:12
A couple days I had gone by and I hadn't heard from Steph Von.
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Until I received a call for my daughter 1 afternoon.
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She is crying and yelling.
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My my my papa had 5 seizures, and they took him to the hospital.
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I was on the verge of passing out.
0:32:33
Why?
0:32:33
No one ain't called me.
0:32:35
How do I rush to the hospital and bargain with DOC to let them see my son?
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We rushed to Lincoln Medical Center on our way there.
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I asked my daughter, was she able to get the name of the officer who called to let her know about her brother?
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She said an officer that Encoma, it was one of his friends who called to let me know.
0:33:01
I was in shock.
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Being at the hospital was not easy either.
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No one gave us any answers, not from staff or security.
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Nothing.
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The hospital, and definitely not DOC.
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When I finally approached the officer, I said my name is Alessandra Kadoux.
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I'm the mother of Stefan Kadoux.
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I just would like to see and know my son is okay.
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The officer said, she cannot be here.
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Get her out of here.
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I pleaded and pleaded with them.
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Please just let me know that he is okay.
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They escorted me out the back of the hospital.
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And as the officer left, She said, we don't have to tell you anything.
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He's twenty two years old, and he is the property of DOC.
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I lost it.
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I took off my face mask, and I said, how could you?
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You are a human being.
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You are a woman.
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How could you look me at my face and tell me that?
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She would she replied.
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I'll tell you one thing, he not dead.
0:34:16
I left and I cried that whole night.
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The next day my phone rings, not DOC.
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It was a name it was a man named Doctor Wolf, who let me know he was my son's doctor, and I told him I wanted to know everything as DOC has been keeping me out of the loop.
0:34:37
He said your son was brought here from the facility where officer said he had 2 seizures in the facility and 1 in the ambulance right over.
0:34:47
He told he told my son he told me my son bones were stiff for so long.
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Because of the seizure back to back, they had became so brittle.
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They started to leak toxic into his bloodstream.
0:35:01
They'll be keeping him there because they were worried about his kidney failure.
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I never thought my son My healthy son would need emergency dialysis at the age of twenty three.
0:35:13
I was heartbroken.
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I started screaming and yelling.
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I wanted to see, hold, and nurture my son, and I couldn't.
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I was hoping even a hospital would see the urgency it give me the pass.
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But it's like they couldn't go over DOC when I finally got a quick phone call from Steph Von.
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He sounded different, and he let me know where he was.
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I told him I knew that.
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And I have been trying to see him.
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He was talking funny.
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He said it was because of how he bears tongue during a seizure.
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While we were on the phone, I keep hearing him.
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Tell someone.
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Tell a person near him.
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It's just my mom.
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I just wanted to tell how I love her and say how before we hang up.
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I yelled, I love you.
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And please don't hurt my son.
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I cried all night hoping to hear from Steph Von.
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I called the hospital in the morning to just check all of a sudden.
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They told me we can no longer give out information on that patient.
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I'm so sorry we can't hang up the phone.
0:36:17
On July 12 2021, Stefan was back on the boat and called me.
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I felt somewhat a sense of relief as I prayed with him on the phone.
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When we got off the phone, I requested multiple times, televisits.
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And every visit was denied.
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I was confused, but focus on the positive of still getting his phone calls.
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And I know others were getting to see him at least on the tele visit.
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On September 11 2021, my son turned 24.
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I'm spending 2 birthdays fighting his case for him out.
0:36:59
Followed they had approved the visit for me on 9 18 2021.
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I was so excited to see my son, especially knowing that he had been down from talking to him.
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In a way, I've never seen spirits.
0:37:16
1 of my last phone calls that phone said to me, Mark, I'm tired of being here.
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I didn't do anything.
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And I said, I know, son.
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You will get through this.
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God got you.
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On September 22 2021, between 11th between 10:11 AM.
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I heard my daughter screaming at Yealed.
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No.
0:37:41
No.
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No.
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No.
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No.
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My my my my I jumped up from my bed, and I opened my room door.
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She looked at me, and she said, my my son is dead.
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I'm passed out.
0:37:59
I woke into everyone screaming and crying.
0:38:02
I couldn't I couldn't breathe because no one told me anything.
0:38:07
His mother, the person who made him, I need my people in office to do what is right and pass these bills.
0:38:18
I need y'all to pass these bills.
0:38:22
These bills gotta get past me because another family and a mother can't go through what I went through.
0:38:26
Hearing my daughter scream like that, broke my soul.
0:38:32
Anytime I hear that cry, I can't come to terms because I know it's another mother who's losing a child.
0:38:42
Like I said, the right thing they need to do these people in office, the right thing to do is pass these bills and close towards the island down.
0:38:51
Decorate and put the money back into my community.
0:38:54
Thank you, guys.
