I was born in Fresno, CA., the grandchild of Mexican immigrants. Professionally, I am an educator. I have been teaching at a community college in the Bay Area for twelve years. I took some time off work, however, to try and get help for my mom, who was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, a serious mental illness (SMI), in the summer of 2007. Her health greatly deteriorated the last few years, largely due to her being unable to take adequate care of herself. If I didn’t take her in when I did, in February of 2016, I knew she wouldn’t live much longer.
Despite my best efforts, however, I lost my mama in February 2018, almost two years to the day I moved her in with me in Modesto, CA. I wouldn’t find out until three months after she moved in with me that she had kidney disease. It’d be her immediate cause of death, but the underlying and main causes were her SMI and a grossly unjust mental healthcare system. As I tell people now, I will never forgive. I will never forget.
My mom, and others like her, deserve to live with more respect and dignity than they were given and shown. This blog was, initially, an attempt to get help and support for us. The mainstream media wasn’t very interested in covering our situation and story, though. So now, it will mainly be used for MH advocacy and some updates and reflection on how I’m dealing with the aftermath of my mama passing. I have my own MH struggles, it turns out, too. I miss and love you, mom. I will continue fighting in honor of you.
You can contact me through email: 4myfamgaeta@gmail.com
benevolent neglect 
I am happy to find another blogger who writes about experiences with a parent who suffers from SMI. There is now much on social media about the harrowing experiences of trying to keep children with SMI in care, but the adult child of an untreated schizophrenic is in its own classification of angst.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to find this blog about the neglect of our seriously ill family members.
LikeLike
Thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to “follow” me. The “follow” button is a bit below (scroll down).
LikeLike
Thanks to Pete Early’s website I viewed Benevolent Neglect. I am deeply educated by both your mother and you. May she be peaceful. Peace be with you Michael.
And we must warrior UP to increase our local, statewide, and national investment in care of both people living with acute & chronic mental health challenges AND their primary caregivers.
In Virginia, I advocate that we tax alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and invest many millions more supporting people overcoming trauma, mental health, and addiction challenges!!! Reinstating the Estate Tax and adding a Wealth Tax is also useful to heal the acute insatiable greed of the billionaire class, which is sickening America.
We can strengthen and strengthen the professions of Family Support Partners and Peer Recovery Specialists so that there are many, many more frontline workers making life more wonderful for people “transinstitutionally” and bridging support back to home after jail or hospital for people with chronic challenges AND their family supporters.
We can use both via tele-health and physically distanced and socially connected service delivery through the pandemic.
A life time of humanitarian service is unfolding in caring for people like Josie and their loved ones.
We Can DO it! Si se Puede!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the support and the work you do! Me and my family appreciate it!
LikeLike