 |
 |
Dear Barb Thank you for your involvement in this sad story - thru you we understand how fragile we all are when it comes to cd. Being a teacher at 59, I wonder how Bev's problems got started - perhaps her husband could tell us how her life was like. I feel badly for the family. Sincerely. Fleurette At 08:09 PM 4/4/98 -0500, you wrote: >Again, this group of people has responded amazingly to a request for >help. Within 15 minutes from the time I posted my request for help for >"B", the first of about 40 messages arrived. Many of them from people >who had been where "B" was...in despair. > >The messages were powerful, open, caring and full of support and >prayers. What a truly wonderful group of people you are. > >On Friday, "A" came to pick up the messages which I had printed for "B". >On Friday evening, "A" phoned to tell me that "B", Bev, had walked out of >the hospital at 10:00 am and hadn't been seen since. The police were >called and searched for her. The local newspaper published her photo and >asked for help in locating her. A private helicopter joined the search >until it was called off because of darkness. "A" joined the search this >morning at 8:00 am and heard that Bev's body had been found washed up on the >beach near the hospital. > >So, we lost. We all lost. But mostly her husband and her family and >friends and Bev, herself. She was 56 and had recently retired from >teaching school because of Parkinson's. Her husband had retired from his >position as mayor of the city of Burlington, Ontario (near where I live) >because of leukemia.... now, he'll face his battle with leukemia alone >with the added burdens of grief and guilt. > >Besides being saddened by the loss of Bev, I'm angry. Really angry. I'm >angry at Parkinson's for taking the joy out of her life. I'm angry at >the hospital for not keeping her safe. I'm angry at a health care system >that has been cut back to the bare bones and beyond to the point where it >was absolutely useless to Bev. And I'm angry at Bev for not realizing >the pain she would cause by taking the ultimate selfish step of taking >her own life. > >What's next? What would be the most useful or effective thing to do? >Work towards publicizing the horrors of clinical depression? Work >towards improving the health care system? Supporting each other when cd >strikes (or does it just insiduously sneak into our brains?)? > >Or vow that we will NEVER, NEVER hurt our families and friends by taking >ourselves away from them and making them suffer for the rest of their lives? > >Again, thank you to the wonderful people who tried to help. > >Barb > >============================================================================ >Barbara Patterson [log in to unmask] >HSC 2J22 905-525-9140, ext. 22403 > School of Nursing >============================================================================ >