This is Sherri's story
On Oct 1 2020, I called Sarnia police regarding my son who was in medical distress.
Not only did they not tell my son, they sent him home.
The E.R doctor did not call a mental health doctor, nor anyone who was qualified to help my son, I called the charge nurse and asked why would they release him? Her response was “we don’t release anyone unless we think it's safe”.
My son came to my house that night being afraid to be at his home and hung himself in the early morning hours, I found him in my downstairs laundry room. I have his hospital records from a year ago till his release that night, on the report the charge nurse has written “home and safe” which they didn’t even know. I have filed complaints with CPSO, there is an investigation being done by the coroner, the hospital and the patient advocate specialist. Our family is heartbroken. He has two children which he was not the sole provider and was on disability due to mental health issues, the three main factors have been met.
I have talked to a few lawyers and explained the story too many times. I have contacted several lawyers and no one is interested in taking this case on. There has been an internal investigation done by the hospital in which 4 recommendations have been made which makes me feel like we helped them and they didn't help my son. There is an ongoing investigation with CPSO and the CNO. I have received the doctor's reply. I disagree and am in the process of rebutting his reply and then expecting this will go to the committee.
I am still waiting, and working, for closure.
He was suffering from a schizophrenic/ psychotic episode and had tried to hang himself. The police attended and saw the red marks and took him to a health centre in Sarnia Ont, my son had been there the day because he was suicidal and needed
help, he was triaged seen by an E.R doctor who told the police they could leave and didn’t need to stay with him. This doctor talked with my son and told him that he “would never get better” but with medication it would be manageable” and also told him that “there are enough drug addicts in the mental health ward”. My son told him “I think I should stay, I may hurt myself” the doctor had my son's girlfriend go to the pharmacy and pick up a higher dose of his meds that he was already taking, olanzapine.
I called the charge nurse on day shift and explained that my son is not on street drugs that he is schizophrenic and please don’t release him I fear he will hurt himself, she told me she was ending her shift, I asked her to please tell the night charge nurse and she said she would pass it along. I called back a few minutes later to tell the night charge nurse myself as my son has been treated badly in the past. I told her the same thing, please don’t release him and to please let me speak with the doctor as my son will give permission.