Over the next few weeks, it will be my privilege to introduce the authors of the 65 stories in Tomorrow Was Yesterday - Explosive First-Person Indictments of the US Mental Health System — Mothers Across the Nation Tell It Like It Is. Available on Amazon in December.
From Alabama
Margie Annis: “Losing My Child Barbarically”
Margie sees herself as a mother first in what is important in life. She has nothing but unconditional love for her children (sons). The youngest was difficult and different. “We are all learning as we live life to understand it. When this son was a man the sky fell in and, now, he is gone forever. Our love for him will never die.”
GG Burns: “Anosognosia — #1 Enemy”
George Burns writes: “My late wife, GG Burns, was an incredible advocate for those who suffer from SMI. Gina, as I call her, was a wonderful, loving mother and unbelievable artist — with no boundaries to her creativity. I will always love you, Gina Burns.”
From Arizona
Cheri VanSant: “We Need Holistic Healthcare for People with SMI”
Cheri is a 65-year-old retired RN and the mother of a 43-year-old son with serious mental illness. She used to teach NAMI’s Family-to-Family classes and advocated for family members and those who struggle with the illness. As a healthcare professional at the time of her story, “I was unaware of how dismissive doctors and nurses were to this dear woman’s illness and was curious how often this occurs.”
Christi Weeks: “Please Help Find Ryan”
From California
Anonymous: “I Just Want My Beautiful Boy Back”
”I’m still new at having a son diagnosed with mental illness and with navigating the system for help. Any system requires a herculean effort. I hope and pray for a better future for those who have mental illnesses.”
Kathy Baker: “Letter From Solitary Confinement”
Judy Waldo Bracken: “Between Now and the Next Full Moon”
Judy is the mother of three sons, and is a writer and a swimming coach living in the East Bay, California. In 2010, her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and her middle son with serious mental illness while a senior in college. The following years were full of cancer treatments, clinical trials, police calls, psych wards, and 5150s. Since then her husband has passed away and her son has been placed under LPS conservatorship.
Sonia Fletcher Dinger: “Our Family Tragedy”
Sonia lives in Mount Shasta, California with her second husband, a dog, a cat, and 15 chickens. She works part-time at a rural hospital and has served on the County Behavioral Health Board. Her daughter Christina is on conditional release from Napa State Hospital. She lives in a group home, has a part-time job, and continues to work hard toward recovery. “I am so proud of her. We speak on the phone almost every day.”
Deborah Fabos: “What Are Your Family’s Numbers?”
Deborah is the mother and caregiver of an adult son with a neurobiological disorder more commonly known as schizophrenia. She’s an advocate for family members/caregivers and those w ho suffer with the consequences of untreated and treatment-resistant anosognosia (lack of insight into their condition). Deborah created a Facebook support page and has been its administrator for six years. “I passionately support the reclassification of schizophrenia under neurology.”
Val Greenoak: “Jesse and Me”
Val is the mother of five. Jesse was her fourth son. All her children are grown. “I live quietly on a couple of acres in the redwoods.”
CJ Hanson: “Beyond My Understanding of What Being Human Means”
Catherine J. Rippee-Hanson is Linda Rippee Privatte’s twin sister and Mark Hanson’s sister. They’ve been seeking help and services for Mark for 33 years. “It’s not gotten any easier. I can no longer go out looking for him and have to rely on Linda’s accounts of losing and finding him over and over again. Local, regional, state, and federal laws impede our path every step of the way.”
Rhonda Meth: “We Received the Worst Call of Our Lives”
Rhonda is more of a spiritual person than religious. She’s grateful for her husband, daughters Monica and Amanda, and her family and good friends. Usually, she’s a calm person and strong mentally. She enjoys yoga, reading books, and painting. “The loss of our Monica was devastating. It left a hole in our hearts that will never be filled.”
Teresa Pasquini: “Teresa and Danny”
Teresa advocates for reforming the nation’s mental health system. As a family member of a son and brother living with SMI, her 45-year personal experience drives her passion. She’s provided testimony in forums including the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, the National Quality Forum, and an event on Capitol Hill advocating for “The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.” The Bay Area Newsgroup recognized Theresa for her local advocacy during the 2017 Women’s History Month.
Linda Rippee Privatte: “Rewind and Erase”
Linda advocates, along with her twin sister CJ Hanson, for their traumatic brain-injured, blind, SMI, homeless brother. She seeks legislative changes that would allow him to receive treatment for the brain disease that is his serious mental illness. “The mental health system has collapsed on the backs of the families of SMI loved ones, while tying their hands legally.”
Dede Ranahan: “Looking for Joy”
Dede is the editor of Tomorrow Was Yesterday and the author of Sooner Than Tomorrow — A Mother’s Diary About Mental Illness, Family, And Everyday Life. She dedicates her mental illness advocacy to her son Patrick (1968 - 2014). She has three daughters and six grandchildren. “I love them lots.”
Rebecca Reinig: “I’m Prepared for Joey’s Death”
”I am a mother, advocate for my son, pacifist, and trying to be one of the voices for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Ellie Shukert: “Dorothea Dix Reborn”
Ellie volunteered during the 1960s at the Worcester State hospital in Massachusetts. It was established in 1830 and expanded during the 1840s, largely through the efforts of Dorothea Dix. This hospital, now Worcester Recovery, still serves SMI patients in a modern facility. Dorothea had a “breakdown” herself and was cared for in England by a practitioner of “moral treatment.” She wanted others to have a chance to become well again. “That lady ran right over stigma.”
Kat Shultz: “A Mother’s Request in Court”
Kat is the 51-year-old mother of five children. Her eldest child passed away in 2013. She’s been a teacher since 1991 and currently teaches fourth grade.
Maggie Willis: “This Is My Beloved Grandson and I Fear for his Future”
Maggie was raised in the Santa Clara Silicon Valley in the 50s and 60s. She became a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. “My first grandchild helped me understand that people do not consider brain problems the same as other medical problems; and the caretaker not only suffers from watching her loved one suffer from a tortured brain, but from the ignorance of friends and family.”
COMING UP: Authors from Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Kentucky.
Gina (GG) Burns: In Memoriam