HALIFAX – The story of a 14-year-old girl who was turned away from the IWK Health Centre during a mental health crisis has raised alarms about the resources available to young people with developmental disabilities.
The hashtag #HelpLily was trending in Halifax on Monday after a family friend posted photos of the teenager’s experience on Sunday night.
RELATED: Calls grow for province to revamp mental health system after #HelpLily
It all began when Lily, who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, became aggressive and her family called the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team.
The team advised her family to take her to the IWK emergency department and she was transported there by ambulance.
“She was clearly experiencing something out of the ordinary. And for a kid with a developmental disability like Lily, sometimes that shows up as aggression,” said family friend, Amy Spurway.
Spurway and her husband Matthew were in the IWK parking lot, after doctors assessed Lily and said there was nothing they could do. Spurway said Lily became more aggressive and ran back into the hospital. That’s when a security guard escorted her out and the hospital called police.
Spurway’s husband began posting photos of the incident on Twitter — calling attention to what they called a “helpless situation.”
“I understand the emergency room is not the place to deal with something like this because there are people there who are having physical emergencies who need to be seen and who need to be dealt with,” Spurway said.
“At the same time, in the back of a paddy wagon is not the place for this to be dealt with.”
Halifax Regional Police spokesman Const. Pierre Bourdages said four officers were pushed and bitten and ultimately decided to arrest Lily for Breach of Peace.
“There’s no assault charges or anything. She was simply arrested so we could bring her to a place that was secure to hopefully de-escalate what was happening there,” Bourdages said.
Bourdages said the teenager was kept in custody for about an hour.
“She was exhibiting behaviour that may be harmful … to herself. So they re-arrested her under the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act to be able to bring her back to the IWK and to be seen by a doctor.”
In a statement, IWK spokesman Nick Cox said information about specific cases cannot be discussed in public but that the IWK remains dedicated to working with patients and families.
“All patients who present at the IWK emergency department are seen and assessed by appropriate health experts including physicians and/or mental health clinicians. Following a clinical assessment, the most appropriate treatment plans are discussed with the patient and family members.
Spurway said Lily was eventually admitted into the hospital and her mother is optimistic she will get the help she needs. They’re also praising police for their professionalism in the situation.
But both women know that’s not the end of the story.
“If something doesn’t change systemically, they’re going to face the same system in a facility somewhere…or the prison system,” Spurway said.
“Every person out there with a developmental disability’s life is absolutely as valuable as anyone else’s and they deserve to be able to live with some respect and some dignity and not have to result in being thrown in the back of a paddy wagon to get the help they need.”
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- Invasive strep: ‘Don’t wait’ to seek care, N.S. woman warns on long road to recovery
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
- ‘Super lice’ are becoming more resistant to chemical shampoos. What to use instead
Comments