Lady March Goldwire’s eyes light up when she talks about her son, Donel Elam. “Donel is an extraordinary person: a beautiful mind, a beautiful heart, a smile that is out of this world,” she said. Donel was a superstar on the high school football field and had a bright future. In 2014 everything changed. “He is and has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and that has changed the core of who he is as an individual,” Goldwire said. The 10 years since his diagnosis have been tough for Elam and Goldwire. Due to his condition, he is unable to hold down a job and frequently experiences homelessness. “It’s a nightmare at best,” Goldwire said. “At best it’s a nightmare.” Goldwire said when she heard a man had been shot by a police officer at Suncoast High School Monday morning, she panicked at the thought it could be Elam. It turned out to be a man. named Delroy Thomas. His family said Thomas was also diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression. They thought he was in the hospital, not knowing he had been released the night before. Goldwire said she can identify. Over the years, Elam has been hospitalized. 64 times in hospital – 20 times in the last year. But because both Thomas and Elam are adults, no one can make them stay in the hospital if they don’t want to be there. considered an adult. And that’s the problem,” says Ezsa Allen. Allen is a mental health therapist with Social Age Counseling. She said there are mental health programs available for adults, but only if the patient chooses to go. She said an adult can do that. be involuntarily hospitalized if they are considered a threat to themselves or others, but that usually only lasts 72 hours. In other words, a family member who wants to help a loved one cannot do so if that person does not want help. “It’s an epidemic,” Allen said. “There’s an increase. And now you’re going to have more people on the streets. You’re going to have more people who just do violent things or just don’t know what they’re doing.” “I just feel deflated,” said Gouddraad. “You try, with the understanding that you really don’t have the luxury of giving up hope, but when you get to the bottom of the barrel you think, ‘Where do you go? you going?'”
Lady March Goldwire’s eyes light up when she talks about her son Donel Elam.
“Donel is an extraordinary individual – beautiful mind, beautiful heart, a smile that is out of this world,” she said.
Donel was a superstar on the high school football field and had a bright future.
In 2014 everything changed.
“He is and has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and that has kind of changed the core of who he is as an individual,” Goldwire said.
The ten years since his diagnosis have been tough for Elam and Goldwire.
Due to his condition, he is unable to hold a job and frequently finds himself homeless.
“It’s a nightmare at best,” Goldwire said. “At best it’s a nightmare.”
Goldwire said when she heard a man had been shot by a police officer at Suncoast High School Monday morning, she panicked at the thought it could be Elam.
It turned out to be a man named Delroy Thomas.
His family said Thomas was also diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression.
They thought he was in the hospital, not knowing he had been released the night before.
Goldwire said she can identify.
Over the years, Elam has been hospitalized 64 times – 20 times in the last year.
But because both Thomas and Elam are adults, no one can make them stay in the hospital if they don’t want to be there.
“It’s hard because they’re still considered adults. And that’s the problem,” says Ezsa Allen.
Allen is a mental health therapist with Social Age Counseling.
She said there are mental health programs available for adults, but only if the patient chooses to go.
She said an adult can be involuntarily hospitalized if he or she is considered a threat to themselves or others, but that usually only lasts 72 hours.
In other words, a family member who wants to help a loved one cannot do so if that person does not want the help.
“It’s an epidemic,” Allen said. “There’s an increase. And now you’re going to have more people on the streets. You’re going to have more people who just do violent things or just don’t know what they’re doing.”
“I just feel deflated,” Goldwire said. “You try, with the understanding that you really don’t have the luxury of giving up hope, but when you get to the bottom of the barrel you’re like, ‘Where are you going?'”