On May 22nd of this
year, Nancy Fernandez received a text message from her daughter Jessica, saying
that she would not have to worry about her anymore. Because she previously
attempted to end her life, Nancy immediately called the Erie County Sheriff’s
department. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband David heard sirens, and
they were aware that there was a strong possibility that it was the result of that
call. Though they feared the worst, nothing could prepare them for what ultimately
occurred.
The bedroom has
not changed in the ensuing months since that day last May. Medals, awards and
pictures adorn the walls and as if it awaits a young woman who is about to
return from summer camp or a trip abroad. Tragically, that is not the case,
because the sirens her parents heard were indeed for their daughter. It was
then that they were informed that their daughter Jessica, a 16 year old young
lady, ended her struggle with bipolar disorder by standing in front of a moving
train in Vermillion. Besides two loving parents, she left behind many other
family members, and friends who still miss her terribly. She also left behind
many unanswered questions.
As visitors walk
through the family home, so many pictures of Jessica as a happy, vibrant youth,
so full of promise are visible. It is then that one must ask, what could have
gone so terribly wrong to lead to such a tragic outcome. As her story unfolds,
it is painfully obvious that the main culprit is a failure of the medical
community to provide her with the proper care, and give her the opportunity to
live a long, happy life. Hospitals, clinics, treatment facilities, who continuously
fail to recognize the complexities of this silent killer, did not take the
necessary steps to ensure her recovery.
The story begins
about a year and a half before this tragedy when she began to experience some
depressive episodes. It was at this time that she received a misdiagnosis of depression and anxiety. Since
bipolar disorder is routinely misdiagnosed, this began an odyssey for her
through the mental health “maze” that has left her parents “pissed off at the
system!” In reality, they echo the feelings of many parents, and loved ones,
who have battled to negotiate a fragmented and woefully underfunded system. It
is one that routinely fails those afflicted with these invisible killers.
As people reflect
back to the last 12 months of her life, it is shocking to discover that Jessica
was hospitalized 10 times. Additionally, the number would have been higher had
some hospitals been able to find a treatment facility for her, because on at
least three other occasions, she was taken to the emergency room and immediately
discharged. Laurelwood, Elyria Memorial, and Fairview hospitals all became complicit
in her failed attempts at being provided the necessary treatment. The State of
Ohio, which has drastically reduced the number of beds available to those in
need, should be included for their adversarial sanctions towards people like
Jessica.
What David and
Nancy Fernandez discovered is something that few people outside the mental
health system understand. They, like others, are stunned to discover the
medical profession’s lack of benevolence when confronted with these disorders. Shockingly,
hospitals are not required to treat people with mental illness, only to make
them stable enough for discharge. That is if the patient is even admitted! To
better illustrate the absurdity of that process, imagine the outcry if someone
with considerable chest pains arrives at an ER. At that time, rather than treat
the individual, the hospital hands the patient some pills, then instructs them
to seek treatment elsewhere because a bed is not available for them.
This nomadic trek
from hospital to hospital is a typical pattern that plays out daily for those
afflicted. It is one that breaks down hope, and leaves the patients crying out
for someone to help them. It is one that leaves parents like David and Nancy
searching for answers as to how this could have occurred.
One glaring
problem in her treatment was that it does not appear that the medical
profession followed the proper protocol in prescribing her medications. It is
common knowledge in the mental health community that it can take at least six
weeks for psychotropic drugs to begin to fully stabilize the patient. That
process was never followed for Jessica, as doctors changed her medication ten
times over the course of her treatment. None of them had the opportunity to
fully work, nor was that time frame protocol ever explained to her or her
parents.
One has to wonder
what is in the mind of the people responsible for treating this young lady.
While hospitalized, she once drew a picture of herself in her journal, holding
a gun to her head and pulling the trigger. Surprisingly, the medical personal
at that facility found nothing wrong with that expression and shortly
thereafter, discharged her from care. Young people commonly use art to express their
emotions, and this was at the very least, a troubling indicator. Obviously, she
had morbid thoughts while in the care of professionals, but no one acted on
that clear warning sign. It is disconcerting that they not consider this
self-portrait disturbing in any way.
It must be added
that on one occasion, Lauelwood would not admit her because of a positive drug
test. Once again, many facilities do look for reasons to not accept people in
crisis, and self-medication is one. The other is to argue that the basis for
the maladaptive symptoms is behavioral in nature, not mental. This ignores that
the common symptoms of mental illness is the behavior itself. An added
roadblock is it will rarely be a psychiatrist that will make that judgment to
discharge, as few hospitals have one on staff in the emergency room.
There were so many other opportunities that
the professionals missed. While she was on this downward spiral from her
illness, she lost the ability to excel in school and had to be home schooled.
As a time Magazine article titled, “Manic
Depression; Young and Bipolar” pointed out; Bipolar’s
find school difficult because of the background noise of the disorder …”
Her inability to function should have been a deadly warning sign to the medical
providers who did not heed the symptoms of impending problems.
There is something
that must be pointed out, and that is Jessica was not your typical teenager
suffering in denial. She was a unique young woman, who broke many myths of
mental illness. She never denied that
she was sick, and she fought this disease in a way few people would have the
courage to battle. She had a job, she did modeling, and she loved animals and possessed
a passion for life that was hindered by a disease.
Though she broke one
myth by accepting her affliction, it was the effort to find a treatment that
was the main source of her downfall. . Much has been made of some past drug use,
and that is a common characteristic known as self-medication. Like many others
that belong to the same fraternity of “bipolar’s”, I used an alternative remedy.
My treatment consisted of sitting alone in a room, drink straight Gin and take
numerous Benadryl tablets. It accomplished my goal to calm my rapid thoughts
and numb the emotional pain. Jessica Fernandez, though she described herself as
one, was no addict. She was just a teenager trying to find something to make
herself feel normal. The public does not understand that self-medication
is idiosyncratic of mental illness!
Another myth that
was dispelled is that mental illness is usually prevalent only in dysfunctional
families. Jessica’s parents are two particularly good hardworking people, and it
is so evident of how much they loved her. They stood beside her every step of
her journey, and never once gave up on her. They arranged their work schedules
to be with her in case she needed them. The two of them spent countless hours
in hospitals, and doctor’s offices desperately trying to save her. They did not
fail Jessica, but they did discover that all the unconditional love in the
world does not cure a physical malady.
Dr. Kay Redfield
Jamison, an award winning author, the head of psychiatry at John Hopkins
hospital in Washington DC and a lifetime sufferer of bipolar disorder once
said: People don’t realize how much
suicidal people hurt, how long they hurt, and how hopelessly they hurt!” Jessica was a girl in unbearable pain, and
like countless others, found herself trapped in the confines of a deadly and
misunderstood disease.
Strangely, there
were few conflicting indicators leading up to the fateful day. On the wall of
her bedroom, she had a list of what she treasured most. It said; “Mom and Dad, Wisdom, Kyle, Honesty, Pets,
Life, Dance and sobriety.” She also had several future dates marked on her
calendar, such as her birthday and other future activates. She did have future plans, and she gave every indication that she was
determined to get better.
When her father
was asked, what the most frustrating part of their seeking help was for
Jessica, he did not hesitate “I could not get her the long term help she
needed, which was at least a thirty day stay in a facility.” This is a
common challenge for parents and loved ones. The facilities for long term care
for Jessica are decidedly limited in number. There is little doubt that she did
in fact need that long term care in a facility that would have monitored her
medication closely, and allowed it the time needed to stabilize her. If that
would have occurred, along with acceptance of her chronic illness, there was a
strong likelihood of her recovery.
There is one message
that must be conveyed to the medical providers who insisted that Jessica’s
issues were not mental, but drug related. In her autopsy report, there were no
illicit drugs in her system. All that her toxicology report showed was the medication that these professionals
prescribed. Yet, the medication that in
the past, was never given a chance to work!
If I were to write
an epilogue to this story, two issues stand out. First, the intense and
tireless desire of her parents who never gave up in their attempts to find the
proper help for their daughter. They are two loving, and now grieving people
who are now committed to helping others avoid a similar fate. They did
everything humanely possible to help Jessica defeat this relentless disease.
The second issue
is to ask a simple question. When will the leaders of this State decide to
finally make some positive enhancements to the mental health system? First,
begin the process of making readily available treatment available to everyone. Next,
it is time to MANDATE the treat them
and street them mentality of the medical profession end immediately! If people
think that this system is working, I know two people in Vermilion who bear
witness to the pain that this barbaric system can create! Hopefully, someone in
Columbus is listening!
