My name is Chris Sandy and I recently joined
the Board of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society Foundation (BCSSF) because
it does something that no other government agency or organization
does. It gives people “a reason to hope…the means to cope.”
We all know someone whose life has been affected by mental illness. One in 100 British
Columbians are diagnosed with schizophrenia, but so many more live with it… their
parents, brothers, sisters and other family members... all struggling to
understand, support and be there for their loved ones.
BCSSF programs
and research save and transform lives and this is only possible because of the
generosity of donors like us. And I make my donations in memory of my little brother, Dave Sandy.
When Dave was
in his late teens, our family started to notice a change in his behaviour. He became distant and paranoid. He would rarely leave the house and sometimes
he’d say and do strange things that didn’t make sense. It was a confusing and difficult time for all
of us; there was a lot of tension and guilt. We kept wondering which one of us caused Dave
to suddenly behave this way.
Now
we know nobody was to blame; Dave was in early psychosis.
Years later, Dave
was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia.
As you likely know, what happened after that wasn’t pretty. There were many sleepless nights. Dave
suffered from the side effects from either too much or not enough antipsychotic
medication.
I most remember
our first trip to the hospital to admit Dave.
My dad, brother and I were walking with Dave from the Emergency Room to
the Psychiatric Ward. From a thousand
games of touch football with my little brother, I knew when he was getting
ready to run. Sure enough, as soon as we
were outside, Dave took off. As I was
running after him, all I really wanted
to do was run with him – to run as fast and far away as we could to get away
from schizophrenia.
Whenever Dave
was home from the hospital, my mother took care of him. Mom was an extraordinary and patient
caregiver and without her, Dave would have been institutionalized. There were no programs that we knew of in those
in those days to assist families. Mom
learned as much as she could, but there was no one she could turn to for
knowledge and support.
Over the
years, Dave would improve for short periods of time, only to slide back into
psychosis again. This cycle was very
hard on Dave, on my mom, and on all of us.
We always kept hoping that there would be a new treatment or medication,
anything that would give Dave a chance to live his life.
When he was 46, Dave suddenly became very depressed and within a week, after struggling with schizophrenia for nearly 30 years, Dave took his life. Dave’s passing has left a huge, gaping hole in our family that can never be filled.
When he was 46, Dave suddenly became very depressed and within a week, after struggling with schizophrenia for nearly 30 years, Dave took his life. Dave’s passing has left a huge, gaping hole in our family that can never be filled.
It’s been
six, long years since Dave has died, after decades of battling with
schizophrenia – I wish he was here today.
I wish I could spend more time with him.
He was a great guy.
This is why I
am doing all I can to make sure that other people do not lose their children, brothers,
sisters or other family members to this devastating disease. I must protect my son, and even my
grandchildren, from the torment that Dave endured. By volunteering and donating to B.C.
Schizophrenia Society Foundation, I know that I am saving lives.
Families and
their ill loved ones are waiting far too long for programs and services they
desperately need. And we know that families
in crisis do not have time to wait. At
the same time, researchers are seeking to improve early diagnosis, investigate
impacts on the brain and find better treatments.
Perhaps, if
there had been an organization like B.C. Schizophrenia Society Foundation in
Peterborough, Ontario when Dave and I were growing up, we might still be playing
football today…and doing so with our sons.
Join me in fighting schizophrenia and make a donation today. Every donation counts!
Sincerely,
Chris Sandy
Volunteer Board Director
