Dear John,
Our founder, Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, understood the loneliness and grief that often comes with having a family member with severe mental illness (SMI). His mission for every person with SMI to receive timely and effective treatment was, in large part, a response to preventable tragedies, which often occurred because the ill person didn’t think they were sick and therefore wouldn’t accept help.
In this month's episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador speaks with Maria Sutherland, a mother who lost her son in New Mexico after he had been homeless and missing. Michael Sutherland struggled with schizophrenia for years before he was found dead in October 2024 at the age of 39. Maria was her son's legal "treatment guardian," but the order had expired at the time of his death, and the system prevented her from effectively managing his care, especially since she couldn't force him to receive it. As Maria tells Dr. Amador in their candid and heartbreaking conversation, "He didn't think he had a problem."
Maria generously shared her and Michael's story with the explicit hope that the tragic loss of her son will better inform people and policies, and save another family from anguish and tragedy.
You can listen to the episode now on Apple Podcasts
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Did you know that all donations raised during the Torrey Action Fund go to support TAC programming, including SMI Spotlight? If you have found this podcast valuable, please consider making a donation during our fund drive so we can continue providing crucial information and support to families like yours.
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