Mum of autistic man makes heartfelt plea after decade of fighting for care

A distraught mother whose son has been locked in hospital for almost a decade says "he has suffered enough" as she pleads with the authorities to bring her boy home.

- EDEL KENEALY

Sylvia McMahon has been fighting for years for a suitable home and care package for her nonverbal autistic son Jamie Henry.

Despite being medically fit for discharge for around six of his ten years in hospital, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership has failed to find him accommodation in his home town of Paisley.

The 28-year-old has instead been locked in a high-security psychiatric ward at Woodland View Hospital in Irvine, Ayrshire.

His grandmother died in November having postponed trips to Ireland and other family travel until he came home.That day never came.

Sylvia told the Express: “This just can't be allowed to go on any longer. Jamie has suffered enough, he needs to get back into his routine with his family.

“The years go on and on and nothing changes; it feels like my boy is in prison.

"His family is all he has ever known and the time we get to spend with him is so limited; I get a few hours with him on a Thursday and Sunday.

“I keep telling him ‘mum goes to all the meetings, mum is trying her very best.

“He texts me and his papa, he texts me my address. His memories are so vivid, he just wants to come home.”

Jamie was first admitted to a mental health unit at Arrol Park, Ayr, in October 2016.

He had been sectioned aged 19 after becoming increasingly distressed when staff at a new unit for autistic young people recommended he have less family time with his family in order to help him settle into his new environment.

But it had the opposite effect and he started to display challenging behaviour towards staff.

At the time, medics suggested a hospital stay would allow Jamie to change this behaviour while arrangements were to be made for his long-term care.