How one of the nation’s most promising basketball players became homeless

[brer cat]

Last edited Wed Nov 18, 2015, 09:26 AM - Edit history (1)

God, this is sad. No one should be living on the streets, but the mentally ill are so poorly treated that is where too many wind up. A beautiful, talented, graceful woman went from this:
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To this:
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/how-one-of-the-most-promising-basketball-players-became-homeless/2015/11/17/2dbd5c44-87ce-11e5-be8b-1ae2e4f50f76_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[monicaangela]

1. Sad story indeed,

Your link leads to a message that says page not found so I wasn't able to read the Washington Post article, however I am familiar with many incidents like this where athletes are used up and forgotten by those they help stay employed and all too often become wealthy because of their participation in the sport of their choice. Same with soldiers who join the military and fight for this country, used, abused, and forgotten. I wonder when this nation, these colleges and other entities that abuse citizens of this nation in this manner will stand up and take responsibility for their actions. Mental health or whatever the cause, people deserve to live with dignity and those that are becoming wealthy off the backs of these people should be the ones that are willing to make sure they get the help/treatment/etc., they need.

[brer cat]

2. link fixed now.

Sorry...when I copied it I cut off the last few characters.

"people deserve to live with dignity" is absolutely correct.

[monicaangela]

3. Thank you for fixing the link

This story hits home on so many levels brer cat. Gun violence, lack of healthcare, and healthcare connected to work that causes people to lose and gain healthcare as they move between jobs, and a lack of the medical community to continue to treat people they know are mentally ill when the money runs out...sad, sad indeed. An excellent story of how this nation discards human beings as if they were as dispensable as an old computer that is no longer up to speed. I felt really sad when I read where the mother had moved the family to St. Georges County, and that because of a change in insurance was unable to continue treatment for this talented guy as she had been in the past. Sad also when I read of the murder of her brother which most certainly sent her over the edge.

This brings to mind yet another failure that has occurred in our society, DRUGS, no, not the "illegal Drugs" one might think of, but the drugs that were supposed to take care of the problem of mental illness. Politicians, especially Ronald Reagan, psychiatrist, and drug manufacturers among others are mainly responsible for the inordinate amount of mentally ill people we find on our streets today.

Here is an article you might find interesting that deals with the subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/30/science/how-release-of-mental-patients-began.html

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. I remember her from her UVA days ...

And you are so correct ...

Then in 2006, Barbra, who was then working at Macy’s, relocated the family to Prince George’s County for her job. Her daughter deteriorated after the move. Their insurance situation had changed, the mother said, and LaRue wasn’t receiving the medication she needed.

So sad.