I am a mother fighting for my son.
My son Tristan is a vulnerable neurodivergent adult who has been hurt, frightened, and failed by the very systems that were supposed to protect him. What happened to him should never happen to anyone’s child — yet it did, and we are still living with the consequences.
Tristan is gentle, trusting, and easily overwhelmed. He communicates differently. He needs patience, understanding, and the right support around him. Instead, during one of the most emotionally heightened moments of his life, he was met with confusion, misinterpretation, and a complete lack of safeguarding. His distress was treated as something it wasn’t. His vulnerability was not recognised. And the situation spiralled in a way that no vulnerable adult should ever have to endure.
As his mum, I watched the aftermath break him.
The fear.
The shame he never deserved.
The way he withdrew because he thought he had done something wrong when really the system had failed him.
We now have a new solicitor — someone who finally sees Tristan for who he is, not for the labels placed on him. The first appointment went well, and for the first time in a long time, I saw a little hope in Tristan’s eyes. But we are still waiting for legal aid, and until that comes through, everything is on hold.
This petition is my voice when Tristan struggles to use his.
It is my way of saying:
He matters.
His needs matter.
Vulnerable adults deserve to be understood, protected, and treated with humanity.
I am asking for your signature because no mother should have to fight this hard for basic safeguarding. No vulnerable adult should be left without the adjustments and protections they are entitled to. And no family should be left picking up the pieces alone.
Please sign and share this petition.
Help me fight for Tristan’s justice — and for every vulnerable person who cannot fight for themselves.