As a mother of an adult child living with schizophrenia, I know the heartbreak of watching someone you love struggle with an illness that is often misunderstood and under-treated. My son, Christopher, was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, and my life has been a constant struggle to ensure that he receives the treatment and care he needs.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may experience delusions, hallucinations, and extreme difficulty in distinguishing what is real. Unfortunately, for many individuals like my son, the disease comes with a condition called anosognosia—a lack of insight into their illness. This means that Christopher often doesn’t believe he is sick, even when his behavior shows otherwise. This makes it impossible for him to seek help on his own.

As a mother, I am left powerless in many situations, unable to force my son to seek treatment or accept the help he so desperately needs. The current laws and systems in place make it incredibly difficult for families to step in and ensure that someone suffering from schizophrenia gets the necessary treatment before it's too late. We are forced to watch our loved ones spiral into self-medication, homelessness, or even incarceration due to the untreated illness. It is a heartbreaking cycle that destroys families and communities.

I have witnessed my son lose himself in ways that no parent should have to endure. I've seen him struggle on the streets, unable to care for himself, unable to make decisions for his well-being. All of this could be avoided with early intervention, better treatment programs, and stronger conservatorship laws that allow families like mine to take action before things spiral out of control.

But it's not just my family. There are countless others in California—families who feel powerless, isolated, and alone in their fight for better care for their loved ones with mental illnesses. We need a change. We need laws that give families more of a voice when it comes to the treatment of their loved ones. We need more accessible mental health programs, better training for law enforcement, and stronger conservatorship laws. 

If we don’t make changes, we will continue to see people like Christopher—people who deserve compassion and care—fall through the cracks. They will continue to end up on the streets or in prison instead of receiving the treatment they need to live meaningful lives.

This petition is not just for my son, but for all the families out there who are fighting the same battle. We need a mental health system that works for those who are most vulnerable. We need our state lawmakers to act now to ensure that people living with schizophrenia can get the help they need before it’s too late. I am calling on you to support legislation that will improve the mental health system and make treatment more accessible to those who need it most.

Please, help me fight for my son, and for all those who deserve a chance at a better life.