Jamie was my brother. He spent almost 15 years of his life battling addiction, In October 2024 Jamie found sobriety, here is his story- 

Jamie was diagnosed in June 2024 with the following-

· Bicuspid heart valve Endocarditis

· A vegetation in his blood

· A cyst in his spine

· He also had 5 heart attacks before his surgery (from what we were told)

Jamie also had severe ADHD and Asperger’s 

Jamie stayed in Addenbrookes hospital from June 2024, he was on 2 types of antibiotics, one of which was to remove fluid on his lungs and painkillers. He was then transferred to Papworth.

In September 2024 Jamie had open heart surgery to repair a hole in his heart, aortic heart valve replacement to repair the Biscupid valve and remove the infection that was eating his heart, to also repair the damage on the heart caused by the infection. Jamie was a difficult patient because he didn’t understand a lot of things. Which made him feel trapped, he was given information which then he couldn’t understand which made him shout and be aggressive. His mother made every health professional aware of his Asperger’s and ADHD.

Jamie was discharged to his mother's from the papworth because he felt trapped and around 3 to 5 days after his surgery he was escorted to his mums car and then he was put in her car, she was given a leaflet and the nurse said "sorry" when my mother got distressed and panicked because she had him with her and no care plan put in place.

My DISABLED mother cared for him up to his death with NO professional support. He was given no aftercare, or drug support, or any kind of support!

He was given one follow up appointment which he attended a day early. My mother spoke to the reception, she was told to rebook it and it wouldn’t be too long. It was a couple of months after surgery he had an appointment to see the surgeon. So they rebooked it for a couple of months later after a message was left with the secretary. 

I would also like to add. If it was not for the doctor at CGL (Change, Grow, live) which is a drug and alcohol support programme, he was supported by a support worker named Teresa and a Dr named Justin and without them Jamie would never have received the surgery, Justin got it to an ethics board, where it was the decided that the surgery would happen. If this hadnt of happened they would have let him die then. 

Whilst waiting for his appointment he was in and out of hospital. 

He was sent to West Suffolk Hospital shortly after his surgery, experiencing vomiting and pain. The vomiting was black and over a bucket full of sick and pain in his tummy. 

They discharged him every time except the last when he died. He was sent home with no medication apart from Gaviscon and Omerapozole. This continued every few weeks having to explain everything again and again because medical notes were not shared. They couldn’t work out what was wrong with him, they thought maybe an ulcer, they gave him an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy to which they couldn’t explain what was happening to him. 

Jamie ended up back in West Suffolk Hospital for the last time on Wednesday 16th April 2025, suffering with the same problems but a lot worse. 

At home before he was taken to the hospital, he had soiled himself in his bed, there was sick everywhere. They thought Jamie was drunk. Jamie was moaning in pain and couldn’t physically get up. They wanted him to move by walking to the bed trolley out side the front door. In the end a neighbour coaxed Jamie to sit up whilst on face time to his mother. His mother said he needed help and to go get the wheelchair to take him to the ambulance. They did nothing to help him out of the house and stood outside his mother’s front door making comments on how Jamie smelt because he weed himself. There was a full massive bucket of sick, he was crying out in pain, couldn’t walk or move, speak or do anything he was expected to do i.e walk to an ambulance. Once he got to the hospital and passed through AnE he ended up in ward F11. The staff on that ward were disrespectful, they shouted at him, they called him "she" or "her". The nurse treating him tried to put lines in his legs because his veins were collapsing, the same nurse said to Jamie. "Do as you are told, because you’re going to die". He was left in a side ward where his mum, brother and aunt witnessed the treatment. My mother spoke to the nurse and asked why he was not receiving oxygen or pain killers. Which he implied to his mother "he only wanted pain relief because he was an addict", and said "yes, he was going to die". 

Jamie was then put in g7. His mother asked what was going on and was told "we don’t know, we are giving him antibiotics". She asked why a nurse had told her Jamie was going to die and was this the case , they replied "we don’t know".  

The next visit, He was burning up, sweating, they were obviously concerned as they took his temperature. She then asked for a fan there was none available. Jamie was moved to a bed where he had a fan which was turned off when they walked in to fine Jamie’s bedding was soaked from sweat, his feet were swollen up like balloons and it took them over 4 hrs to get him some pillows for his feet. 

The doctor explained to his mum what was going on and he had markers on his legs where the nurse on f11 had tried to put lines in and she asked my mum had he injected himself. Which he hadn't.

Jamie was constantly screaming out in pain and they kept refusing to give him pain medication because in their words “he was clock watching” and would roll their eyes, which wasn’t the case because Jamie was not taking any drugs apart from cannabis. His mother asked them on several occasions if her son was dying, she was never given a straight answer. 

His mother told them to stop telling him things as he didn’t understand and he kept ringing her up panicking, crying to which she then had to get the information and explain it to him carefully.

She told them they have to talk to him slowly due to his ADHD and  several times as he could not understand and would have only heard certain words. 

On the cardiology ward in West Suffolk, they gave him double antibiotics every 4 hours, they also gave Jamie Morphine reluctantly as again they accused him of clock watching and were rolling their eyes and sighing every time as if they were judging him. They wouldn’t give him anything else for his pain as he was on a methadone script. 

On another occasion his mother walked in and my brother gave my mum a bottle full of pee. He had to pee in a plastic bottle because he wasn’t given a pee pot to pee in and was made to wait , he wasn’t the only patient to experience this. So he was waiting a very long time for this hence why he peed in a bottle, my mum walked in and he handed her the bottle, she went to reception with the bottle and stood there for nearly 5 minutes for someone to take notice they were phisably annoyed he had peed in the bottle. No apologies for making him wait that long. 

A bit about Jamies addiction- Jamie struggled with an heroine and crack cocaine addiction aswell as being homeless in Cambridge for nearly 7years, he suffered badly with depression, as well as ADHD and Aspergers. He had a hard childhood and drugs was unfortunately the way he dealt with it. He was back home and wanted to feel better. 

Jamie died from the following- Cerebrovascular event caused by Acute Aortic Valve perforation from Infectious Endocarditis of the biological prosthetic caused from Aortic Valve bacterial infection Group A Beta Haemolytic Streticoti infection (flesh eating), he also had a heart attack.

Jamie hadn’t in our eyes received the proper and appropriate care before and after his surgery as well as when he was in and out of hospital struggling with an infection they didnt pick up. And always making him ask for his methodone some days making him wait, which could of caused him to relapse. We want to know Where the infection came from? Why wasnt we told he was at end of life so we could be there for him? Why was he treated like he was nothing by a lot of the staff. So many unanswered questions that we dont think we will ever be able to fully heal without answers to.

Jamie's story is not unique. Thousands face similar struggles daily. The current treatment and support systems for addicts and homeless individuals are riddled with gaps that impede recovery rather than facilitate it. These gaps must close. Comprehensive aftercare and continuous support are essential components in preventing relapses and enabling long-term recovery. Professionals in healthcare and social services must be trained and equipped to provide holistic care that addresses addiction, mental health, and the realities of homelessness. More importantly, there needs to be a seamless coordination between these services to provide individuals like Jamie with a robust support network.

Evidence shows that comprehensive, integrated care models significantly improve outcomes for individuals battling addiction and homelessness. These models include sustained therapy, regular follow-ups, community support systems, and job training, all of which empower individuals to rebuild their lives safely and sustainably.

We call on policymakers, healthcare providers, and community leaders to prioritize creating and implementing integrated care models to support individuals in recovering from addiction and escaping homelessness. Sign this petition to demand a transformation in the way we treat and support our most vulnerable citizens. Jamie's life and those of many others depend on it. Let's ensure no more lives are lost due to systemic failures.