(photo : Lynn and Sophie at Alloa Town Hall to see and hear a David Bowie Tribute Band on Saturday 18 February 2023.)
Dear Friends and Supporters
Although there has been little or no progress over the last 9 months for the other families in our campaign, for Lynn McGuire and her daughter Sophie there has been a complete reversal of fortunes.
On 18 April 2023 Sophie was officially discharged from hospital – returned to her family home in Stirling and the care of her mother. She had been detained at Forth Valley Royal Hospital under the Mental Health Act since 7 January 2020, and had spent the last 6 summers in hospitals because of recurring medical and behavioural symptoms.
The Compulsory Treatment Order which kept Sophie at Forth Valley hospital was allowed to lapse without renewal. The application for Guardianship over Sophie, made by Stirling Council to force her into supported accommodation when released from hospital and to restrict contact with her mother, has been withdrawn. Because of reporting restrictions imposed by the Sheriff Court while the case was live, Lynn has been reluctant until now to release news about the progress which has been made since June 2022.
Visits home for a few hours at a time started in time for Sophie's birthday on 31 December 2022, slowly building to overnight stays then spending a few days at a time out of hospital.
Two of the key reasons for the change are the support of the B12 Charity, which Lynn cannot thank enough, and Sophie's transfer from the Mental Health Unit to a Learning Disability Unit (Loch View) in a scenic location within the hospital grounds.
Re-analysis of Sophie's blood test data by the B12 Charity showed that she had been deficient in vitamins B12 and B9 (folate/folic acid) since 2017. This explained all of her symptoms over that period. It refuted the hospital's determined view that Sophie's abnormal behaviours were caused by a mental disorder, thereby undermining the need to detain her for treatment under the Mental Health Act. It vindicated Lynn's belief that the symptoms had a medical explanation, which in turn strengthened her position in the contested Guardianship proceedings. Lynn writes :
“Everything I thought was PANDAS was due to B12 deficiency. A simple course of injections has ended 6 years of misery. People need to be educated about this. Probably others are detained for the same reason.”
The Mental Health Unit had been antagonistic to the extent of preventing all contact between Lynn and her daughter and calling security to escort her off hospital grounds when she desperately tried to get a glimpse of Sophie or speak to her through doors or windows. In contrast the clinical team at Loch View restored visiting, listened to what she had to say, and acknowledged her as “a good mother.” Lynn credits them with persuading Social Services to drop its application for Guardianship, which had accumulated 33 court hearings since August 2020.
When the permanent home-coming was confirmed by the hospital on 27 March 2023, Lynn wrote to her supporters :
“This has got to be the best day of my life. This time last year I was barred from all contact with Sophie; I had been banned from visiting her since June 2021. I was doubtful I would ever see her again and terrified that she would spend the rest of her life wrongly detained in mental health wards, being treated for a mental illness which she does not have.
“Just want to give everyone – and there’s too many to mention – some hope that you too will be bringing your loved ones home soon. This detaining of the autistic, the learning disabled, the elderly, and the eating disordered must stop. People should not be locked up if they have not committed a crime. Sending love and hope to Luba, Susan, Alison, Danielle, … Don’t give up. I nearly did on numerous occasions. So glad I had everyone that supported me.”
Lynn is particularly grateful to : Eileen Martin who started the “Stand Up For Sophie” protests at the hospital and set up the facebook page with that name; the anonymous loyal supporter who made protest banners and hung them in the hospital grounds at night, only for them to be taken down the next day; and 71 year old Ruben Murdanaigum, the only solicitor to take her plight to heart, who fostered the good relationship with the new care team which resulted in visits being restored – sadly he passed away suddenly after collapsing in the street on 18 August 2022.
Reunited, Lynn and Sophie have celebrated with indulgent meals at local restaurants and cafes, raiding every charity shop in Central Scotland, making four trips to hear tribute bands with family and friends (David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Pink, and Paul Weller), and a short break in Majorca where Sophie spent £200 on a tattoo.
For more news, photos and videos of Lynn and Sophie, join the private group Stand Up For Sophie on Facebook.
Please continue to share our petition with family and friends and on social media. Our fight continues, to get the sons of Ruth, Tracey and Shirley – and numerous other patients – released from their incarceration in hospital.
Barry Gale
on behalf of the Get Me Out of The State Hospital campaign