Lillie - A study of Faith
biography, non-fiction, mental hospitals, spirituality
Published on:
Aug. 8, 2008, 5:04pmWord Count:
1356Work Description
This woman spent her adult years in a State Mental Hospital while completely sane because of a snafu regarding laws at that time.
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before. Most of all, we would bring
ourselves. Here’s the thing . . Lillie never
once complained, never said a word against the staff, never talked
about her health. She wouldn’t waste her
breath. What she did want was to know what was
going on in our lives and in the lives of those we loved – not in a
prying way but to be supportive. She would
pass her time between visits praying for ourselves and those who
needed it.
Mom couldn’t believe the abuses being conducted at Wingdale. Seeing people live like that tore her apart. She began a campaign to enact changes. Starting with Governor Rockefeller and working her way down through the political and medical dignitaries she wrote letters detailing the atrocities. A week or so after she sent those, she wrote local authorities at the Hospital. In a private letter to the Governor, she cited specific abuses so an inspector would know where to look. The point was reveal what was going on before management could enact cover-ups. Inspectors finally came to investigate. They were told through Mom’s letter where to look . . . who had massive bed sores from not being turned in her bed, how patients were treated, who were abused on an ongoing basis. Within a month, the State Hospital began shutting down.
Sponsorship continued to be a problem for Lillie until Mom started working. Right away, they formed a special bond. Mom was heart sick about Lillie’s life. Lillie had lived with constant cruelties and tragedies. Mom made arrangements, as the result of a new law, to become Lillie’s sponsor and to transfer her to a nursing home Mom had begun working at. Mom achieved the special permission needed as she wasn’t a blood relation.
An immediate result of the whistle blowing campaign was that patients received complete medical evaluations. During Lillie’s pap smear, they discovered abnormalities. Further medical tests revealed she had cancer throughout her body. Mom’s plan to sponsor her upon release was dropped. Lillie’s transition to a life on the outside, albeit one in a nursing home, would prove too difficult for one so medically challenged. Mom was able to gain a private room for Lillie so her remaining days could be spent in comfort. They were short-lived, just like Wingdale’s future.
I remember Lillie as a being of Light, as an angel on Earth. I say that not for its poetic value or to milk emotion. She radiated love. You could not meet her and not be changed in a fundamental way. No one could live for forty years, in an open ward with nineteen other women, all of whom were insane, and remain sane as Lillie had done, amid the constant clamor with no one to talk to. She certainly didn’t get mental stimulation from the aides on duty. How did she do it? Monks and other religious people who live in isolation do it when they are either by themselves or living in a community that supports the isolation. The community creates and provides an environment for silence. But Lillie – what did she have? But Lillie – what did she have? There is no way I can completely convey the atmosphere of the open ward . . .row after row of hospital beds, toothless old crones strapped to their beds, holding dirty cloth dolls, caterwauling at ear-splitting din.. They were all in hospital gowns with stringy hair and vacant eyes above mouths that either cried or raged or moaned. I know I could not have survived it . . . I don’t know anyone who could.
Mom was able to fulfill one of Lillie’s desires. When she died, Mom made sure she was burie
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This is definitely an important topic to write about. It's one of many atrocities that exist, almost in secret, throughout society. It's important for people to understand the conditions that were prevalent in 'mental institutions' during the hundreds of years they were in operation, and may still exsist today.
I particularly like your description because it has a personal touch. It is informative without sounding like a public serice announcement. This story, which I can only assume is a true story, makes the reader want to continue reading it even though the early parts may be too disturbing and turn some people off.
Your writing style is very easy to follow and has an informal feel to it that adds to the emotion of the story. Your diction and description are great and I wouldn't change any of it. I do think that you could enhance it with a little more detail regarding Lillie's faith.
You could not witness it and fail to be changed in ways small or profound.
It would be nice if you had a specific example to illustrate how strong her faith really was.
The rest of my comments are more 'line-by-line' specific.
It was a facility where the crazies and mentally handicapped were housed...
I don't like the use of the word 'crazies'. Not because I think it is offensive but because it is slang that doesn't fit in with remainder of your writing style.
The aroma of urine seeped into your pores when you were there, its reek steeped in the air, always stronger than any antiseptic could cover.
This is very descriptive in a good way. It really provides the reader with a detailed picture of the ward.
There is no way I can completely convey the atmosphere of the open ward...
I think you did an excellent job of conveying the atmosphere at the beginning of the writing. I think that by adding this line you not only give the reader a reason to agree with you but your hurried description that follows...
. . .row after row of hospital beds, toothless old crones strapped to their beds, holding dirty cloth dolls, caterwauling at ear-splitting din.. They were all in hospital gowns with stringy hair and vacant eyes above mouths that either cried or raged or moaned.
...is repetive of what you already said and is not as good as your
previous descriptions.
Other than parts of the final paragraph I really liked this work. Because it is so short I don't know how you could get more people exposed to it. It's too bad because it's something that people who are not a part of this Scribophile community should read.
i enjoyed this piece and I love the perspective. The one thing that I feel like it lacks, however, is Lillie herself. i feel like there needs to be some dialog in here wherein we actually hear Lillie speak. It's wonderful to tell us about a person. It's even better to let us meet the person for ourselves. I think if you did that then you as the writer would no longer bear the burden of convincing us of her great faith. All you would have to do would be juxtapose the person of Lillie with your vivid descriptions of the ward. Also, maybe you could write about your impressions of the ward as a child. How did it seem to you then? And also some physical description of the people, your Mom, Lillie, would be a good idea. Just some thoughts. Good start though.
From a content perspecitve, I love this, but you've got a couple of word choice issues. Seriously though, this is kind of amazing...Both the writing itself and the story it tells.
Undeterred would imply that she's trying to use it to keep them away. If that's not the case, you may want another word, like "unmoved".
If it happened, then it's not really inconceivable. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it "seemed" inconceivable, or "because they couldn't conceive how".
Did you mean to repeat this?