Come Home Chandler!

 
        I am a proud mother of three wonderful kids and I'm asking for help from our friends, family, and caring community. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for a lawyer to bring my (now)13 year old son, Chandler Waters, home. Chandler started out fighting for his life born 16 weeks early at 1 pound 8 oz and is now fighting for his right to adequate representation in court and his freedom. His court date has been rescheduled three times between October 2019 and March 2020 with no explanation of why. Now do to covid-19 the courts are closed leaving Chandler in limbo and no one knows for how long.

         Chandler is diagnosed with autism, and has had many obstacles with physical and mental health. Chandler has had many surgeries over the years due to his premature birth. He started struggling to sleep at night  at which time I reached out to Kirch and OPWDD for help, they both had very long waiting lists and recommended we go through his primary care provider in the meantime, so we did. The medication he was prescribed had an adverse reaction causing him to sleep walk, resulting in "an isolated act of violence" against his sister. Chandler and his sister both understand it was his hand but not his brain that caused the accident. She is 100% okay today because as soon as his mind was awake, he did not worry about how much trouble he would be in, HE GOT HELP!  At the time he was 12, now 13 years old autistic, scared, alone and handcuffed, he was being treated as an adult, not a scared child with special needs. Between August 2019 and October 2019 he was evaluated at Rochester psychiatric and discharged home with a safety plan from their psychologist and Child Protective Services. Then 20 minutes after arriving home he was placed under arrest taken to the Bath, Ny Courthouse. The police officer that picked us up said that we would have to go into the courtroom, meet the public defender get another court date and go home. Chandler was sent to the glove house that night straight from Court despite his medical and mental special needs. From there he was sent to Elmira psychiatric to see if he was " competent to stand trial " Elmira psychologist determined "no" he was not. October 2019 Chandler was court-ordered to Tupper Lake New York to an asylum five and a half hours from home. Sunmount facilities houses pedophiles, sex offenders, and very violent offenders. Chandler was sent to Sunmount to see if he could be" restored to competency in the foreseeable future " , again the doctors determined in November of 2019 "no". 6 months later Chandler is still in Sunmount facility in Tupper Lake, NY  he is the only child under the age of 18 in the facility, and has been assigned a 1:1 for his protection from the other people housed there. 
When Chandler was in Rochester and Elmira psychiatric facilities I was able to see him everyday, and help with his medical need then my visits we're Limited to once a week. Since covid-19 turn to a pandemic in March I've only seen him one time for a doctor's appointment. At that doctor's appointment an investigation was open due to obvious medical and hygiene neglect.


        Chandler is an amazing boy with the biggest heart. He stays on top of his school work as well as participating in counseling and citizenship classes. Since March Chandler cannot see anyone that he knows and trusts, he can't even have a hug. How is this a solution? His public defender has made no effort to contact the facility or myself, has ignored all phone calls and even certified letters. I have tried to be patient and advocate for him with no legal background. I've tried to be his voice but I am not being heard, I need to get loud and I need your help. Chandler has been tossed into a system that doesn't know what to do so they're doing nothing, except accepting extra funding for a physically and mentally handicapped child that doesn't belong there. The social worker that works with him at Sunmount agrees that him being there and isolated is doing more harm than good, but also says she has no say. 


          The safety and well-being of all three of my children is and always will be top priority. Chandler is off his previous medication and is on a new medication for agitation his current psychologist feels it is unnecessary and is cut the dose in half to begin to eliminate it altogether. Chandler is a gamer, a joker, and a comedian. A criminal or abusive he is not  and his sister misses him, we all do very much. He is being held accountable for the mistake of the primary care provider, who never should have meddled in the world of Mental Health.


         Please help us be the voice that allows my family to become whole again. Without a lawyer Chandler stays in the grasp of a system that feels the best solution is no solution. I have exhausted every resource that I have, without a lawyer my hands are tied. Even if you cannot afford to donate to Chandlers cause, please share our story. It really does take a community to make a difference.