This is really difficult for me to write, but the struggle has gone on too long or for over a year now. I have exhausted all of my resources and myself so I am sending out an SOS to anyone who may be able to help in anyway… Early last year, myself and my two adult children traveled to California driving down from Vancouver Island, to renovate a home in exchange for a stay-cation. Shortly after our arrival to California, my oldest got very ill unexpectedly and he was admitted into a hospital, where he was quite traumatized and unaware of his own situation. He had prior concussions that he had been hospitalized for, but he was able to always work full-time and loved nothing more than riding his bike and he had played hockey when we lived on Vancouver Island in Canada - where he had successfully graduated from high school.

He then got severely depressed. He shut off all his social media and lost his phone and seemed to not want to communication with anyone. Once in the hospital, he did not know why he was there and acting completely out of character.

Two meetings with the doctors who told me that these were normal side effects, but there was enough reason to keep him on, while I figured out our insurance. But the hospital did not accept our coverage.

When I came to visit my son, I was told that I could no longer speak with him and because he’s over 18 as there’s a law in California called HIPAA. Nor could I speak with his doctors and they shut the doors on me.

This turned out to be a downward spiral for an otherwise healthy young man who had his whole future ahead of him. I tried every day to approach the hospital to find out information about my son. Not knowing where he was or if they had transferred him somewhere else. I let them know that he had no one else and nowhere to go as we were tourists and we needed to leave the rental where we were staying. We did finish the renovation a bit late.

I could not for the life of me figure out how a young person (then 23) admitted to Hospital was not allowed to get assistance from his immediate family standing crying at the door.

After a two weeks stay, my son was released out onto the street without notifying me! Because of HIPAA and lack of coverage. That was in March of 2023. He had nowhere to go in an unfamiliar country with no support and a brain that had malfunctioned on him and in need if support.

A very long winter resulted in no success of being able to get through to him and I had to return to Iceland with my youngest. Prior to this, my son had worked in Iceland for five years full-time and was working on Vancouver Island for a couple of months, so he had funds to keep him going, but they ran out earlier this year.

He has been on the streets ever since. He was declining with no income for a year and no housing solution in California. No support, no friends.

If you have read this far, I thank you and if you can help with hospital bills that are in the thousands I would really appreciate it and more likely it would be a lifesaver as with the funds raises - I can deposit into his account to keep him sustained. And until we find a solution.

With that, we are hoping he will receive help as well as others who suffer from these types of illness.

Praying for miracles right now.

He turned 25 in May