Mother frees autistic son from mental health hospital after 15 years
Delighted mother finally frees her autistic son, 32, from mental health hospital 15 years after he was first detained for self-harming
- Sharon Clarke, from Doncaster, said Ryan was ‘over the moon’ at being released
- She said the 32-year-old would live in his own house with the help from his carers
- The breakthrough comes after tireless years of campaigning by Ms Clarke
- Her son was detained amid fears he would self-harm, but mother fought for him
A mother has been left delighted after finally freeing her autistic son from a mental health hospital after 15 years.
Sharon Clarke, from Doncaster, said Ryan was ‘over the moon’ at being released from Humber Unit in Hull.
She said the 32-year-old would now live independently in his own house with the help of carers.
The breakthrough comes after tireless years of campaigning by Ms Clarke after her son was detained in 2006.
Ryan was locked up amid fears he would self-harm, but his mother ‘fought tooth and nail’ for him to be released.
Sharon Clarke, from Doncaster, said Ryan (pictured together) was ‘over the moon’ at being released from Humber Unit in Hull
Ms Clarke is pictured celebrating Ryan’s birthday with him in a local park with her husband Peter and their pet dog
Ryan, pictured left at four, right at six, was an affectionate and mischievous child, and reached all his expected milestones
Ms Clarke, who is originally from Hull, said her boy was ‘ecstatic’ to have left the secure unit, adding he was ‘over the moon’.
She told the BBC: ‘He’s autistic and he has repetitive phrases but I just think that was his coping mechanism whilst he was in hospital.
‘Now I think that will stop. It will fade until it’s no more. He will have bad days but they’ll get fewer and fewer.’
Her husband Peter added of his step-son: ‘We thought he’d be overwhelmed but actually he took it really well, in his stride.
‘He just got so excited he wanted to do everything at once and see everything at once. But he was just laughing and dancing and really happy.’
Earlier this year it was announced Ryan would be allowed to leave the secure unit and live on his own.
Ms Clarke revealed at the time that her decision to ask for support for her son was ‘the worst mistake I ever made’.
Ryan was detained in mental health units from 2006 despite never committing a crime.
He was caged alongside some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, after being voluntarily admitted.
Ms Clarke desperately turned to lawyers to help spring her son free, with a breakthrough coming in May 2019.
Then Health Secretary Matt Hancock launched an independent review of patients in segregation and the care they received.
Ms Clarke, who is originally from Hull, said her boy (pictured aged 17) was ‘ecstatic’ to have left the secure unit, adding he was ‘over the moon’
Ms Clarke and her son are pictured together in their Yorkshire home when Ryan was 13 years old
In June Ryan was allowed home to celebrate his birthday for the first time in over a decade.
Ms Clarke believes without her constant campaigning her son would have been left in the Humber Unit in Hull for years.
The 62-year-old mother of three told FEMAIL in June: ‘Ryan became depressed as a teenager.
‘Naively, I thought that by seeking medical help, he’d get the support he needed. In fact, it was the worst mistake I ever made.
‘I wish I’d never made that call because it triggered the start of a 15-year battle to bring my son back home.’
As a child, Ryan was affectionate and mischievous, and reached all his expected milestones. He was inquisitive and loved to see how things worked.
His mother continued: ‘He was a really caring boy. He had a little friend who was physically disabled, and he really looked after her. He loved animals too.’
But she soon noticed Ryan relied heavily on routine and had a habit of flapping his hands.
As a child, Ryan was affectionate and mischievous, and reached all his expected milestones. He was inquisitive and loved to see how things worked
Ms Clarke said: ‘We walked to school, and if I deviated at all from our usual route, he would throw a tantrum. I just thought he was being difficult.
‘He found it difficult to understand the concept of things happening in the future; if we were planning a holiday, he couldn’t wait. Again, he’d throw a tantrum. But I thought he’d grow out of it.
‘He was the baby of the family, and his two older sisters made a fuss of him, so I thought he was a bit spoilt.’
Ryan struggled with friendships, particularly in large groups, but he had best friends, Jozzy and Leslie.
He attended mainstream schools and there were no concerns about his development. At 16, he began experiencing anxiety.
Ms Clarke said: ‘At Christmas, Ryan burst into tears at the sight of wrapped presents, because he was frightened of surprises. He wasn’t coping too well.
‘We saw the GP and Ryan was referred for counselling through the community mental health team.’
As he grew older, Ryan struggled with friendships, particularly in large groups, but he had best friends and attended mainstream schools and there were no concerns about his development. Left, Ryan at 11 with best pal Jozzy. Right, Ryan at age eight
In 2006, aged 17, Ryan split with his girlfriend of 18 months and tried to slit his wrists in the family bathroom.
His wounds were superficial, but Ms Clarke called the Crisis Team and pleaded for help. Ryan was voluntarily admitted into a psychiatric unit.
Ryan spent six months in a residential unit. Ms Clarke said: ‘At the time, I thought he was in the best place.
‘I was worried about Ryan and I wanted him to get better. I thought it was the right thing for him to stay in there.
‘I know now how wrong that was.’ Afterwards he spent four years in open psychiatric facilities.
Ms Clarke said: ‘I started to get worried, and I kept asking for Ryan to come home. The staff told me he was in the best place and that he was progressing well.
‘He was diagnosed with schizophrenia – which later changed – and given anti-psychotic medication. He lost 18 teeth due to the medication.
‘He became very depressed when his medication was changed, and that was the trigger for his next move.’
Ryan, who also has mild learning difficulties, was sectioned without his family’s knowledge and moved to various forensic psychiatric units.
At the age of 16 (pictured) Ryan began experiencing anxiety and was referred by his GP for counselling through the community mental health team
He was housed alongside dangerous criminals, despite having never committed a crime.
One of the units, in Manchester, was a two-hour drive from the family’s home at the times in Hull.
Ms Clarke said: ‘The first time I visited, I was horrified. It was like going into a prison. I couldn’t take my mobile phone in or my handbag.
‘I never missed a visit, and my whole life revolved around trying to get Ryan home. I wasn’t allowed to see where he ate or slept. All the visits had to be in a social room.
‘My older daughters settled down and had families. It felt like Ryan was frozen in time, locked away, for no reason at all. I became very frightened for him.
‘Ryan was understandably anxious and tearful. It broke my heart each time I saw him. He became increasingly withdrawn and quiet.’
Five years ago, Ryan was moved into another secure unit in Hull, East Yorkshire, where Ms Clarke said he spent some time in segregation.
She said: ‘For me, the segregation was completely inhuman. It was the equivalent of solitary confinement.
‘When I arrived for visits, having made a long journey, I was told the visit had been unexpectedly cancelled. The system turned on me.’
She became so concerned about Ryan’s situation – and the lack of communication from the hospital – she sought legal action.
In 2018, at the age of 28, his diagnosis of schizophrenia was changed to autism. Ms Clarke has since received support from the National Autistic Society.
In May, Ryan was allowed home for the first time in years, to celebrate his 32nd birthday.
Ms Clarke said: ‘I haven’t seen Ryan on his birthday for years. It was so emotional. Ryan was stunned when he saw our Alexa smart speaker– he was blown away by the technology.
‘We’ve been told Ryan will be released later this year into supported living. It won’t be easy because he has become totally institutionalised, but I just can’t wait.
‘It’s near our family home so I will be able to support him and see him every day. It’s like a dream come true.
‘I do understand that serious offenders need treatment, but non-offenders should not be locked up alongside them.
‘Ryan’s only ”crime” is to be autistic and there are others suffering, all around the country, just like him.
‘My son has spent half of his life locked up in hospital – for no reason at all. But now, he finally has a future to look forward to.’
The Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust said last year it was working on providing Ryan with a suitable care package.
A spokesman said: ‘Providing the best possible care and experience for our patients is at the heart of all we do.
‘NHS Hull CCG is working together with Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and other partners to support Ryan’s future care needs.
‘We aim to ensure we are able to provide Ryan with a future place in the community, and level of care, which is suitable for him. Above all, we want him to live a full and active life out of hospital.
‘The recommendations of all Independent Care and Treatment Reviews are implemented as appropriate and changes required are made in a timely way to address any issues raised.’
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