Not too long ago, Patrick Hill could eat solid food and sit up on his own.
But for the 73-year-old who’s required a life of care because of childhood polio and pneumonia, that’s not possible any more. Gwendolyn Woods, his niece and caregiver, says it’s because of the continuing effects of abuse suffered by Hill at O’Berry Neuro-Medical Center in Goldsboro.
She removed him from the center and Hill returned to live with her in November after several months of abuse allegations and an investigation as to whether he was assaulted while at the facility.
Woods said Hill still bears the bruises he received, physically and emotionally. She explained one person told her the emotional damage is too severe.
“Patrick was seen by four psychologists, and all of them said they couldn’t touch Patrick because he was damaged goods,” Woods said. “Where he’s at, they can’t treat him, because it’s like you’ve got a 4-year-old in a 73-year-old.
“The way he explained it to me, he said, ‘When you have a big wound, we’re supposed to heal from the inside out. Patrick’s just got a scab that covered it, and when you begin to graze or touch it, it begins to hurt really bad.’ ”
When Woods took Hill to be evaluated locally in January, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Therapists with Pathways to Life treated Hill weekly through April.
“During those sessions, Patrick would talk about his assaults, the belt, the color of a car a man drove, and other details,” clinical therapist Donna Ramsey wrote in an April assessment. “He spoke out randomly, without any questioning on our part. It seemed to be so vivid in his mind as he talked about it.”
Woods said Hill was placed on medication to counteract behavior resulting from the abuse, but had to be taken off the drugs to be placed on a feeding tube when he stopped eating. Food also was going into his lungs instead of his stomach. Hill began acting out again until the medication resumed.
Also, because of deterioration of his epiglottis, Hill has to lay at a 45-degree angle.
“His body, it’s like it’s shutting down,” Woods said. “Even though I keep pushing and fighting and trying — ‘We’ve got to do this together. I’m here for you, you’re there for me, but we’ve got to do this together. You’ve got to live. I need you moving. I need you here with me.’ ”
In October 2012, O’Berry documents reveal dismissed health care technician Kenneth Ford as the result of an investigation into an assault.
At one point, unit director Lynette Cox writes Hill repeatedly identified Ford during a session conducted with O’Berry advocacy director Kim Brantham.
“During the investigation, Ms. Brantham and I displayed photographs of all male staff members and clients to [redacted], and asked him to identify the person who kicked him,” Cox wrote. “The photographs were displayed at least three-four (3-4) times in several different fashions
“He repeatedly identified your photograph as the man who hurt or kicked him.”
Woods, who is pursuing a civil lawsuit, said that even with one man released and other changes at O’Berry in the wake of the investigation, that doesn’t change the situation right now.
“At the end of the day, he’s still suffering,” she said.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.