Brenton Organ was assaulted last year and permanently injured in school this year despite being in the hands of “caregivers”

Brenton Organ, injured at Birchwood School

Brenton Organ, a teen with a mobility (walking) and cognitive disability, fell on the stairs at Birchwood School in Charlottetown on January 12th, 2010 while in the care of a school employee. He suffered suffered permanent brain damage that makes it difficult for him to walk without a wheelchair, walker or assistance.

Last year Brenton was assaulted by his wheelchair bus driver over a minor annoyance to the driver. The driver plead guilty to a charge of assault. The Eastern School Board did not suspend the bus driver, who was supplied by the contractor Pat and the Elephant, until his mother launched a complaint.

How does a child with a physical and developmental disability endure so much abuse from the very people hired to assist him? The story highlights the hidden stories of many people with disabilities or in institutional care who are abused on a regular basis by their caregivers.   

“If a child without a disability were assaulted someone would have been fired. If a child without a disability gets injured at school, the school board calls their insurance company and they compensate.”

The fall at Birchwood School

Brenton’s fall down the stairs at Birchwood has been widely reported by the media, mainly for the story of his mother’s lawsuit to help her care for Brenton in the future.

CBC reported the story first last week. The Halifax Chronicle Herald followed with a Canadian Press story headlined Disabled teen’s mom sues after fall at school. The Charlottetown Guardian lead with Mother says son left permanently incapacitated after falling at school.

According the the lawsuit filed in Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Brenton has walking problems. He was not stable walking up and down stairs. His mother Valerie Gillespie asked the school to make sure he has assistance walking between classes. She wanted him to use the elevator to be safe.

Birchwood School has two elevators to help children with disabilities. The school didn’t give Brenton’s “caregiver” the key for the elevator so Brenton was forced to walk up and down the stairs with assistance.

On the day of the incident, the caregiver was overloaded with two children in her care between classes. She attempted to take them both down the stairs at once, letting Brenton lead the way.

At the same time, a class of students came in from outside and proceeded down the stairs. Somehow Brenton lost his balance. Did another student bump him? We don’t know.  The statement of claim says the caregiver was busy assisting the other student.

The next thing Brenton had fallen down the stairs. He lay on the floor at the bottom. His feet were still on the stairs but his upper body and head had hit the floor.

His injuries were so severe he had to be taken to the head trauma hospital in Moncton where he was treated. It was touch and go for the teen. I remember attending a benefit for him soon after the accident and his hopes of recovery were not good.  Now he faces a life with considerably diminished capacity.

Negligence at Birchwood

Why did the school assign one caregiver to two students when either one would require the skill of an adult for physical assistance? Why didn’t the caregiver have a key to the elevator?

It appears that Birchwood didn’t really show the level of concern and care needed for Brenton with his disability.

This is not an isolated incident. The Eastern School Board has been struggling with their responsibilities to disabled children for years. Last winter up to 10 children with disabilities were not allowed to go to school because the principals said they couldn’t handle them.

In the case of Birchwood, it looks like a laissez-faire attitude resulted in Brenton’s injuries. They had the resources but couldn’t be bothered to use the elevator, which was safer, or assign the one caregiver to one student.

His mother, Valerie Gillespie, is suing the Eastern School Board for negligence since they were well aware of Brenton’s condition and acted carelessly which resulted in the fall and injuries, according the the claim filed in PEI Supreme Court. (S1-GS-23823).

She will have to provide him with expensive full-time care for the rest of her life. When she passes on, someone will have to be hired to look after Brenton.

“Care-giver” is an euphemism with respect to many who are hired to assist people with disabilities. They are often poorly trained, under paid and over extended in their duties. When things go wrong the disabled get hurt. The system, which includes the school board and the government, turns a blind eye.

The fact that Mrs. Gillespie has resorted to court is the typical of institutional discrimination. If a child without a disability were assaulted someone would have been fired. If a child without a disability gets injured at school, the school board calls their insurance company and they compensate.

Brenton Gillespie is facing a life of full-time care, his situation made worse by the indifference of the system. It is unfortunate that his mother has to go to court to get the help she will need.