A SERIOUSLY ill man had to be admitted to hospital in Poland after he was discovered wandering the streets of Warsaw in a distressed state.
Matthew Evans, of Tonge Moor, Bolton, suffers from the advanced stages of Huntington's Disease, an inherited genetic condition which damages nerve cells in the brain and leads to dementia.
Mr Evans, aged 49, had travelled alone to the Polish capital, where he was discovered wandering the streets on Friday and admitted to a local psychiatric hospital.
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Foreign Office officials say he had arrived in the country from Amsterdam.
Mr Evans was later transferred to the Central Clinic Hospital but discharged himself on Monday and has now flown home to England.
His distressed brother, Paul, who lives in Devon, was first told of the crisis in a call from the Foreign Office.
He said: "The worrying thing is that he will just disappear one day. He has no ability to make a rational decision and you can't have a conversation with him as he can't speak well."
Mr Evans says his brother, who once travelled the world working in sales and retail, lacks co-ordination and cannot walk far as his balance is poor.
Matthew's mother died from the disease, his older brother committed suicide when he was diagnosed with the condition and his sister is currently in a care home in Devon suffering from the illness.
He was in Thailand when the Tsunami struck and his family feared he had been killed because they did not hear from him for three months.
Then at Christmas 2006 he was in Thailand when he was mugged and beaten up, while sitting in his wheelchair. Mr Evans receives some help from Bolton Social Services and a carer helps him with meals.
But his brother is calling on the council to step up the support he receives. A spokesman for Bolton Council said: "We are sorry to hear this trip has had an unfortunate outcome and will speak to the person concerned on his return to ascertain his support requirements."
[quote]Then at Christmas 2006 he was in Thailand when he was mugged and beaten up, while sitting in his wheelchair. Mr Evans receives some help from Bolton Social Services and a carer helps him with meals. But his brother is calling on the council to step up the support he receives[/quote] It's a really sad tale for all the family. However, I'm not sure how Bolton Council is supposed to help with his meals when he's in Poland/Netherlands/T
hailand etc. It sounds like the time has come for his passport to be surrendered and if his family care for his well being, they'll make sure that happens. It beggars belief that despite believing that they lost him once, they still allow him to be travelling Europe despite being in no fit state to do so alone.
But yeah, it's a sad sad situation.
Then at Christmas 2006 he was in Thailand when he was mugged and beaten up, while sitting in his wheelchair. Mr Evans receives some help from Bolton Social Services and a carer helps him with meals. But his brother is calling on the council to step up the support he receives
It's a really sad tale for all the family. However, I'm not sure how Bolton Council is supposed to help with his meals when he's in Poland/Netherlands/T
hailand etc. It sounds like the time has come for his passport to be surrendered and if his family care for his well being, they'll make sure that happens. It beggars belief that despite believing that they lost him once, they still allow him to be travelling Europe despite being in no fit state to do so alone.
Posted by: don060541, devon on 2:19pm Thu 8 May 08
Is this story for real how the hell does someone in is state ever get on a plane,
When we have been on holiday its like trying to get into fort knox just to board a holiday plane,
I think this is a wind up to get more benefits,
Is this story for real how the hell does someone in is state ever get on a plane,
When we have been on holiday its like trying to get into fort knox just to board a holiday plane,
I think this is a wind up to get more benefits,
Obviously one must feel a great deal of compasion for Mr. Evans, having been a world traveller in his work before being stricken; but.
If he still has the resources to buy tickets to fly to the Netherlands, Thailand, Poland, why would his family expect the tax payers of Bolton to take care of him?
Obviously one must feel a great deal of compasion for Mr. Evans, having been a world traveller in his work before being stricken; but.
If he still has the resources to buy tickets to fly to the Netherlands, Thailand, Poland, why would his family expect the tax payers of Bolton to take care of him?
According to his brother this poor man has no ability to make a rational decision and can`t hold a conversation as he cannot speak well. If this is so, how did he manage to make travel arrangements, booking his ticket, arranging transfers etc and he must have turned up at the right departure point on the right date or else he would not have been able to travel. Take his passport away to ensure that he at least stays in this country. There`s more to this story than meets the eye.
According to his brother this poor man has no ability to make a rational decision and can`t hold a conversation as he cannot speak well. If this is so, how did he manage to make travel arrangements, booking his ticket, arranging transfers etc and he must have turned up at the right departure point on the right date or else he would not have been able to travel. Take his passport away to ensure that he at least stays in this country. There`s more to this story than meets the eye.
Posted by: Catherine, Farnworth on 6:13pm Thu 8 May 08
This is a very sad situation for the man and his family.Iknow there is no cure for the condition and it is hereditary.This poor gent should be taken into secure care
This is a very sad situation for the man and his family.Iknow there is no cure for the condition and it is hereditary.This poor gent should be taken into secure care
I am matthews brother, and I love him dearly.But I live 400 miles away. On each occasion he has gone missing I have asked him to be placed in more secure accomodation,but I cannot force anyone to do this, and as with many people with illnesses like Huntingtons matthew is very resistant to going into a nursing home. I do not know how he arranges travel, and I feel that perhaps someone helps him with this in the belief they are helping him, but for those of you who believe this is a scam, and he is after more benefits I will happily spend an afternoon with you so you can walk a mile in matthews shoes. You may then see the world in a different light. Unfortunately human rights legislationprevents removal of matthews passport. Please be assured I do not want additional support for matthew and I am deeply grateful for the support he gets, but I want him in a safe environment as the type my sister is in.So this dos not happen again. As for his "family" well I am afraid I am it, and it may not be long before I develop the condition myself.
I am matthews brother, and I love him dearly.But I live 400 miles away. On each occasion he has gone missing I have asked him to be placed in more secure accomodation,but I cannot force anyone to do this, and as with many people with illnesses like Huntingtons matthew is very resistant to going into a nursing home. I do not know how he arranges travel, and I feel that perhaps someone helps him with this in the belief they are helping him, but for those of you who believe this is a scam, and he is after more benefits I will happily spend an afternoon with you so you can walk a mile in matthews shoes. You may then see the world in a different light. Unfortunately human rights legislationprevents removal of matthews passport. Please be assured I do not want additional support for matthew and I am deeply grateful for the support he gets, but I want him in a safe environment as the type my sister is in.So this dos not happen again. As for his "family" well I am afraid I am it, and it may not be long before I develop the condition myself.
I am matthews brother, and I love him dearly.But I live 400 miles away. On each occasion he has gone missing I have asked him to be placed in more secure accomodation,but I cannot force anyone to do this, and as with many people with illnesses like Huntingtons matthew is very resistant to going into a nursing home. I do not know how he arranges travel, and I feel that perhaps someone helps him with this in the belief they are helping him, but for those of you who believe this is a scam, and he is after more benefits I will happily spend an afternoon with you so you can walk a mile in matthews shoes. You may then see the world in a different light. Unfortunately human rights legislationprevents removal of matthews passport. Please be assured I do not want additional support for matthew and I am deeply grateful for the support he gets, but I want him in a safe environment as the type my sister is in.So this dos not happen again. As for his "family" well I am afraid I am it, and it may not be long before I develop the condition myself.
I am matthews brother, and I love him dearly.But I live 400 miles away. On each occasion he has gone missing I have asked him to be placed in more secure accomodation,but I cannot force anyone to do this, and as with many people with illnesses like Huntingtons matthew is very resistant to going into a nursing home. I do not know how he arranges travel, and I feel that perhaps someone helps him with this in the belief they are helping him, but for those of you who believe this is a scam, and he is after more benefits I will happily spend an afternoon with you so you can walk a mile in matthews shoes. You may then see the world in a different light. Unfortunately human rights legislationprevents removal of matthews passport. Please be assured I do not want additional support for matthew and I am deeply grateful for the support he gets, but I want him in a safe environment as the type my sister is in.So this dos not happen again. As for his "family" well I am afraid I am it, and it may not be long before I develop the condition myself.
morgan, it must be very hard living with the fact you too could develop this illness that has effected you and your family so greatly, it may seem a cruel thing to say but have you not tried to get him sectioned under the mental health act, if he is unable to make a rational decision, has dementia and gets so confused then he could be a danger to himself and the public, i am not saying he is but it is a way in which you could keep your brother safe, if he was sectioned he would not have a choice in living in a more secure place, also you could then take control of his finances also, then he would not have access to fund the plane tickets without your knowledge, i hope things turn out ok for you and your brother
morgan, it must be very hard living with the fact you too could develop this illness that has effected you and your family so greatly, it may seem a cruel thing to say but have you not tried to get him sectioned under the mental health act, if he is unable to make a rational decision, has dementia and gets so confused then he could be a danger to himself and the public, i am not saying he is but it is a way in which you could keep your brother safe, if he was sectioned he would not have a choice in living in a more secure place, also you could then take control of his finances also, then he would not have access to fund the plane tickets without your knowledge, i hope things turn out ok for you and your brother
Thankyou. It was nice to read your kind words after some of the other comments made. Having someone sectioned is an incredibly difficult process,much more so than most people realise. I feel in matthews case a move to a more structured, nursing environment would prevent this happening again. The Foreign Office tell me that this is by no means isolated, and that they are always having to deal with cases like this where ill people have managed to just somehow get themselves somewhere.
Thankyou. It was nice to read your kind words after some of the other comments made. Having someone sectioned is an incredibly difficult process,much more so than most people realise. I feel in matthews case a move to a more structured, nursing environment would prevent this happening again. The Foreign Office tell me that this is by no means isolated, and that they are always having to deal with cases like this where ill people have managed to just somehow get themselves somewhere.
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