Donovan
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Donovan is autistic and has experienced abuse and neglect his whole life. At first it was from family members. He told the Royal Commission relatives verbally abused him telling him his disability was ‘bad for the family’.
Then at school he was beaten up and called horrible names in front of the teachers. Donovan said the vice headmaster told him, ‘it wouldn’t be happening if he was more “normal”’.
But it was the medical neglect he experienced recently that he said ‘could have killed’ him.
Donovan was so unwell he thought he was having a stroke and went to the emergency department of the local hospital.
Doctors assessed him and told him because of his pre-existing conditions, his symptoms were likely a brain bleed or a stroke and he needed to have a brain scan. They explained the risks of the scan and Donovan gave his consent.
While he was waiting one of the doctors looked at his file and noticed Donovan was taking medication to manage his autism symptoms.
At this point they cancelled the scans and both Donovan and his mother overheard the doctor say, ‘you can’t trust the symptoms of an autistic person’.
The doctor then aggressively questioned Donovan about his medical history and accused him of faking his symptoms. ‘At one point yelling at me that I need to stop faking and talk properly,’ Donovan said.
Donovan couldn’t ‘talk properly’ because of his symptoms, his mum argued. Eventually the doctor agreed to the scans but Donovan said he was only given an x-ray. Doctors didn’t let him see the results, told him he had a headache and immediately discharged him.
Not long after, Donovan went to his GP who told him the x-ray was useless and sent him for treatment. Donovan was informed he’d had a minor stroke. He is unsure of the consequences of the delayed treatment. ‘What I do know is, if I had something more serious like bleeding from the brain, being sent home like I was could have killed me.’
Donovan has spoken to health professionals and asked them to investigate the incident but so far has been unsuccessful.
He would like better training for doctors and hopes one day to be treated as equal, but he said ‘that seems too far from where we are now’.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.