Schizophrenia Rehab Funding for my 23 year old Brother

My brother is 23 years old. His name is Jason.

Just before his 21st birthday, Jason started hearing voices in his head. Mean, angry and aggressive voices, demeaning his life and his worth. The voices would encourage him to hurt himself or end his life. One voice in particular began to override his life, his thoughts and his decisions. It was a very scary period for our family, but especially for Jason, as he did not know how to stop the noise that only he could hear. He entered into a psychotic phase where he started talking to himself, laughing at the jokes inside his head and thinking he had super powers. The imbalance inside his brain made it very hard for him to distinguish between reality and non-reality. We were very worried for his sanity and his health.

Upon further visits to the doctors, Jason was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and we were told about the long journey ahead to stabilize him. This journey consisted of immediate hospitalization (to a government hospital, as my mom could not afford the fees of a private hospital) where the doctors started Jason on various cocktails of meds to try stabilize the voices and bring him "back to reality". Being a government hospital where most of the doctors, nurses and psychiatrists were doing their community service, they battled to fully understand his illness and could only do what the "text books" said. This resulted in Jason hitting the ceiling of his recovery in their eyes and they have now said that my brother will never get more stable than he is now..and this feedback was given yesterday, two years later of first being diagnosed Schizophrenic.

Currently, Jason still hears the voices and is convinced that one of the voices is controlling his actions through telepathy. Upon further insight from a private psychologist, this is a clear indication that Jason is still in a non-reality realm and what you would still call a psychotic state, and is also a clear indication that he is not on the right cocktail of medication.

Our only other hope is to get Jason into a Rehab that will assist him in finding the right medication for him and that will help bring him back to reality where he will have a better chance at getting back on his feet and following the dreams that every young 23 year old has. His illness has been very hard on him, limiting him from doing all "normal" things that his friends are doing. We are afraid this limitation will put him further into the depression he is already in. We are at a very crucial time in his journey at the moment, especially since we have exhausted all other options and only Rehab is left. But Rehab unfortunately does not come cheap, especially not the one's that specialize in Schizophrenia. And after only going through government portals for assistance, we can see now that Jason really needs assistance from an experienced specialist Rehab.

We have found a lovely Rehab in Johannesburg, called Papillon, where the Managing Director who runs the facility has recovered from mental illness herself, and she truly seems to understand more in depth about what Jason needs. Their facility has so many private doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and more that will be so beneficial in getting Jason heading in the right direction. Their facility also rehabilitates you back into the world, helping you make the best decisions for yourself in terms of health, fitness, budgeting, getting a job, socializing and making friends again. It is everything Jason needs under one roof, and they have already approached his condition with such care without even admitting him there yet.

The problem for now though is the funding. Papillon's fee is R26 500 a month (which is half the price of other Rehabs I have found), and Jason will more than likely need at least 6 months with them. There are also other fees involved like admission fees, individual Psychiatrist sessions to administer medications specific to Jason. Even after the Rehab, it is likely that Jason may need a Step Down facility where he will be put in an assisted living home for a while to learn to fend for himself with others in the same stage as him. This whole journey will more than likely come close to R150 000. Currently our mom is suffering from Breast Cancer and cannot work, my sister is a mom of two making just enough ends meat for her own family, and I am a commission only worker. Some months I can do well financially and other months I can make next to nothing...there is just no guarantee. At this stage, I have enough money to get my brother into Papillon for two months, and I am going to work and pray as hard as I can to make enough money for the rest of Jason's Rehab. But any further assistance, small or big, would be such a blessing. Already, this journey has been so hard on Jason and my mom. My mom has become so physically drained from the strain of looking after my brother, so as much as there is an urgency to get Jason into Rehab for his own sake, my mom truly needs a chance to rest to get herself better too.

I thank you in advance for your blessing, and for the rest we will have faith and trust God!

Ps. The pictures attached to this profile are of my brother recently walking me down the aisle at my wedding. Our dad died 15 years ago, and so my brother was very excited about taking his place and walking me down the aisle.