Part three of my interview with Godly Mathew [You can find Part I and Part II here.] Was this soft-spoken, self-described eccentric abused by Friends Hospital four years ago? Why does he stand at the Boulevard day after day, enduring the stares and scrutiny of passers-by?
Q: What are people’s reactions to your protest?
A: Most of the response is very positive. People give me a thumbs up or honk. I am very grateful for their show of support. It is one of the things that keeps me motivated and hopeful. Occasionally, someone laughs derisively or makes a vulgar remark but those are not as frequent as the positive ones.
Q: Have you ever contacted a lawyer or filed a suit?
A: Two years after the incident, I filed a civil case on my own in the federal court system. Apparently malpractice lawyers don’t want to go anywhere near a psych abuse case unless there is a gross degree of malpractice. I was also not interested in playing the role of the victim beyond what I suffered. So I filed the case pro se, but it was thrown out after Friends Hospital hired an attorney who made a motion to dismiss. I could not afford to pay a forensic psychiatrist for a Certificate of Merit which would have been required for me to re-file the case in the state court system. Two years is the statute of limitation, so that was pretty much the end of that path. Continue reading
My Philadelphia Story 