The Year of Willowbrook 2022 - The Last Great Disgrace

Comments · 49

• TE

  @teijaflink2226 · 4 years ago

  Great to see Bernard alive and well, still advokaten for people with disabilities.

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• BE

  @beckyblevins9095 · 3 years ago

  I am living by myself now after being in state hospital caused of being locked up there because of child abuse. I am so happy that I can lived and take care of myself.

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• MA

  @marlamoley2199 · 4 years ago

  I'm an adult with a disability age 52 who grew up in Staten island. I was mainstreamed in my community public school very young and because of folks like geraldo, Bernard who has been a mentor and friend to me and the advocates who faught deligently for section 504 and the ada I have a beautiful life , am an artist , live on my own with support and mom to a beautiful cat. Thank you god bless

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• LO

  @loveycat5474 · 4 years ago (edited)

  I saw this on tv when I was nine years old. I remember that I was almost placed in a place like this but my parents refused to have me placed in a state school as recommended by a psychologist because he thought I was retarded because I was not talking, making eye contact or responding to him. He was wrong and I went on to live a life full of challenges and a successful adulthood. I graduated high school, went on to college to earn degrees in psychology and counseling. I now work with people with autism. The doctors were wrong. My parents knew I had a bright future. We all do even with disabilities.

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• MA

  @MarkGrago · 3 years ago

  The even more sickening part of ALL THIS is that even after Geraldo's visit, it would take the state of New York another 11 YEARS to finally do something! The way these children were treated is criminal! WE LET IT HAPPEN...

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• OG

  @OgramRavot21 · 4 years ago

  I wish there was a day school where I live for my Down Syndrome son. A place that would teach him basic things that would help him live life to the fullest. He loved high school but they didn't teach him things he needs to know how to do to able him to live in life. He's so precious and I'm very proud of how far he's come.

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• MY

  @mygreatescape9617 · 4 years ago

  My mom used to work with handy capped people, I was fortunate enough to go to her work, it used to be called diversified occupation idk if it still stands or not, I don't remember much about it other than watching my mom help some of the people get from one area of the building to another part of the building or help them find the lunch room, to me my mom is an angel for helping these kids, I'm now 36 years old and I have bipolar disorder and anxiety I'm thankful for my mom for always being patient with me when I was jumping from one medicine to another

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• GA

  @gailspaw5521 · 3 years ago

  Thank You Geraldo and You 3 Brave Guys and God Bless You All❤

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• CH

  @chickapeas5646 · 2 years ago

  I am a mother of a severely disabled child. I’m so thankful for how far we have come. We still have so far to go. I can’t send my child to public school, he has no voice and frankly, I don’t trust anyone at public school or trust other children not to hurt him. My husband works 3 jobs and we get no financial help. It’s not easy. We make to much for SSI. Our child is 10 and will be able to at 18.

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• LY

  @lynnrichardson9513 · 3 years ago

  As a mental health nurse I'm questioning, where is accountability, its not there in any sense of the word, my heart broke in a thousand pieces seeing these children and adults that went through this horrid of a time and then on top of their distress, several hundreds thrown out to fend for themselves, it really is an eye opener, very distressing and sad to see. I pray for those who were sent there, then thrown out to fend for themselves, are now doing much better over the years. So sad, bless you all.

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• AD

  @adeleennis2255 · 4 years ago

  My cousin worked with adults who were regimes after Willow Brook closed down. Some of them were treated horribly. Not every carer at Willow Brook was kind. Some of them tortured their patients physically and sexually.

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• CH

  @ChooseCompassion · 3 years ago (edited)

  I still get chills remembering when GR first released the reporting on the horrors of Willowbrook. It was so heinous and cruel we couldn’t even believe it was true. It’s one of those things that stays with you forever. Another terrible stain on our history. I don’t know if I have the strength to watch this again. I was curious if it was still available at all to those who don’t think of that wicked institution upon hearing the word Willowbrook in any context. My heart still aches for all our fellow human beings that suffered there.

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