Global Health Systems 1st Edition by Margie Lovett Scott ,Faith Prather

Exercise 18

Scenario 2: The Brother
No one was ever sure what to think about the brother. When he was born, one of his aunts noticed that he rocked back and forth while standing in the crib. Another aunt commented that the mother smoked while carrying him and that may have had something to do with his excessive rocking.
When he was about 8 years old, the parents were concerned about his capabilities and had him tested. The parents never explicitly shared the results of the testing with the rest of the family but the word was that the boy was ?educable.? At least, one relative observed, the boy was not ?retarded.? The boy?s mother went as far as to say she thought her son might be ?emotionally immature.?
As he grew older, it was noticeable that the brother did not seem to start conversations but only repeated what people said. Also, the family seemed to press him into housework activities. As educated people themselves, the parents wanted to make sure their son had a degree in something. They sent the brother to an electronics school but he never seemed to get a job in the field.
When the mother fell ill, the son took up her care with little assistance from the older sister. She was raising three children and in the middle of a divorce. Another brother lived 200 miles away and rarely kept up with the family.
One of the aunts had a fit when she learned that the brother was bathing his very ill mother. Why didn?t they get a woman to help out with something that personal? She would do it but her arthritis made it hard for her to help anyone. Why couldn?t the daughter at least help out with the mother?s hygiene? The brother took care of his mother until her death.
Several years later, someone heard that a 50-year-old man was found dead on the street. Later, the family learned that the man was their brother. He had died of a heart attack. For approximately 5 ? years after his mother?s death, he had survived on cigarettes, beer, and ate only food that he liked?usually meat and potatoes. Since his mother?s death, he had worked for the past six years in an entertainment hall, setting up chairs and buffet tables at minimum wage. The owner let him stay rent free in a room above the hall. His married sister had enough room for the brother but never invited him to stay with her. At his service, a family friend remarked. ?It?s a shame. If the parents would just have admitted their child needed special help in the first place, the brother might be alive today.?
In what country are you most likely to experience this scenario and why?