Green Country Family Shares Their Personal Fight For Mental Health Funding

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

UNDATED -- Higher suicide rates, a spike in county jail populations and more kids in foster care.

That's what mental health experts say will happen if Oklahoma slashes the department's budget by another 10%.

A Green Country family says they never gave up on their fight for mental health. And they say the state of Oklahoma shouldn't either.

The mother and daughter say they've come a long way in the last five years.

"And a change. Huge change," said Andrea, mother.

Andrea says it's a change she never thought she'd see in her daughter, Leilani.

"Every day from the minute she got up, she was in a rage," Andrea said. "She was angry, she was physically attacking. At that time, I was covered in the bruises, the bite marks, the scratches."

Her physical pain didn't compare to the heartache this mother endured seeing her child so unhappy.

They recorded Leilani's episodes, went to doctor after doctor, and tried medication after medication.

"It's been a rocky road," Andrea said. "She's been hospitalized three times because of the situation. And the bipolar was so out of control and the rages."

Andrea says they never gave up on the sweet girl they knew their daughter to be. It took years, but they found the right combination of pediatrician, therapist, and prescription drugs.

And now they have their daughter back.

"We finally, two year anniversary," said Andrea. "No hospitalizations. No major blow-ups. And she's doing fantastic in school."

Leilani says she has taken a lot of medicines and she sees doctors regularly.

"They're good. They've been helping me for a couple of years now, so it works," she said. "So that's all, just keep it working and I'm good."

Leilani's healthy now. But her family worries what will happen, if her illness once again becomes out of control.

"For us its very scary for what's going to happen if these cuts happen," Andrea said.

Andrea worries that state budget cuts will gut mental health services in this state. And that's something she says families like hers just can't afford.

"If we're in that situation you don't have time to wait," she said. "You need to get in now. And the cuts that will limit even more beds, more possibilities."

Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health has already trimmed $20 million from this year's budget.

A spokesperson says next year's cuts will mean another 8,000 people will be dropped from services.