On May 13, La Vanguardia published a report that touched the soul of many readers. And is not for less. It explained the story of Jordi, a 21-year-old boy with autism, who spent almost four years voluntarily secluded in his room playing video games almost uninterruptedly. He only came out to make sporadic visits to the bathroom. At the height of his confinement, he came to be playing for "3 or 4 days in a row," said his mother (Laura, 44 years old). His confinement began shortly before the outbreak of the pandemic and the situation did not begin to improve slightly until four years later. Specifically, two months before the date of publication of the article. Laura explained to this newspaper that she did not receive any help from the administrations for her son. Neither by the middle (Jordi has two brothers), diagnosed as asperger. The story stirred consciences. So much so that a businessman, who prefers to remain anonymous, has decided to selflessly help the family.
He is 62 years old, is Catalan and responds to the initials M.S.M. He confesses that Jordi's story impacted him. Also Laura's integrity and her way of dealing with the problem. "I am impressed by his attitude towards life," he explains to La Vanguardia. In parallel, he does not understand how the administrations have not turned to the family "in such a clear case." “He is outrageous”, he emphasizes. He is especially annoyed by the times when they have not even responded to Laura's claims. Jordi's mother asked "on several occasions" to be able to admit him to the day hospital. "I'm still waiting for them to answer me," she told this newspaper.
In the report, it was explained that Jordi was improving thanks to a therapy that he had started at the Parc Taulí hospital in Sabadell, the city where he lives. As a result of this slight improvement (he still showed and shows, although to a lesser extent, a significant addiction to video games), he had proposed to start a course in September at the Joso school, comics and visual arts (he really likes to draw ). Laura confessed in the article that she would try to pay for it despite the delicate economic situation they are going through. And that is where the businessman wants to influence, who has promised to pay the tuition and all the monthly payments for the next five years, the time the course lasts.
And not only that. He will also take charge of all the steps to legally incapacitate Jordi and find a job for Laura's husband, who works in a restaurant that he will close soon. “In my group we also have a hospitality business and we will see what we can do. And if I can't use it, I will circulate the curriculum among business colleagues”, argues M.S.M., who intends to visit the family to meet them.
The fact of the appearance of this businessman plus the 400 euro non-contributory pension that Jordi has recently started to receive, have given him a bit of a lift. "With these 400 euros you pay for a swimming course and a nutritionist, to help you lose weight," explains Laura.
His mood has risen to such an extent that he leaves home almost every day, something he never did before. On Mondays, to do an hour of sports with the group of people with whom she shares group therapy; on Wednesdays, to go to said therapy (the Taulí guide team goes to look for him at home); on Thursdays, to meet other young people in a civic center in Sabadell; and on Fridays, in theory, he has to attend a self-defense course, but "for the moment, he still hasn't dared to go," says Laura. Even some afternoons, on weekends, he has met former classmates from the Xalest special education school, where he had studied.
Every night, in addition, he accompanies his mother to take the dog for a walk, and at 10 p.m. he turns off the computer himself and then goes to bed to look at his cell phone until he falls asleep. Laura is very appreciative of this latest breakthrough. “When it's worse, I barely sleep. He is very obsessive and leans on me a lot, and he constantly wakes me up.”
Laura admits to being expectant. “I'm in a better mood, but it seems unreal that things are starting to go a little better. However, I have to be on top of him for him to go to the activities”.
M.S.M., for its part, hopes that this article "helps to raise awareness." He explains that she does not have children and that "instead of giving money to NGOs", she helps "in particular cases" related, above all, to health. “You have to give back to society what it has given you. Life has given me a privilege and I think I have to give it back so that others can live a little better ”, she concludes.
