1,384 Comments for Gaebler Children's Center

Boiler1220,
I just wanted to say thank you for being you, you are truely a great guy,....I can't believe they took the building down, can't wait for all the snow to melt so I can what the place looks like....

Boiler1220,
hello there my friend, yes, I know I made a mistake with the name and where I put it, thanks for letting me, I am such an ass, I keep screwing up on here, and yes Angela does have the best husband which is you, but, I too have the best husband, you are just a hoot and a half...miss you my friend...

Boiler,
I spoke to the high school boy who interviewed me. He will call you very soon. His name is Will Grossman. I'm very sorry about your wife's sister and I agree that the DMH really needs some of its power taken away. Drugs are not the way to treat a person's problems, and if they included more therapy and less abuse, people wouldn't consider mental hospitals as complete shitholes. Everyone in today's hospitals are people too, and should be treated as human beings. I think one of the problems is lack of funding for the DMH.

Pookie
I second that

Former visitor
I tried so hard to get off grounds privileges. How long did it take you to get them

Waillellemori
Welcome were you ever at gaebler?

Pookie
You made 2 mistakes 1 putting the name in the wrong place, and 2, angela has the best husband in the world. Lol lol

Former visitor
That was ward B. And Luke if you look up all my posts you will see all my info. I would gladly do a interview. And it is sad the DMH has to much power. They are drugging kids and saying the side affects of the drugs are the kids mental problems. My wives little sister is in the system now, and that's what there doing to her. I wish we could do something about it

Wow!!
I can't believe the building is gone

Former Visitor,

I completely agree with you! Many children whom I knew of had very minor disorders like Down Syndrome and other stuff that didn't require a trip to a hellhole like Gaebler. And the blood taking and vaccinations were horrible, I hated them. I don't remember the chalkboard, but I clearly will never forget the rec room. I only went in there to stomp on the floor and release my anger. It sucks that we all had to go through that. I hope you are well wherever you are and wish you the best.

It wasn't summer camp, But I remember trips to the Wal-Lex skating rink.. We went there a few time... We would tell the other kids we were mental patients and would kill them if they got in our way... Then laugh and laugh and laugh...

Thomas Heathwood can be easily found, just Google him.... He lived/lives in Chestnut Hill....

I was there in 1979 I was 11 (i remember sitting on one of the beds listening to the Boston Marathon on the radio) - i thought most of the kids there were normal.. There were a few that you could honestly say had some mental problems, most of the others were just stuck in a bad family situation and just acting out. I was only there for a short time (thank god) but i do remember them holding me down to take blood from me - I hated needles then, and I hate them today.
I clearly remember the deplorable conditions of the rec rooms. There would be PB&J sandwiches all over the chairs, and they would be there for weeks.

i remember there was a little chalk board the counselors would have and it had things like "one-on-one" or group - which described how you were to be supervised when you left the floor. On my first day there I got into a struggle with the a guy I think was the head guy, Thomas Heathwood as he was dragging me to my new home... I'm not sure what my ward was called, if you're facing the building it was the top floor on the right...

Anyway, it all behind us now, i just feel bad for the kids out there that get stuck in the system... Its a shame....

Pookie, thank you very much for the message. Yes, the dept. of mental health sucks, and it's terrible that you got sent there too. What went on in there was just hell, and the only positive thing about Gaebler going down was that no more children would have to deal with the horrors in there. Unfortunately, I don't remember you from my time there. I'm sorry, but I don't facebook. With all the stories about myspace and facebook suicides out there, I think it's best that I don't get involved. But we all got stronger, so it's for the best.

Ann Marie Narreau,
Hello there, my name is Michelle Woods-Godfroy, I was there from 82-84 and on Ward D, what years were you there? The place did suck and yes they did give us thorazine, benadryl and something else to keep us calm, I think it was valium. They did treat us like shit, there were a couple of staff members that I liked, they were Willy and Suzanne, they actually did like us kids,but, the rest of them were really mean and abused their power. I hope they all rott in hell...