Trying to get doctors to believe there’s actually something wrong with you can be an uphill battle – especially if you’re not a straight white man. But that’s especially the case if you have learning disabilities and may not be able to communicate your pain in a way that makes them take you seriously.
Such is the truly horrifying case of Ohio man James Stewart, who died at age 41 after doctors at the Clear Skies Ahead group home in Bazetta Township. Stewart had been diagnosed with “autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder with impulse control disorder” and was on medication that caused severe constipation.
As detailed in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 13, 2025, Stewart repeatedly told staff that he was constipated, pleading with them to do something for “several weeks to as long as a month”:
“James complained of abdominal pain, and was not acting like himself. James was typically a happy, friendly, and active individual, who brought joy to those around him. In the days, and even weeks leading up to November 15, 2024, James was despondent, low energy, and complaining of pain.”
He desperately showed “visible” signs that he was in pain, including a massive purple bruise across his abdomen. Their response was heartless: “[A staff member] instructed James to ‘sit on the toilet'”, as if he hadn’t desperately tried that already. Later that day, Nov 15, 2024, Stewart was found dead.
He trusted them with his life
The autopsy revealed that his constipation had killed him. His colon was “obstructed with hardened stool for so long that the collection of impacted feces in his colon weighed over 20 pounds, putting so much pressure on his internal organs that it caused tension pneumoperitoneum — gas from inside James’s bowel forcing its way into his abdomen through microtears in the wall of his intestines”.
Attorney Matt Mooney underlined that a care home acting so callously is the worst nightmare of anyone with a family member resident in one:
“Group homes like Clear Skies Ahead are entrusted with the care of our most vulnerable loved ones. What happened to James is a heartbreaking reminder of what can occur when that responsibility is ignored. This lawsuit is about accountability and ensuring no other family ever endures a loss like this.”
This feels like an open-and-shut case. The care home will have been aware of Stewart’s medication and should have been familiar with its side effects. But, whether through overworked and tired staff or just plain incompetence, they ignored a patient’s pain, and the worst happened.
We can only hope this serves as a reminder to doctors to take patients seriously, but let’s face it, this is going to happen again. And again. And again.
