I am a retiree in my 70s. My son, in his 40s, has been suffering from Schizophrenia for more than 20+ years. He is self-employed but not good at financial management. His meager income is not sufficient for his daily living. I would have to supplement his expenses with our (my wife and me) retirement fund.
Some time ago, he came across this news: “Snoop Dogg Has Hilarious Reaction to $924 Vetements Shirt With His Face on It” He told me that he would like to invest in a similar t-shirt project to earn some extra income and solicited financial support from me. Before we could discuss further the legal implication, the next thing I knew was that he had got everything done and printed 70 t-shirts already. He greatly respects and admires Ms. Anna Wintour for being the longtime editor in chief of American Vogue magazine and is one of the most powerful figures in fashion. So, he printed his idol-Ms. Anna Wintour’s photo on the t-shirts. His mind must have been affected by the Schizophrenia symptoms that caused him to act on impulse without taking into consideration the legal aspect of using Ms. Anna Wintour’s photo without her permission. Subsequently, he released that he could be sued for infringement. So, he kept the t-shirts without selling them. The investment for this project cost me quite a bit. I am at a loss and don’t know what to do. Is there any hope for a remedy? Please advise!
I don’t have advice for you in that area but I do know that mental illness is expensive due to lack of judgement; my 48 yo son many years ago purchased those phone call cards thinking he was going to make easy money; it was a loss! And so on with other things, if you let him he wants to pay more or leave big tips when he has just enough for himself.
My brother confines himself to trying to flip eBay “finds” as “business opportunities” which either end up as additions to his horde or wildly inappropriate or bizarre gifts with strange back-stories. The adults of the family were accustomed to these antics, but his behavior was tough to explain to nieces and nephews as they were growing up.
Our strategy is mostly containment by carefully metering the flow of money to him and constraining him to a small house. It’s not always successful, as he sometimes overspends and conceals his spending which often leads to anxiety and inevitable self-medicating with alcohol to deal with the stress. We know how to read these signs from experience and monitoring of his bank accounts, and intervene when appropriate.
Per the T-shirts, I’m wondering if some sort of social media crowdfunding could take care of this debt. Certain circles of fashion community that Anna Wintour travels in are known for their charity, and might donate to defray the costs, since this was clearly an act of admiration. Snoop Dogg might be a possibility too considering the inspiration. A long shot to be sure that such an effort might find donors, but nothing ventured, nothing regained.
I too am worried about my SZA son
So I started a disability account through the state of PA which is like a 401k fir disabled people. Friends and relatives can donate to it. I didn’t even tell him
Yet or how to access it. It’s fir when I’m gone.