Finnish teen with severe Tourette’s describes neglect in care facility where staff refuse to help

A 15-year-old girl from Oulu placed in a child protection unit says staff ignore her severe Tourette’s symptoms, leaving her without bathroom access for over 24 hours during paralytic episodes, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The teen, whose identity is protected, says employees cite child protection laws to avoid physical contact, even when she is immobilised by tics. Emergency services have repeatedly intervened, filing multiple child welfare reports over her treatment. Her parents, also unnamed, describe being “passed between authorities,” with no agency—neurological, psychiatric, disability services, or child protection—assuming responsibility for her complex needs.

Experts confirm Finland lacks adequate care pathways for youth with severe functional tic disorders, a condition that surged during the pandemic. The girl’s symptoms—including violent muscle spasms, breathing difficulties, and seizure-like episodes—began after a Covid-19 infection two years ago. At one point, hospital staff allegedly advised her parents to install egg locks (childproof door locks) to prevent her from running into traffic during tic episodes.

Though her condition has since improved, her mother fears the wrong placement could worsen her symptoms. The teen, who initially thrived in the facility, now begs to leave, saying in a video message to Yle: “I feel like no one helps or understands me.” She recounts staff dismissing her symptoms as choices—”It’s your decision if you run in front of a car”—and says she now hides some tics to avoid judgment.

Psychiatrist Sami Leppämäki notes a pandemic-linked rise in functional tics among teen girls, though direct causation remains unproven. Tourette and OCD Association director Tuula Savikujan reports similar post-Covid cases, with sudden-onset symptoms like convulsions or respiratory distress. Finland estimates 3,000–9,000 youth live with Tourette syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by motor and vocal tics.

Yle reviewed the teen’s medical records but withheld her name, her parents’ identities, and the facility’s location to protect her privacy.