Luise Custer and Charlie Tygiel

Luise Custer

Charlie Tygiel

Luise Custer lives in San Francisco, California and is Charlie Tygiel’s mother. Charlie, who has developmental disabilities including a seizure disorder, shares a home with roommates in Santa Cruz, California.

Transcripts for all Segments (PDF)


“Tragically at that moment, the anesthesiologist panics…”

“Charlie, who is now 29, has a less functional life by far because of failed medical interventions or drugs that he was given that caused an adverse effect.”


“Charlie is mismedicated three times, not on any other drugs but on his own medications.”

“…the nursing team that worked with Charlie there, actually showed that they weren’t comfortable being near him.”


“Charlie is graced to have the most community orientated…life that you could possibly imagine.”


“We need to have every young medical student, every young nursing student who goes through the system educated with serious coursework.”

“The anesthesiologist wishes he hadn’t done what he did but he panicked because he was afraid of Charlie, he was afraid of the situation, he was afraid of my concern and those fears stand in the way of creating this cultural connection…”


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