Wallace said that Byers at many points threatened to kill himself and expressed to her that he was suicidal due to racism he experienced from the hospital staff.

Effects of Hospital Mistreatment on Byers

Byers was ignored in the hospital after the surgery and allowed to wander the hospital to the point that Byers at one point left the building entirely. 

University of Wisconsin - Madison

The week after the publishing of the April 30, 1977 the Black Panthers published an article based on information from an interview with Margarite Wallace, titled "Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeals for Community Help."

"Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeals for Community Help"

Wallace permitted the spinal tap and then was contacted by a doctor at the hospital asking for parental consent to perform an experimental brain operation. It was explained to Wallace that if Byers recovered he would be a "vegetable." Wallace asked for time to consult with family members and did not give verbal or written consent. Wallace however rushed down to the hospital and when she arrived found Byers already in surgery. 

Byers' Experience of Psychosurgery 

Schalk, Sami. Black Disability Politics, New York, USA: Duke University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781478027003

Black Disability Politics

Schalk discusses the photo of Margarite Wallace and Lou Byers presented in the article in particular Schalk notes how the clothing worn by Byers and Wallace doesn't clearly allude to their socio-economic status. Schalk talks about how their expressions and poses do no evoke either pitiful or angry emotions.

Schalk's Description of Photograph

Byers Time after the Surgery

- Centering of Disabled People of Color
- Critical Stance Towards Medical Professionals
- Not Distancing Blackness from Disability
- Critique of the Black Panther's Coverage

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