GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A year and a half after he was stabbed in the neck with a pen, Mike Malinowski still has no feeling in the left side of his face, nor answers.
Malinowski's sister planned on taking him to Pine Rest, but his insurer directed them to Pivot, a Hope Network behavioral health center on Leonard Street NE. It wasn't his first time in such a facility, but it was Malinowski's first time at this one.
"I remember my sister asking if I would be safe here," Malinowski recalled Monday, April 22.
Malinowksi was going through a divorce and needed emotional assistance when he checked into Pivot on Oct. 31, 2017. Six hours later, Malinowksi was in an ambulance with a pen stuck in his neck.
"[He] had come up behind me and stabbed me in the neck, entering below my ear and then ripping half way down my neck," Malinowski said.
Malinowski had been watching television when he noticed Monte Ladon Shaw pacing behind him.
"He was swearing; I wasn't paying much attention," Malinowski said. "Next thing I knew, I was seeing stars."
Shaw, the accused assailant, was no stranger to Pivot—nor the mental health system. Shaw, 51, has been in and out of mental health facilities since he was 16. He's been diagnosed with schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoia, court records show.
A little more than a month prior to the incident at Pivot, Shaw tried to assault his brother, according to a petition ordering Shaw to receive treatment.
He would go days without sleeping and spend months at a time receiving hospitalization with little progress. Doctors noted throughout 2017 that Shaw was likely to harm himself or others.
Their warnings came to pass in a violent outburst on Halloween night in 2017. Shaw was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm. He spent time in jail before going to a psychotherapy center in Kalamazoo, where he remains.
Shaw appeared in Grand Rapids District Court on Tuesday, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Helmer said the next step will be a criminal responsibility exam to determine if Shaw was sane when he committed the crime. This comes after a months-long competency exam to determine if Shaw could understand the charge against him and assist in his own defense. He was found competent earlier this month.
Malinowksi, who had not seen Shaw since the incident, watched the court proceedings from the gallery, knowing this meant more delays in the case.
Since the attack, Malinowski cannot taste or feel on the left side of his face. "I almost died," he said.
Malinowski was in emergency surgery for more than an hour that night, and he remained hospitalized for several days. He blames Hope Network for failing to ensure his safety.
"They neglected to do their job, and now I am paying for it,'' he said. "I've been paying for it for the last year and a half, and I am going to be paying for it for the rest of my life."
A spokesperson for Hope Network declined to comment on the case, but said: "Pivot serves people experiencing a mental health crisis. We follow strict protocols at all times to ensure the safety of all residents and employees at the program."
The attack has left Malinowski with post traumatic stress disorder; the sight of a pen can trigger panic attacks. He also is saddled with thousands of dollars in medical bills.
"I am still in counseling twice a week trying to get over what has happened to me," Malinowski said.
He says an overburdened and underfunded mental health system has contributed to his misery and that of others.
"Whether it be me or Monte, regardless of what's happened... we don't have the support we need for mental health,'' Malinowski said. "And I want to see that be changed."
► Emma Nicolas is a multimedia journalist. Have a news tip or question for Emma? Get in touch by email, Facebook or Twitter.
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