Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing nobody can deny, it’s that the Galvin family has gone through unimaginable hardships since the 1960s as six out of 12 siblings ended up developing schizophrenia. This much has actually even been evidenced in Discovery+/HBO Max’s ‘Six Schizophrenic Brothers,’ a documentary series chronicling precisely how this mental illness tore the family apart. Amongst those to thus feature in this original was even affected brother Peter Galvin, who was diagnosed the earliest as a mere teenager, yet it still didn’t really help him in the long run.
Peter Galvin Had His First Breakdown at 14
Although born in November 1960 to Mimi and Donald “Don” Galvin Sr. as their tenth child as well as the youngest son, Peter’s childhood was sadly far from cozy, happy, ordinary, or stable. That’s because he was just 7 or 8 when his eldest brother had his first significant psychosis episode, exposing him to a world of volatility because of the subsequent at-home care offered. Don Jr. could’ve been admitted into a mental institution, yet his parents reportedly refused to make him a resident there, and it resulted in there being constant chaos and violence at home.
Peter did have ice hockey alongside a couple of his other brothers as an outlet during this period — per the show; he was “a silky smooth kind of player… effortless in the way he played.” But alas, it all came crashing down when he was 14, and he witnessed their father suffer a massive stroke right in front of his eyes as it triggered something deep inside him. He had his first breakdown a few days later and never really recovered – he went from one of the kindest siblings to one of the most violent, causing a ruckus at every step, even if he didn’t mean it.
In fact, according to the aforementioned original, Peter was hospitalized over 25 times within a few short years, but every time he’d get better and return, he’d stop taking medications and get sick again. This was a pattern with him, and it sadly continued even as he grew up, which caused him to be arrested at one point for assaulting two police officers. His youngest sister, Mary, had to prove in court he had severe schizophrenia to ensure he’d face limited to no jail time and the charges being dropped, but then he began cooperating to the best of his abilities.
How Did Peter Galvin Die?
As per Peter’s loved ones as well as his doctor, he was cooperative regarding his medications and treatment most of the time as an adult, but it again became scary around the 2000s as his medications stopped working. His body had essentially gotten so used to them they simply didn’t have the desired effect anymore, no matter the dosage, so his doctors had to obtain special permission for shock therapy. Though it’s imperative to note this treatment is not the torturous kind you might have seen on TV/movies, for Peter, he was given local anesthesia before being shocked at his temples, and it worked.
Peter actually managed to lead a rather good life in Colorado, all the while remaining extremely close to especially his immediate elder brother Mattew (also schizophrenic) until his last days. He sadly passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, less than a month before his 63rd birthday — he was residing in a care facility at the time, but his exact cause of death has never been made public. According to the Galvin Family Trust, he loved to attend Colorado College and Air Force Academy hockey games until the very end, meaning he never forgot his one true passion.
Read More: Mark Galvin: The Galvin Family Sibling is Trying to Move On From the Past
