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Vicky and Steve Dunkle |
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To View
MS. Dunkle's Docket of:
Docket:
02N-0115 - Risk Management of Prescription Drugs; Public Hearing
Comment Number: EC -1
Accepted - Volume 2
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Here
Ablechild’s,
Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, with Tom Cruise at Citizen Commission on Human
Rights (CCHR’s) 35th Anniversary & Human Rights
Award Dinner, February 28, 2004.
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PSYCHOTROPIC
DRUGS & FAILURE TO WARN
By Vicky Dunkle
I am a mother from the state of Pennsylvania working hard to make sure
people are being warned properly about the inherent dangers from
psychotropic drugs and the off-labeled prescribing that continues to be a
trend in our society today. Today's educational system is also applying
added pressure to make people believe their children are abnormal.
Why are parents not being warned properly about side effects?
Why are parents being pressured from within the school system?
Why do physician's get away with off-labeled prescribing of dangerous
drugs not FDA approved because the safety and effectiveness has not been
safely tested in children?
Why are innocent children dying from mind altering drugs for a
diagnoses that has never been proven?
All these questions are valid and need answers!!
In 1999, I was told by a school psychologist that my 8 year old daughter,
Shaina couldn't stay focused, talked out of turn, couldn't concentrate,
and had trouble staying on task. She said that she believed Shaina
had ADHD and recommended that we take her to a doctor. We felt
extremely pressured because Shaina was being made to feel different by her
school. She frequently was isolated in the hall to do her school
work, and at one point her desk was dumped upside down in front of the
class by her teacher because it was messy. These experiences left my
daughter humiliated and deeply hurt. She reacted to these actions by
her school by telling me she did not want to go. She
started having nightmares and started complaining of being sick to
avoid going to school. School is supposed to be the place that
we, as parents, feel safe about sending our children to. My
daughter no longer felt safe. She no longer felt secure or happy
about school. She was only a second grade student. This
type of pressure placed on us by the school led us to a psychiatrist who
officially diagnosed our daughter with ADHD and placed her on one drug.
Eventually a "medication" change was made by him from one drug
to another. This drug is known as Desipramine. He informed us
that he was placing our daughter on this drug because it was much safer
than the stimulants and others used for "treatment" of ADHD.
On
February 26th, 2001, at the age of 10 years old, my daughter, Shaina
Louise Dunkle died. Shaina had one grand mal seizure and died within
minutes in my arms, as my husband and I watched helpless.
There was absolutely nothing we could do but watch as her life ended.
The medical examiners final report concluded that the main cause of death
was DESIPRAMINE TOXICITY. Shaina had an excessive amount of the drug
desipramine in her system. She had a history of urine retention and kidney
problems. Desipramine is not to be given to children with a
history of either of these. Her body was not excreting the
drug properly and was building up a toxic amount until she went into
cardiac arrest.
Our daughter's death has not only left us to deal with the guilt
of believing in the so-called professional system, but anger that we
were not warned properly about the drugs side effects. We were never
told that this drug had not been approved for children under the age
of 13 because its safety and effectiveness had not been thoroughly tested.
We filed a civil lawsuit in the state of Pennsylvania in the McKean County
Court system on August 12th, 2002. This lawsuit is against the
psychiatrist that prescribed desipramine and the pharmacy that dispensed
it.
Shaina's story is also posted on the ritalindeath.com website in hopes
that it will help others in making an educated decision when dealing with
psychotropic drugs and children. Parents are not being properly
informed! Parents are being led to believe their children are
abnormal! Parents are not being warned about very real
side effects! Parents are being pressured by the school
systems! Parents are not told that there are other deaths of
children occurring from many of these drugs prescribed to
"treat" ADHD/ADD. Parents are being led to believe they
are doing good by the child. They do not realize that they are
harming them.
We need to take a stand and fight for our children. Children are sent to
school for an education not to be evaluated for who's a candidate for
drugs in today's ADHD/ADD society.
Innocent children are dying and will continue to die unless we as
parents take a stand to protect them. The so-called
professionals influence you into believing that they know what is best for
your child. In reality, it is the parent that knows his or her
child best. Don't let people influence you into turning your child into
someone that they are not. Your child has the right to be
accepted for the wonderful individual that he/she is.
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SPECIAL
HAPPY
ADJUSTED
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Children on mind altering drugs become children that their parents don't
even recognize. As parents let us work together to help
prevent more Shaina-like tragedies from occurring.
AbleChild: Parents For Label & Drug Free Education
Vicky Dunkle State of Pennsylvania
dunkle5@pennswoods.net
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SHAINA
DUNKLE — 1991-2001
Vicki
Dunkle’s daughter Shaina’s life had been filled with dance
classes, Girl Scouts, piano lessons, and softball games. But in
1999, when Shaina was in second grade, teachers said she was “too
active” and “talked out of turn.” Without diagnostic tests or
physical exams, a psychiatrist concluded she suffered from ADHD and
prescribed a psychiatric drug. On February 26, 2001, Shaina suffered
a seizure in the doctor’s office. Her mother rushed to hold her in
her arms, where, minutes later, she died. “Shaina looked into my
eyes as her life ended and I could do nothing to save her. It’s
been two years and I relive those last few minutes every day.
Believe me, it is a nightmare no parent should ever have to live
with,” Mrs. Dunkle said. An autopsy revealed that Shaina had died
from toxic levels of the prescribed psychiatric drug.
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