Case Reports

Child Deaths

While psychiatrists proclaim psychoactive drugs safe and effective for children, many parents know from tragic personal experience that this is false.

 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.

SAMUEL GROSSMAN — 1973-1986
In 1986, Samuel Grossman, 13, died after being prescribed a stimulant for “over-activity.” The autopsy revealed an enlarged heart caused by the psychiatric drug. According to the boy’s mother, “Giving this drug to a child is like playing Russian roulette. No one knows which child will get the brain damage and/or those who will die. I played the game and I lost.”

MATTHEW SMITH — 1986-2000
At age 7, Matthew Smith was diagnosed with ADHD. His parents were told he needed to take a stimulant to help him focus and that non-compliance could bring criminal charges for neglecting their son’s educational and emotional needs. “My wife and I were scared of the possibility of losing our children if we didn’t comply,” says Matthew’s father, Lawrence. The parents acceded to the pressure after being told that there was nothing wrong with the “medication.” But on March 21, 2000, while skateboarding, Matthew suffered a heart attack and died. The coroner determined that Matthew’s heart showed clear signs of the small blood vessel damage that is caused by stimulant drugs like amphetamines and concluded that Matthew died from long-term use of the prescribed ADHD stimulant. “I cannot go back and change things for us at this point. However, I hope to God my story and information will reach the hearts and minds of many families, so they can make an educated decision,” Mr. Smith said.

STEPHANIE HALL — 1984-1996
Stephanie Hall was a shy first grader in Ohio who loved books and school. After her teacher reported that Stephanie had a hard time “staying on task,” a doctor diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder and prescribed a stimulant. Over the next five years, Stephanie complained of stomachaches and nausea and displayed mood swings and bizarre behavior. On January 5, 1996, at age 11, Stephanie died in her sleep from cardiac arrhythmia. Mrs. Hall remembers the last words exchanged with her daughter: “I said, ‘It’s 9 o’clock Steph, get to bed,’ and she replied ‘OK Mom, I love you.’” The next morning when her father went to wake her for school, she didn’t respond. “We called paramedics and the police...Stephanie was so cold. I kept saying to them, ‘She is supposed to bury me, not me bury her’....”

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