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Patricia Weathers President
Ablechild.org Testimony
before the FDA’s Psychopharmacologic
Drugs Advisory Committee and
Pediatric Advisory Committee September
13, 2004
My name is Patricia
Weathers. I am a New York
mother and the President and co-founder of AbleChild.org
--- a national grassroots parent organization – representing over
900 members such as Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, whose ten-year-old daughter died in
her arms as a direct result of the antidepressant prescribed her.
I am one of the lucky ones— my child is still alive.
My own story has been
featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, A& E Investigative
Reports, and the New York Times just to name a few.
I have testified before state legislatures and twice before
Congress. Our organization,
Ablechild can proudly say that it helped get both Paxil and Effexor pulled
from foster care use in the state of Connecticut last year. My activism began after
my son’s school coerced me to place him on Ritalin, a drug that caused
him to become extremely withdrawn. The
school psychologist and a psychiatrist then diagnosed him with “Social
Anxiety Disorder” and recommended Paxil as a QUOTE “Wonder Drug for
Kids.” On Paxil, he
began hearing voices in his head telling him to do bad things, he drew
violent pictures and at one point even attacked me I could no longer
recognize my own son. He
pleaded with me “Mom, make it stop.” I finally realized that
it was Paxil that put him in a drug induced psychosis – so naturally I
removed him from the drug. I
want to emphasize this next point so I ask you to consider this
fundamental issue: I was then
charged with MEDICAL NEGLECT when there was no proof that anything was
MEDICALLY wrong with him.
I soon discovered Social Anxiety Disorder, like Bi-Polar Disorder
and Attention Deficit Disorder – are NOT
medical conditions. Parents
are told that their child has a “chemical imbalance” or a
“neurobiological ” illness. We
risk our child’s life based on a fundamental
lie – that our child has an “illness” or a “disease.”
I now know that this is
not true – but more importantly – so do you.
The FDA is well aware that there are no X-rays, biopsies, blood
tests, or brain scans that verify these mental disorders as
diseases or illnesses. My
point is simple – the FDA should not be condoning or approving these
drugs without evidence of a disease, illness or physical abnormality that
would justify risking a child’s life with a harmful and potentially
lethal drug. We are gathered here
today discussing warning labels on antidepressant drugs.
Why? There was enough
evidence 14 years ago to issue warning labels on these drugs.
And you know this. There
are enough child deaths to demand accountability.
And you know this. Now
the FDA must do more. The
FDA’s own mission statement says that it is responsible for helping the
public get accurate, SCIENCE BASED information. It is failing.
The FDA is risking our children’s lives based on nothing more
than junk science. The FDA is
responsible for protecting the public health – not vested interests.
I remind you that children’s lives are in your hands and I call
upon you to fulfill your duty.
Thank You
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