Trinity Full Gospel Choir

Pastor Donaldson and Cheryl Donaldsonon

"Arisen" Dance Group

Join us for the 2012 “Children’s March For Children”, April 16, 2012—ending in a Candlelight Vigil in the name of Gabriel Myers and the Right to Informed Consent

Story below.

Punjwani, Gabriel Myers' Psychiatrist

Miami Herald

Child welfare | Gabriel Myers’ Psychiatrist

Boy’s county psychiatrist has other issues

Two years after Gabriel Myers’ suicide, his psychiatrist faces increased scrutiny.

By Carol Marbin Miller and Diana Moskovitz

In the two years since the death of Gabriel Myers, the boy’s Broward County psychiatrist, whose prescribing practices drew the ire of state regulators and children’s advocates, has found himself in ever-deeper hot water.

On July 18 of last year, Sohail Punjwani was arrested by Miami Beach police officers for driving under the influence and cocaine possession.

In August, Punjwani entered into a pretrial diversion program and will not be prosecuted for the cocaine charges if he completes the program, Miami-Dade court records show.

Punjwani has not been disciplined by the Department of Health, a spokeswoman said.

Although Punjwani declined to comment directly, his lawyer, Brian Bieber, stated: “With respect to the DUI charge, that matter is presently pending in the county court and we are vigorously defending that charge. It is significant to note that the criminal charges have absolutely nothing to do with Dr. Punjwani’s ability to practice medicine.”

Punjwani provided The Miami Herald with a sworn statement from a consulting doctor who concluded “within reasonable medical and psychiatric probability” that Gabriel’s death was not attributable to Dr. Punjwani’s prescribing practices.

“Gabriel had exhibited impulsive and aggressive behavior well before he was prescribed any medication by Dr. Punjwani, and he had undergone a number of significant and very emotional changes in the several weeks predating his death,” concluded Manuel R. Garcia, a child psychiatrist and lecturer who taught psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California at San Diego.

According to a police report, Punjwani was driving a black Mercedes Benz northbound on Alton Road when officers noticed he was swerving among traffic, “nearly sideswiping vehicles and then quickly over-correcting this action and nearly striking a curb.”

Officers pulled Punjwani over, and “noticed [he] had a white powder substance around his nostrils Officers also observed that Punjwani “had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol upon him.”

A search of the car turned up a small baggie with white powder in it. The powder turned out to be cocaine.

Punjwani first came under scrutiny when The Miami Herald revealed he had prescribed several psychiatric drugs – some of which were linked to an increased risk of suicide among children – to 7-year-old Gabriel, who hanged himself with a detachable shower cord at his Margate foster home on April 16, 2009.

A report on the case by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, obtained by the Herald, concluded that “the medications that were prescribed for Gabriel may have contributed to his actions directly prior to and during his accidental death.”

Punjwani, the team wrote, “has already been sanctioned for over-prescribing medications to patients, and, for the age-inappropriate prescription of medications to Gabriel Myers.”

“The combination of the prescription of psychotropic medications to a 7-year-old boy and the lack of proper supervision and/or failure to centralize responsibility of treatment of Gabriel Myers is a significant contributor to his mental state at the time of his death.”

See news video here: http://www2.tbo.com/video/2011/apr/16/vigil-for-a-young-life-cut-short-29856/video-news/

Here is the press release from the Rutherford Institute: http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/press_release.asp?article_id=906

Speakers included: Sophia Vera, former foster child Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats  and renowned Rutherford Institute constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead.

A candlelight vigil in memory of 7-year-old Gabriel Myers, a foster child in state care who reportedly hanged himself while on three powerful psychotropic drugs, was held Saturday, April 16th. For months on end, practically every media outlet in the state covered Gabriel’s death. You can see a compilation of all the press and videos here: http://gabrielmyers.wordpress.com/

TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HARM TO CHILDREN FROM UNWARRANTED DRUGGING

Attorney and author John Whitehead will address the public about the right to Informed Consent during the annual statewide Gabriel Meyers candlelight vigil on April 16^th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Memorial Causeway in Clearwater. Whitehead has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law and human rights. Widely recognized as one of the nation’s most vocal and involved civil liberties attorneys, Whitehead’s approach to civil liberties issues has earned him numerous accolades and accomplishments.

Whitehead has been the subject of newspaper, magazine and television profiles, ranging from Gentleman’s Quarterly to CBS’ 60 Minutes. Whitehead’s articles examining trends and issues have been printed in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, among many others. Whitehead is a frequent commentator on a variety of legal and cultural issues in the national media and has appeared on Larry King Live, The O’Reilly Factor, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Crossfire, CNN Headline News, Nightline, Dateline, CBS Evening News and The View, among many others.   

Saturday-April 16th-7:30pm-9pm

(Behind the Clearwater Court House-Near the Bikewalk to Clearwater Beach)

In Memory of Gabriel Myers and all children who deserved the right to a bright future without harmful psychotropics. 

Call 727-442-8820 or email Laurie@cchrflorida.org to confirm your attendance 

For more information go to www.cchrflorida.org

Government is daring to keep kids on drugs

Herald Tribune

By Tom Lyons

July 25, 2010

Apparently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had at least heard about the suicide of Gabriel Myers.

Myers’ death by hanging happened in a Florida foster home last year, but that wasn’t the main reason it triggered a major reaction at Florida’s Department of Children and Families.

The real reason: He was 7 years old.

Whatever else might have helped lead such a young child toward ending his life, one detail was impossible to ignore: The boy was being treated with three different psychotropic medications.

Medications of that sort make some people more depressed or even suicidal, and their effects when combined are harder to predict, especially in children.

So DCF did a quick check on how many foster children were being given such drugs. Troubling facts emerged.

Not only was the percentage high, it was not really known. And, in more than a third of known cases, required approval permission documents were missing.

DCF Secretary George Sheldon quickly acknowledged the problem and started a study group to learn more and give advice. And a year later, the picture is at least more clear. Very few files lack required documentation now. And when I asked for the most current numbers, they were available, and somewhat lower. In the Sarasota-Manatee-DeSoto county region, 11 percent of foster children are given psychotropic meds. Statewide, it is 13 percent.

Some critics insist too many foster parents, lacking the skill or patience to work with troubled children who arrive as strangers, are still too quick to see medication as the way to curb problem behavior or just keep foster children quiet, no matter the side effects.

But whatever the truth of that, the study group recommended some good changes, and one made sense immediately, I thought: Ban the use of foster kids in drug trials.

See full article at http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100725/COLUMNIST/7251032/2055/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg

Pastor Donaldson-Host of the Lake Wales Candlelight Vigil

Welcomed several ministers, social workers and parishoners to their memorial for Gabriel Myers.

Pastor Donaldson

Mayor of Lake Wales reading the Proclamation for Gabriel Myers Day

Mayor of Lake Wales

Pastor Goosby spoke to the attendees about love and care for their children and families.

Pastor Goosby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17iqUsACRZM  and  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSav5qxXPkY

The Gabriel Myers bill passed the Senate Judiciary committee yesterday! .

Now – please e-mail and phone the below 3 House Representatives and urge them to schedule the Gabriel Myers bill, House Bill 1567 for a hearing.

Representative Larry Cretul – Speaker of the House 

Larry.Cretul@myfloridahouse.gov

Phone: (850) 488-1450

Phone: (352) 873-6564

Representative Ed Homan – Chair of Health and Family Services Policy Council

Ed.Homan@myfloridahouse.gov

Phone: (850) 488-3087

Phone: (813) 983-3330

Representative Faye Culp – sponsor of the bill on the House side

Faye.culp@myfloridahouse.gov

Phone: (850) 488-2770

Phone: (813) 272-2920

 —————————————————————————————————

http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/90770774.html

WJHG – NBC Channel 7

Apr 13, 2010

Foster Kid’s Death Sparks Changes

Almost a year after a Florida foster child hanged himself after taking psychotropic drugs state lawmakers are passing legislation to stop overmedication.

An investigation found 3-thousand kids in state care were being prescribed mind-altering drugs. Some of them were as young as two years old.

The legislation has one more stop in the Senate… but hasn’t been heard yet by the other chamber. Efforts to get the House onboard with the bill are in overdrive, with just two and a half weeks left in the legislative session.

On April 16th, 2009, seven year old Gabriel Myers hung himself in the bathroom of his foster home. Gabriel had been sexually abused and lived with four different foster families in less than a year’s time.

At the time of his death, Gabriel was on a slew of mind-altering medication. Experts believe the drugs clouded his judgment. Gabriel’s death spawned an investigation finding 13 percent of Florida’s foster kids were taking mind-altering drugs, compared to just four percent of their peers.”

Mez Pierre was placed on two psychotropic drugs when he entered the foster care system at five years old.

“When you are taken away from your family, you are upset and you are sad. Those are regular emotions. If you weren’t then you would have to question that, but the doctors said I had emotional problems and anger problems.”

Mez was on the drugs for 13 years. They influenced his judgment and gave him diabetes. Mez testified before a Senate Committee Tuesday asking lawmakers to pass legislation, requiring more oversight and counseling of kids taking mind-altering medication.

Senator Ronda Storms is one of the sponsors.

“What this bill does is says, “We’re not going to do that anymore. We are going to take a real hard look and we are going to be very, very thoughtful before we give you medication.”

In Florida kids as young as two years old have been given psychotropic drugs. Others were taking experimental drugs not yet approved by the FDA. The legislation would ban experimental drugs from being prescribed to foster kids, and all mind-alerting medication for kids younger than 11.

The legislation has one more stop in the Senate, but hasn’t been heard yet by the other chamber. Efforts to get the House onboard with the bill are in overdrive, with just two and a half weeks left in the legislative session.

http://cbs4.com/local/florida.legislators.legislation.2.1629212.html 

Bill Looks to Curb Medicating State Foster Kids

Bill Is Named For 7-Year-Old Gabriel Myers

By Lisa Cilli

Apr 13, 2010

Florida lawmakers are scheduled to discuss a measure Tuesday designed to curb the prescription of mental-health drugs to children in state care. Senate Bill 2718, also known as the Gabriel Myers Bill, would allow officials to more closely monitor the powerful psychiatric drugs dispensed to Florida foster care children.

The proposal is largely based on the findings of a task force formed after Gabriel locked himself in a bathroom and hung himself with a shower cord last April in his Margate foster home. Gabriel was on Seroquel, used to treat bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric drugs linked by federal regulators to potentially dangerous side effects, including suicide, but the risks may not have been adequately communicated to his foster parents. The drugs are not approved for use by young children. But doctors often prescribe them ‘off-label,’ for purposes for which the drugs have not been approved.

Sen. Ronda Storms (R)-Brandon, who filed the bill, said prescribed drugs have replaced talk therapy and are over-prescribed to subdue unruly children.

The proposed law would require the state Department of Children and Families to assign volunteer guardians to oversee each child’s mental health care. It prohibits foster children from being the subject of clinical drug trials and raises the age at which children are allowed to take these drugs from 6 to 11 in many cases.

It would also give children some say in the drugs they take because it would require foster children to agree to the use of the psychiatric drugs and would require caseworkers to explain to children, in a manner they can understand, why the drugs are necessary and what risks they carry.

The measure would also require an independent review before psychiatric drugs can be administered to children 10 or younger. The bill also requires children to have a mental health treatment plan that includes counseling for children prescribed such drugs.

The state’s growing use of adult medication on emotionally and mentally troubled children has sparked debate for years. Florida has approximately 19,000 children in state care and of those about 3,200 are in Miami-Dade County, according to DCF spokeswoman Flora Beal.

Gabriel’s death prompted a statewide investigation that found 13 percent, or 2,699, of all foster children are on such drugs, according to a DCF study. That compares with only an estimated 4 percent to 5 percent of children in the general population.

A state appointed panel recently reviewed all cases and released a report that found that the policies requiring parental consent or a second opinion were not uniformly followed. Gabriel Myers was on psychotropic medications without the required consent, the panel concluded

The bill is designed to curb the prescription of mental-health drugs to children in state care.

Gabriel Myers

Below are 2 video  excerpts of what Florida Senators are saying about child drugging:

Florida Senators Discuss Psych Drugs on Kids #1

Florida Senators Discuss Psych Drugs on Kids #2

Please e-mail the below Senators on the Judiciary Committee and urge them to  vote YES on the Gabriel Myers Bill – Senate Bill 2718:  

storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov, negron.joe.web@flsenate.gov, joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov, baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov, fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov, gelber.dan.web@flsenate.gov, haridopolos.mike.web@flsenate.gov, peaden.durell.web@flsenate.gov, richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov, ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov

More info on the bill here: http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2010/Senate/bills/billtext/pdf/s2718c1.pdf

More info on Gabriel Myers here: http://gabrielmyers.wordpress.com/

(Senator Storms lets you know what you can say to the legislators, to get this bill moving, in bold, below)

Senator Ronda Storms was interviewed on radio, Sunday night,regarding this bill and the subject of psychotropic drugs.  Below, is some of what she has to say to you, the public.  Please read and call the 3 legislators whose names and phone numbers are at the bottom of this email. Do not hesitate to stand up and be the champions for Florida’s children.  It is a beginning for human rights advocates all over the country.

Regarding psychotropic drugs and Florida’s children:

“…You have to do honor to these children and to these babies who have had terrible lives and who had terrible things happen to them. But the way that I honor their little lives is by making sure that I do all that I can that no other child has to endure that…and that we improve the system for their sake.” 

We have a very very serious problem…it is a terrible problem in this country and certainly in this state…

On why so many prescriptions for psychotropics:

“…well my opinion to that is…one of the reasons has to be, and as nauseating as the thought is to people, … is the money aspect.  There are a lot of people making a lot of money…”

On the Bill:

I’m hopeful that we are going to get it through, it’s my intention to get it through…we are having a difficult time getting it through the house.  The house committee is not even moving it…

On what would hold up a common sense bill that goes a little bit further on protecting foster care children:

“It makes no sense… I don’t understand…I don’t have any defense for my colleagues in the house that don’t want to hear it…I think that there is a couple of things. One is that the psychiatric community has raised some objections.”

On how do we get the people to get an equal an voice with the special interests:

“…We are not having people call.  For instance the chair of the house who is holding up my bill in the house,Rep. Paige Kreegel.  He probably hasn’t had anybody call him or write him a letter or say will you please schedule this bill or would you please hear this bill.  The only people …he is hearing from are probably the psychiatric community.

That’s the only reason I can think there is a hold up.

I would appreciate any help we can get”

Call these three legislators and ask them to schedule House Bill 1567

 in the House.  Tell them you want them to vote “Yes”

Sponsor: Faye Culp (850) 488-2770 and (813) 272-2920

Chair:  Paige Kreegel (850) 488-9175 and (941) 575-5820

Vice Chair: Kurt Kelly (850) 488-0335 and (352) 732-1313 

Radio interview was on “Prescription Addiction” radio show this past Sunday night.