First paragraph reads: "MS. WEATHERS: My name is Patricia

      Weathers. I am a New York mother and president and

      co-founder of ablechild.org, a national grassroots

      parent organization representing over 900 members,

      such as Mrs. Vicky Dunkle whose 10 year-old

      daughter died in her mother's arms as a direct

      result of the antidepressant prescribed her.

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/transcripts/2004-4065T1.htm

DR. GOODMAN: Thank you. Speaker 65,

      please.

                MS. WEATHERS: My name is Patricia

      Weathers. I am a New York mother and president and

      co-founder of ablechild.org, a national grassroots

      parent organization representing over 900 members,

      such as Mrs. Vicky Dunkle whose 10 year-old

      daughter died in her mother's 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. 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      become extremely withdrawn.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 psychiatrist then diagnosed him

      with social anxiety disorder and recommended Paxil

                                                               421

      as a, quote, wonder drug for kids.

                On Paxil, he began hearing voices in his

      head, drew violent pictures and even attacked me.

      I could no longer recognize my own son. He pleaded

      with me at one point, "Mom, make it stop." I

      finally realized that it was the Paxil that put him

      in a drug-induced psychosis so, naturally, I

      removed him from the drug. 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 bipolar

      disorder and attention deficit disorder, are not

      medical conditions. Parents are told that their

      child has a chemical imbalance or a neurobiological

      illness. We risked our child's life based on this

      fundamental lie.

                I now know 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 a

      disease or illness. My point is simple. The FDA

      should not be condoning or approving these drugs

                                                               422

      without evidence of disease, illness or physical

      abnormality that would justify risking our

      children's lives with a harmful and potentially

      lethal drug.

                We are gathered here today, discussing

      warning labels on antidepressant drugs. Why? The

      FDA had enough evidence 14 years ago to issue these

      warning labels on these drugs 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...

                [Applause]