State board investigating doctor’s role in boy’s death
(AP) — The death
of a 7-year-old
Eugene boy who
took an antidepres
sant drug prescribed
_by his psychiatrist is
under investigation by the state Board of
Medical Examiners.
The board will decide whether Dr. Sue
Colnsurdo made improper medical deci
sions that contributed to the death of Bob
by Jackson, said David 1-aDtica. the board’s
chief investigator.
Jackson died Jan. 5 from an apparent
overdose of the antidepressant imiprnmine.
according to The Register-Guard.
A story last month by the newspaper
NORTHWEST
prompted the investigation. LoDuca said.
Colasurdo. who contracts with the state
Children's Services Division to monitor
medications for foster children, pre
scribed imipmmine for Jackson to control
sleeping problems and tantrums The
dosage was more than twice that recom
mended by drug manufacturers for a
child of his weight, according to medical
records.
Drug companies have tested and certi
fied imipmmine for use in children only
for bed-wetting But child psychiatry s|**
cinlists say doctors commonly prescribe
the dmg for treatment of other symptoms
and at doses higher than recommended.
Manufacturers' guidelines for
imipramine. which arv approved by the
U.S Food and Drug Administration, rec
onmtend a dosage of 5H milligrams (x>r day
for a child of Jackson's weight and a max
imum dosage of 75 milligrams per day for
children.
At the time of hi* death, |m kson’s pre
scription (ailed lor 150 milligrams (air day
of imipramine. Colasurdo also had pre
scribed a daily dose of 25 to 75 milligrams
of Mellaril, an mitt-psyi hotic drug intend
ed to counteract "extreme agitation “
Pharmacy record*, provided by |«<kson's
mother and Tiles maintained by the Uine
County mental health division, show that
jac.kson at one time had been pros* ribed
for up to 175 milligrams of imipramine fier
day.
When lack son dim). ht> was living with
Norman and Doris Bolden, who operate
a foster home i.ertifiod by the statu Chil
dren's Services Division. Both have
declined to disc nss their involvement with
Jackson
Cohisurdo's attorney. Portland lawyer
Kuth Hooper, did not return telephone
mils to discuss the death or the (tending
investigation. A set retarv in (!olasurdo‘s
office said that American Psyt hiatric
Asms iatiou guidelines prohibit Colasur
do from i ommeuting public Iv on the
case
laDuca said tin* investigation i ould lake
as long as three months.
Mom takes son’s truancy into her own hands
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — A
mother is shadowing her truant
ninth-grade son ut high school to
make sure he is attending class
es,
"Freshman year is a transition
year. If I < an get him through,
mavho he will go on to his
sophomore year." Randi Mcl-ar
rin said, holding a big ring note
book and a math book.
This school year, her son.
Chris, has been suspended four
times for skipping classes at
Thurston High School lie's also
piled up Iff detention days this
quarter for being late to class or
not showing up.
Chris said he doesn't mind
having his mom at school.
“It's nothing new. She's
always been involved." he said,
shrugging his shoulders
"Mis classmates are wonder
ful." said M< lairrin, noting that
some students have started (.ail
ing her ' Mom."
M< 1-orrm said she decided to
attend classes with her son last
week after rec eiving yet another
phone (all from the school
reporting that Chris wasn't in
(IflSS
"Every dav 1 would gel a
phone i all. It went that way lor
four or five weeks." sin* said
"We were usin|{ school per
sonnel to escort him to i.lass or
to check in with him Kinallv, I
said. 'That's it. I've hail it. " she
said
McLarrin sits in tin* Ixa k of all
of Chris' i.lasses, making sure
he's paying attention and doing
his work She also goes to deten
tion <ift«*r st.hool with him
Teacher Diane Jeffcotl said
Mdairrin's involvement has
helped ( (iris
"lie realizes Ins mom is seri
mis about school," she said
'Oik.ii students see parents give
up, then lliev feel they i tin give
up loo if they re not motivated
Mi 1 firrin say s this week will
lie her last .it school with Chris
She believes he is on the right
trai k now and she has again
arranged for tern her assistants to
esi ort him to i lass
Chris said ha s learned his les
son If he hasn’t, he knows what
Ins mother will do
I II lie hark.'' she said
Daughter says accused father should go to jail
MEDFORD (AH) — The daughter of a man
charged with kidnapping a 2-year-old boy
from a Greyhound bus said Wednesday he
once attacked her and tried to set her on fir**
"I'm praying he goes to jail and stays."
said Dawn Coletti. "After all he's done. I
don't care."
Gerhard Erich Coletti, 42. of Burein.
Wash., was charged with kidnapping and
held in lieu of $25,000 bail, police said.
Police suid Coletti befriended 1.easier
Marie Baker, 2.1, of Kent. Wash . and her two
children while they were traveling by bus
Tuesday from Washington
While the mother slept, (.'olutti took her
son and hopped a Rogue Valley Transit Dis
trict bus. Officer Mark Bell said. Coletti was
arrested Tuesday in Ashland after a woman
riding on I he local bus heard his des» ription
broadcast on the radio and t ailed poin t
The bov was returned unharmed to the
mother, who continued her journey to Union
Rouge, lac
Dawn Colette tM. who grew up in the
Medford area, said she got in touch w ith her
father last fail after not seeing him since she
was a small child.
Jury still out
in Salem
firebombing
NAt.KM CAP) A |ur\ t on
i I Illicit |K mm mill if.is uf ilc
liberations Weditusdas ssilli
out riMi hui).; .1 vcrilii;! in the
tri.il uf three |>iio|)|e 1 linrged
with murdering two apart
munt residents in a fire
bombing last full
Deliberations were tn
rvsiniie today in Marion ( ruin
Is ('in ml (!imrt
Philip It Wilson. 1, Vo
l.iml.i K Cotton. JO. .mil I eon
I. Tucker. 22. are charged
with murder, arson, assault
anil racial intimidation
The s ii tons. Hattie M Co
hens. J't. anil Brian II Mm k,
4V. filed after two Molotov
1 ik ktnils were thrown through
their apartment window Sept
2t>
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