Salem mother pleads not guilty to withholding son’s cancer treatment
The Autism News | English
Kristen LaBrie, left, who is accused of withholding cancer treatment from her autistic son (Lisa Poole/Pool via AP)
By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan | The Boston Globe
SALEM — A mother stood in handcuffs today and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges as prosecutors accused her of withholding life-saving cancer treatment from her 9-year-old son before his death from leukemia.
Kristen LaBrie, 37, said little during her arraignment in Salem Superior Court, listening intently and shaking her head in disapproval when a prosecutor outlined the alleged crimes against her autistic son, Jeremy. The indictment by an Essex County grand jury Friday also includes charges of permitting serious bodily injury to a disabled person, child endangerment, and permitting substantial bodily injury to a child.
Defense attorney Kevin James said in court that his client was really a victim because the boy’s father, Eric J. Fraser, abandoned his son and left LaBrie to shoulder the burden of care after the diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006.
“She is the victim,” James said. “She is the mother who took care of her child.”
Essex Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said in court that Labrie failed for months to provide necessary medication to her son, did not fill his prescriptions, missed doctor appointments, and never bothered to seek help from the staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.
When Labrie had custody of the boy from October 2006 and February 2008, she did not reach out to the hospital team caring for her son, which included a social worker, nurse, and oncologist, MacDougall said.
Jeremy’s disease eventually progressed to leukemia. Eric Fraser, his father gained custody of him and put him in hospice, where he died in March. Fraser told reporters today he supports the prosecution of LaBrie.
LaBrie was ordered held today on $15,000 cash bail.
Related News: Massachusetts mom accused of withholding cancer meds
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/salem_mother_pl.html
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V Dawn Cullen Thiessen at 4:05pm July 6
good grief
Semantha Wygant at 6:18pm July 6
I am just curious, did anyone point out she might be harming him BEFORE he got so sick? Did the doctors note when she missed appts and report it? Its so easy to look back and point fingers and such, but did anyone bother to notice this poor kid’s issues BEFORE the damage was done? This is a huge problem I have with our country’s healthcare system (or lack there of): its never anyone’s responsibility to followup or coordinate. “Teams” of doctors and specialists working together are rare and basic followup seems to be completely forgotten. My son has had 3 major docs since birth and countless therapists, and not once in 4 yrs has anyone agreed to a group discussion to coordinate care. Why is that so hard to do? If you can schedule an office appt can’t you schedule a conferance call once or twice a year?
Tonya Maa at 7:39pm July 6
Semantha – AMEN!!! (tossing pennies at your soap box tin cup) lol…
Hopeezinetoday Autismmom at 9:29am July 7
Its nice to see people getting down to the nitty gritty