Nurse Charged for Death of Cerebral Palsy Patient

Joy O'Shea-Woomer, a 48-year old nurse in Lancaster, Pa., has recently been charged with criminal homicide for administering lethal doses of morphine to Brent Weaver, an 11-year old living with cerebral palsy. O'Shea-Woomer has also been charged with two other felonies, including drug delivery and drug delivery resulting in death.

Brent suffered from a severe case of cerebral palsy, which caused him to experience spastic paraplegia and violent epilepsy. Although he was bed-ridden at home, he did receive constant medical attention from a live-in nurse who administered medication and maintained his feeding tube, among her other duties.

Facts of the Case

Although Brent's death occurred in September 2002, Lancaster prosecutors have only recently started filing charges and seeking retribution for Brent and his family.

Lead District Attorney Craig Stedman confessed that, while he was unaware of this case until recently and is sorry that it has taken so long to prosecute, he is confident that his office will deliver justice. "All we can do is move forward," Stedman said.

On Sept. 26, 2008, Brent was being solely cared for by O'Shea-Woomer, who was standing in for Brent's regular nurse. His time of death was fixed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on that fateful day. No one aside from O'Shea-Woomer had contact with Brent between these hours, as Brent's parents, Mark and Carol Weaver, were sleeping at the time.

Nurse Suspected of Overdosing Patient

During this period, police and prosecutors suspect that O'Shea-Woomer administered lethal doses of morphine, an extremely strong opiate drug used as a sedative and painkiller.

Brent's body was exhumed and found to contain high concentrations of this drug. While O'Shea-Woomer denies giving Brent the morphine, she does admit that she checked on Brent about three or four times during the night, as he was moaning and restless.

(Source: Associated Press)

Do you have a child living with cerebral palsy who may be the victim of negligence by his/her caretaker? If so, contact a cerebral palsy lawyer for more information about your legal rights. You can schedule a private consultation with one of our top cerebral palsy attorneys who will thoroughly evaluate your case and fight to protect the rights of you and your family.