AND TAKING THE POWERFUL TO ASK.
8 ON YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATES.
A TRIP TO THE DENTIST LED TO
HIS DEATH.
HIS FAMILY WANTS TO KNOW WHY
THE STATE ISN'T HOLDING ANYONE
ACCOUNTABLE.
FLORIDA'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
CHARGES THAT SEVERAL MISTAKES
BY A LOCAL DENTIST DID
CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEATH OF
TOMMY MYERS.
TOMMY DIED MORE THAN 4 1/2
YEARS AGO.
HIS PARENTS TELL 8 ON YOUR SIDE
SENIOR INVESTIGATOR STEVE
ANDREWS THEY WANT ANSWERS AND
THEY ALSO WANT ACTION.
Reporter: TOMMY'S FOLKS ARE
EXTREMELY GRIEF STRICKEN.
AND THEY'RE MAD.
THE STATE HAS NOT DISCIPLINED
THIS DENTIST.
GIVE HIM SOME MORE.
HE GAVE ME NOTHING BUT LOVE.
HE WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF
OUR FAMILY.
GOOD JOB!
WHERE HAPPINESS, INNOCENCE,
AND LOVE ONCE OCCUPIED THE HOME
OF GARY AND MAUREEN MYERS, NOW
THERE'S A VOID.
4 1/2 YEARS AGO, THEY LOST
THEIR 30-YEAR-OLD SON TOMMY.
IT'S JUST BEEN LIKE MY
HEART'S JUST BEEN RIPPED OUT OF
MY SOUL, YOU KNOW?
I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY
WE MISS TOM.
Reporter: HE DIED FROM
COMPLICATIONS OF MULTIDRUG
INTOXICATION GIVEN DURING A
DENTAL PROCEDURE.
SOMEBODY TRIED TO TREAT MY
SON WHO WAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR
SPECIAL NEEDS AND HE DIED.
Reporter: SEPTEMBER 24TH,
2014, GARY ACCOMPANIED TOMMY
FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR.
VERONICA THOMPSON AT GRAND
DENNISTRY AT NEW PORT RICHEY.
HE'S BEEN SEDATED WITH AN IV
EVER SINCE 2002.
HE HAS DOWN SYNDROME, MENTAL
NEEDS, SPECIALLY CHALLENGED.
Reporter: TOMMY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT HIS DAD
WAS THERE FOR REASSURANCE.
I HELD HIS SHOULDERS BACK.
HE LOOKED AT ME AND I SAID,
RELAX.
THIS IS HARD.
YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME.
Reporter: DR. THOMPSON
ADMINISTERED THE DRUGS.
AS SOON AS SHE PUT THE
ANESTHETIC IN HIM, HE STARTED
COUGHING A REAL DEEP, CHOKING
COUGH.
Reporter: GARY CLAIMS DR.
THOMPSON ASSURED HIM THERE WAS
NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
WITHIN 40 MINUTES --
THEY CAME IN THE WAITING
ROOM AND SAID, WE HAVE A
PROBLEM.
I THINK THEY SAID HE STOPPED
BREATHING.
Reporter: AT THAT MOMENT,
PARAMEDICS WERE ALSO RUSHING
TOMMY TO NORTH BAY.
HE WASN'T BREATHING AND
DIDN'T HAVE A HEART BEAT.
THEN I GOT THE PHONE CALL.
Reporter: MAUREEN GOT TO THE
HOSPITAL AS QUICKLY AS SHE
COULD.
THE DOCTORS WERE DOING,
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT THEY
COULD.
Reporter: HE WASN'T
BREATHING ON HIS OWN.
THEN AS SOON AS I LOOKED AT
TOMMY, I KNEW.
I KNEW HE WASN'T GOING TO COME
BACK.
SO A PRIEST CAME AND GAVE HIM
HIS LAST RIGHTS.
Reporter: WITH NO BRAIN WAVE
ACTIVITY, NO HOPE FOR RECOVERY,
THE FAMILY DECIDED TO REMOVE
LIFE SUPPORT.
IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY RIPPED A
PIECE OF MY FLESH OUT OF ME.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL.
AND IT'S NEVER GOING TO COME
BACK.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE
HAVE SUFFERED WITH THE LOSS OF
OUR SON.
Reporter: THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
INVESTIGATED TOMMY'S DEATH.
IT CLAIMS THAT DR. THOMPSON
MADE MANY MISTAKES, INCLUDING
GIVING TOMMY TOO MUCH
ANESTHESIA TOO SOON, FOUR TIMES
THE AMOUNT FOR A HEALTHY ADULT.
THE STATE SAYS DR. THOMPSON
FAILED TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY
PROTOCOL, FAILED TO ADMINISTER
A REVERSAL DRUG.
SHE'S HAD NO PUNISHMENT FOR
TOMMY'S DEATH!
AND THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Reporter: 4 1/2 YEARS LATER,
THE STATE IS TAKING ACTION
AGAINST HER LICENSE.
DR. THOMPSON STILL PRACTICES
DENTISTRY.
FOR MAUREEN AND HER FAMILY,
NOTHING REMAINS THE SAME.
THEIR SPECIAL BOY LOVED SO VERY
MUCH DRIFTED AWAY QUICKLY ONCE
LIFE SUPPORT WAS REMOVED BUT
NOT BEFORE HIS MOTHER TOLD ME
--
WE LOVED HIM.
JUST GO TO SLEEP.
Reporter: NOW DR. THOMPSON
HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST
FOR A COMMENT.
GRAND DENTISTRY ISSUED A
STATEMENT THAT SAID WHILE IT
CANNOT DISCUSS MEDICAL
INFORMATION OF PATIENTS, THEY
ARE ADMINISTERING PROPER DENTAL
CARE AND FOR ME TO STAY OFF
THEIR PROPERTY.
STATE PROBLEMS BUT NO
ACTION.
WHAT'S THE EXCUSE FOR THAT?
IT SEEMS THEY'RE IN
NEGOTIATION MODE RIGHT NOW EVEN
THOUGH ONE MEMBER OF THE BOARD
OF DENTISTRY'S PROBABLE CAUSE'S
PANEL SAYS THIS WAS THE WORST
CASE HE'S SEEN ON HIS TENURE ON
THE BOARD.
STILL, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN TRYING
TO REACH A SETTLEMENT SO IT CAN
RECOVER ITS COSTS RATHER THAN
DISCIPLINING A DOCTOR IT CLAIMS
MADE MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE.
AND THE BOARD OF DENTISTRY HAS
VOTED TO REVOKE HER LICENSE.
TOMORROW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH IS DOING AND NOT DOING
IN THIS CASE.