Teen’s heart attack stumped doctors

Could not pinpoint cause, fatality inquiry hears

BY ALEXANDRA ZABJEK, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM JANUARY 18, 2011

EDMONTON — Doctors have never been able to pinpoint why a 13-year-old girl with a rare chromosomal abnormality suffered a fatal heart attack in 2006, a fatality inquiry heard Tuesday.

Samantha Martin appeared to be in good physical condition in the five months she spent living with her biological family in St. Albert before her death, her mother Velvet Martin told the inquiry.

The teenager spent most of her life in a foster home, but was returned to her parents’ care in the months before she died on Dec. 3, 2006. Martin has alleged her daughter was mistreated in foster care, and that no one followed up on concerns her daughter was suffering seizures.

Martin said none of the doctors who examined Samantha, either before or after her death, could explain why she went into cardiac arrest.

But Martin told the inquiry that researchers who studied the case have theorized the heart attack could have been linked to untreated seizures.

“I believe if she’d been removed (from the foster home) prior to that, we would have dealt with her seizures,” Martin said in court.

The fatality inquiry is not a criminal trial, and the judge presiding over the process cannot assign blame for a death. The judge can present ­recommendations on how to prevent similar deaths in the future.

The inquiry previously heard that Samantha was diagnosed with Tetrasomy 18p, several weeks after her birth. The rare condition causes developmental delays and is associated with seizures, cardiac defects, and gastrointestinal problems.

Samantha was put in a foster home soon after her birth in 1993. Her mother said by 2001, she was concerned her daughter was being mistreated. She reported Samantha suffered from seven broken bones, and various serious bruises, and she was never given clear explanations for how the injuries occurred.

Martin said she relinquished guardianship of her daughter on the advice of children’s services workers who told her Samantha would receive more government support if she lived with a foster family.

It was the start of an often acrimonious relationship with the government ministry and the foster family.

A lawyer representing the foster family is expected to cross-examine her on Wednesday.

Read more:http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Teen+heart+attack+stumped+doctors/4128785/story.html#ixzz1BUGUIVtQ

Samantha, The Face Of The International Medical Diversity Movement

International Medical Diversity is a movement to accept developmental disabilities in children as a natural occurrence of life, and not grounds for state intervention.

In loving memory of Samantha Lauren Martin.   Family-centred care is imperative to successful strengthening of society as a whole.

Samantha Lauren Martin,

Sunrise June 4, 1993 - Sunset December 3, 2006.

The purpose of this site is to educate; to promote better care practice for all children and vulnerable persons. Although it is natural to feel bitterness when betrayed, it is imperative to emerge from tragedy victoriously. That means, replacing ugliness with positive directive. Samantha's space is not intended to be a hate campaign, rather it is here as a vehicle to secure justice, healing and hope. Please honour the beautiful girl that walks above us instead of beside us now. Factual posting is encouraged, hatred is not. Samantha freely extended love so we must continue to honour her valiantly while ensuring accountabiity through factual means.

"It matters to this one and it matters to me."

What happened to Samantha Lauren Martin
In a nutshell, parents gave birth to a child with a little girl with a rare chromosomal disorder.  Because of this, the Government of Alberta, Canada placed her in foster care.  End result, the child was murdered.


Samantha's Law
The purpose of this proposed legislation is to allow for medical diversity in diagnosis and treatment of children with disabilities.  Current thought, not exclusive to Canada, is to remove these children, place them in foster care and adopt them out to lessen the financial burdens of the state for national reimbursement of costs.  


"Samantha's Law" Amendment to the Alberta FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) Act, was enacted retroactive to Samantha's death in December 2006: "The Family Support for Children with Disabilities Program to have separate legislation from that of child protection services." Section 2-3, Manual Amendments: Policy and Procedures in Family Centred Supports and Services:


Alberta, Canada Family Support For Children With Disabilities Act 2003
In the United States and the United Kingdom, there are financial incentives for adoptive parents to adopt disabled children with relatively little to no medical assistance to natural parents.  Private insurance companies will not pay for the treatment of these children and have participated in the design of these federal funding schemes.


The issue is not centralized to Canada.  It is international.  The international medical diversity movement is the inspiration of Velvet Martin, the mother of Samantha.  Meet Velvet:

In Celebration of the Importance of Life & Loving Memory of:

Samantha Lauren Martin,

Sunrise June 4, 1993 - Sunset December 3, 2006.