July 15, 2024 Update
1:00 PM CST Annie Singer has made a YouTube Video that can be shared on social media, Mayo Clinic is STILL torturing David Russell — You can help! She also has the video on TikTok.
8:00 AM CST. David has now been electroshocked ten times against his will.
| 1. June 13, 2024 2. June 14, 2024 3. June 17, 2024 4. June 19, 2024 5. June 24, 2024 |
6. July 1, 2024 7. July 3, 2024 8. July 5, 2024 9. July 9, 2024 10. July 12, 2024 |
David has been told they are going to reduce the frequency to once a week and then maybe to once a month. David thinks they are planning on moving him to a less restrictive setting and hoped that would mean no more electroshock, but both Charles Helmer and Ray Sandford were electroshocked against their will on an outpatient basis in Minnesota.
David was asked if he still wanted people advocating to stop electroshocking him against his will in light of the apparent lack of effect and he said yes. In fact, it took a sustained effort to stop the electroshocking of Charles Helmer and Ray Sandford before success was achieved.
Therefore we are asking people to continue to press the Mayo Clinic, especially Dr. Schak, and Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota (Catholic Charities), which was granted dominion over David as guardian to stop the shock. David has not been told what they are trying to accomplish with the electroshock. The reason given in the Electroshock Order is that since David has “failed multiple neureleptic drug trials . . . [electroshock] is the next medical step.” As far as we know Schak.Kathryn@mayo.edu is still Schak’s e-mail address and the phone number of Schak’s Medical Secretary is 507-255-2326.
Bishop Barron, the head of the archdioces and president of Chatholic Charities, can be contacted and urged to intervene to stop the shock. We think Bishop Barron’s phone number is 507-858-1242, and his e-mail address bishop@dowr.org.
Bishop Barron’s X (Twitter) account has over 200,000 followers and posts and replies can be sent to .@BishopBarron asking that he intervene to stop David from being electroshocked. Bishop Barron’s YouTube Channel has over 525,000 followers and you can comment on the individual videos.
In addition, you can contact Governor Tim Walz and demand he look into the abuse of David Russel.
Additional contact information is available on David’s MindFreedom Shield Alert Page.
We are certainly open to suggestions for other actions that might be taken on David’s behalf. If you have any, please e-mail shield@mindfreedom.org.
Please comment below sharing the actions you have taken. The system requires us to approve comments so it may take a bit of time for it to show up.
July 1, 2024 Updates
11:30 AM Central Time
Jim Gottstein talked to David and he was electroshocked against his will this morning, making it number 6 by our count.
4:00 AM Central Time.
As we mentioned last time, the head of Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota, Bishop Barron, is one of the most-followed Catholics in the world on social media. if we can get David’s Alert noticed on Bishop Barron’s social media that would be very good. The idea is to get him to intervene to stop the electroshocking of David Russell against his will.
Bishop Barron’s Facebook Page has over 3 million followers and while you can’t post on his main page, you can comment on his posts. It would not be surprising if these were deleted and people posting the comments were blocked, but we wonder how fast they can do that and how many of us will post there. That they remove the posts and block people over it, can be publicized as well. It will be interesting to see, and if you e-mail shield@mindfreedom.org about your experience with Bishop Barron’s social media we can post it on David’s MindFreedom Shield Alert Auxiliary Page.
Bishop Barron’s X (Twitter) account has over 200,000 followers and posts and replies can be sent to .@BishopBarron pleading that he stop David from being electroshocked. Susan Roger’s post on X can be reposted
Bishop Barron’s YouTube Channel has over 525,000 followers and you can comment on the individual videos. One has almost 2,000 comments, so it is hard to get noticed there, but if enough comments are made that can have an impact.
Jim Gottstein’s e-mail to Bishop Barron might serve to provide talking points for your own actions in support of David, as well as the e-mails posted on David’s MindFreedom Shield Alert Auxiliary Page.
Finally, you can share Annie Singer’s TikTok Video on your social media. It uses the F word a few times so that is a consideration of whether and where you might post it. It is focused on getting people to contact Bishop Barron to get him to stop the electroshocking of David.
Calls and e-mails to Bishop Barron should also be continued; 507-858-1242, bishop@dowr.org.
Until our comment function is working reliably, please e-mail us with the actions you take so we can post them in the auxiliary pages we have set up as a work-around. Especially if you tried to leave a comment and were stymied. Unless you tell us otherwise, when we post your e-mails, we will remove your e-mail address.
As always, remember that David and Jill are at risk of retaliation and you are supporting them under the MindFreedom banner. MindFreedom International does not condone threats of violence or harm. Our mission statement is:
In a spirit of mutual cooperation, MindFreedom International aims to lead a non-violent revolution of freedom, equality, truth, and human rights in mental health care by uniting psychiatric survivors, consumers, and allies through movements for justice everywhere.
This is the spirit we want to bring to this effort. MindFreedom thanks you for your support of David.
June 26, 2024, Update
4:30 PM Central Time. An Auxiliary page has been set up for additional information and as a workaround for the comments feature not working at the present time.
- Fabulous TikTok Post by Annie Singer
2:30 PM Central Time. The Mayo Clinic is electroshocking David against his will again in spite of it causing a potentially deadly blood clot last Wednesday. The callous disregard of David’s health, and even life, is stunning.
We understand David has been subjected to five electroshocks against his will:
- June 13, 2024
- June 14, 2024
- June 17, 2024
- June 19, 2024 (Blood Clot)
- June 24, 2024
They were going to shock him again this morning, but there was a mix-up and he ate breakfast so they didn’t subject him to it.
A volunteer has been able to obtain some of the court filings in the commitment/electroshock case. They are very short on facts as to why all this is being done to David. The Electroshock Petition does state that David cannot breathe on his own during the procedure. There is also a recording of the hearing last October in the guardianship case on David’s motion for a new attorney. His supposed lawyer essentially testifyied against David, demonstrating why David should get a new lawyer. When David accurately says the lawyers assigned to him do nothing for him, that is attributed to the ravings of a lunatic. We hope to get transcripts of the psychiatric imprisonment, forced drugging, and forced electroshock hearings.
Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota, which has been granted dominion over David as guardian has done nothing to protect David. They could almost certainly have the electroshocking of David stopped. We have asked you to contact people in its guardianship office without response, and now we are asking you to also contact the bishop of the diocese and higher ups at Catholic Charities. Mike Hanratty who we have asked you to contact in the past should continue to be urged to do the right thing and stop David from being electroshocked. He has the power to do so. E-mails are good, but phone calls are better.
Bishop Robert Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
507-858-1242
bishop@dowr.org, or contacted through his secretary, Leandra Hubka, at lhubka@dowr.org.John Meyers, Catholic Charities Executive Director
507-454-2270
jmeyers@ccsomn.orgIsaac Landsteiner, Catholic Charities Director of Parish Social Ministry
507-848-8303
ilandsteiner@ccsomn.orgMike Hanratty, Guardian/Conservator Program Director
507-454-2270 ext. 233
mhanratty@ccsomn.org
You might use their Catholic Social Teachings webpage and/or Jim Gottstein’s e-mail to Bishop Barron for talking points in your phone calls and e-mails .
Let’s also try to shame Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic leadership and board of trustees on social media.
Bishop Barron’s bio says he is one of the most-followed Catholics in the world on social media. Thus, flooding his social media could have a big impact.
3.1 million Facebook fans (https://facebook.com/BishopRobertBarron)
529,000 YouTube subscribers (https://youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo)
205,700 Twitter followers (https://twitter.com/BishopBarron)
The commenting function on David’s Alert Page is mostly not working at the moment so, if you could e-mail shield@mindfreedom.org to inform us of your social media posts that would be great. Or any other actions you take to support David. We will try to at least add the social media posts here so people can can repost them or otherwise use them to support David. Frankly, “liking” posts does not accomplish anything in our view. We want to shame Catholic Charities, the Catholic Church in Southern Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic as well as enlist the public in the effort to stop David from being electroshocked against his will.
Please remember that David is at risk of retaliation and you are supporting him under the MindFreedom banner. We ask you to take this into account in your social media posts, and when you call or write. MindFreedom’s Mission Statement is:
In a spirit of mutual cooperation, MindFreedom International aims to lead a non-violent revolution of freedom, equality, truth, and human rights in mental health care by uniting psychiatric survivors, consumers, and allies through movements for justice everywhere.
This is the spirit we want you to bring to this effort. MindFreedom thanks you for your support of David. David also always expresses his gratitude for you trying to help
June 22, 2024 Update
First, an update on David. When he woke up Wednesday after being electroshocked for the fourth time, he had a blood clot in his arm. This is a known effect of electroshock and can be fatal. Presumably for this reason he was not electroshocked Friday. It seems likely their plan is to resume the electroshock once the clot has dissolved so we don’t know how much of a reprieve this might be. Therefore, the pressure should be kept on.
However, it turns out the phone numbers we were provided for Schak and Zorn are their personal cell phones and people were calling in the middle of the night. Or, at least that is what Mayo’s lawyer wrote in his cease and desist letter. In our Alerts and Updates we say to to take into account you are advocating under the MindFreedom banner. We haven’t specified what that means exactly, but it doesn’t mean calling people in the middle of the night. While what Schak and Mayo are doing is reprehensible to say the least, constituting torture, MindFreedom chooses to take a higher road than Mayo. Not only do we think it is the right thing, we believe it is more effective, especially in the long run. We therefore ask that you stop calling those phone numbers. We have gotten Mayo’s attention. You might be interested in Jim Gottstein’s response to the cease and desist letter.
Over the weekend, let’s see if we can build a social media campaign focusing on Mayo’s Leadership and Board of Trustees. The idea is to draw their attention to what Mayo is doing and ask them to stop the Mayo Clinic from electroshocking David Russell against his will, as well invite others to join this effort. Are they pleased with being associated with an organization that is inflicting torture? “Liking” a post doesn’t accomplish this. The goal is to get wide exposure of what the Mayo Clinic is doing, garnering support, sympathy, and empathy for David. Sarah Price Hancock’s e-mail to Governor Waltz and people at the Mayo Clinic can be used to make points. So can PsychRights’ 2011 letter to the FDA.
Please put a link to your social media posts in the comments below so others can repost. Our system requires approval so it might take a bit before it shows up.
Also, again, please remember that David is at risk of retaliation and you are supporting him under the MindFreedom banner. We ask you to take this into account in your social media posts, and when you call or write. MindFreedom’s Mission Statement is:
In a spirit of mutual cooperation, MindFreedom International aims to lead a non-violent revolution of freedom, equality, truth, and human rights in mental health care by uniting psychiatric survivors, consumers, and allies through movements for justice everywhere.
This is the spirit we want you to bring to this effort. MindFreedom thanks you for your support of David. David also always expresses his gratitude for you trying to help.
June 20, 2024 Update
David Russell has been electroshocked against his will four times now: Thursday, June 13th, the very next day on Friday, June 14th, Monday June 17th, and Wednesday, June 19th. They won’t tell him how many times they are going to electroshock him, but it is likely he will be shocked again on Friday, June 21st, unless we can get it stopped. We need to keep the pressure on.
It would be great if you would call them and demand that the Mayo Clinic quit electroshocking David Russell against his will. It is believed Dr. Schak can have the shock stopped on her order.
Also, Catholic Charities, the guardian granted dominion over David, should not be let off the hook. The legal rationale for overriding David’s choice not to take electroshock is he lacks capacity (is imcomptent) to make such a choice. As his guardian, Catholic Charities is almost certainly allowed to choose that David not be electroshocked. However, instead of exercising independent judgment, Catholic Charities is just accepting what Mayo wants to do to David. There is a new person assigned to David by Catholic Charities, Lydia Stiehl. Ms. Stiehl’s e-mail address is lstiehl@ccsomn.org and her phone number is 507-454-2270. It would be great if you could contact her and demand she have the shock stopped. We don’t have her extension so you will have to ask to be transferred to her. The head of Catholic Charities guardianship program is Mike Hanratty and he should be called as well. He is at extension 233 of the same phone number, 507-454-2270, and his e-mail address is mhanratty@ccsomn.org.
Jim Gottstein wrote Ms. Stiehl an e-mail that you can look at for ideas about what to say or write. Also, Sarah Price Hancock wrote an especially excellent e-mail to Governor Waltz and people at the Mayo Clinic that can also be used for talking points.
We will appreciate it if you let us know about e-mails you send or about calls you make in the comments below. Our system requires approval so it might take a bit before it shows up. If you have any problems, please e-mail shield@mindfreedom.org.
Also, please remember that David is at risk of retaliation and you are supporting him under the MindFreedom banner. We ask you to take this into account when you call or write.
David always expresses appreciation for what you are doing to try to stop him from being electroshocked. As do we at MindFreedom.
June 16, 2024, Update:
David Is Getting Electroshocked Repeatedly
Jim Gottstein has been speaking with David most days since April 29th . Before he was electroshocked on Thursday, June 13th, David did not exhibit any memory deficits. David did complain about the drugging affecting his thinking. After he was electroshocked against his will on Thursday David said it took him 30 minutes to remember where he was and had a splitting headache. It is believed David was electroshocked against his will again the next day, Friday. Normally, electroshock is not given two days in a row. David was very disoriented, he couldn’t remember what day it was and was unclear on when he had been electroshocked. He was sure he had been electroshocked twice. When I talked to him later in the day, he didn’t remember he had talked to me earlier in the day. On Saturday, June 15th, David was feeling a little better, but was still having problems with his memory. Today, Sunday, June 16th, David says his memory has come back some, he is groggy and sore all over.
He understands they are going to continue to electroshock him against his will this coming week. Throughout this whole time David has said he is “scared shitless” as he saw someone being electroshocked to the point where they couldn’t talk and needed help eating. The brain damage from electroshock is cumulative, so the fewer electroshocks the better. David is a software engineer and he is legitimately worried the electroshock will make him unable to do that any more.
In addition to continuing to urge Dr. Schak to stop having David electroshocked against his will, you can contact Gianrico Farrugia, MD, Mayo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by e-mail mailing him at Farrugia.gianrico@mayo.edu. Christina Zorn is Mayo’s Chief Administrative Officer and her e-mail address might be zorn.christina@mayo.org. Jim Gottstein e-mailed her, requesting a delivery receipt, which he has not received, nor has he received a bounce message.
Also, please contact Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz and ask him to have the forcible electroshocking of David Russell stopped.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
130 State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155
Fax:(612)296-2089
Tel:(612)296-3391
email: tim.walz@state.mn.us
web: http://www.state.mn.us
Alternate Telephone Numbers
Telephone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay: 800-627-3529
Even though it is hard to imagine things getting worse for David, please recognize that he is at risk of retaliation and you are supporting David under the MindFreedom banner, so we ask you to take these into account when you call or write.
We will appreciate it if you leave a comment below with a copy of your e-mail and/or a description of your phone call or whatever else you might have done on David’s behalf and the response, if any. Our system requires approval of comments so it will take a bit for it to show up.
June 13, 2024, Updates
Tell Dr. Schak and Others to Stop the Shock
Noon Central Time. Another volunteer has identified the following Mayo Trustees’ e-mail addresses.
- Dr. Katherine Baicker kbaicker@uchicago.edu
- Dr. Matthew R. Callstrom callstrom.matthew@mayo.edu
- Dr. Rafael Fonseca fonseca.rafael@mayo.edu
- Dr. Charanjit S. Rihal rihal@mayo.edu
Jim Gottstein’s e-mail to Michael Powell, the chair of the Mayo Clinic’s Board of Trustees, might be useful in drafting e-mails to these trustees. It might also be useful to keep in mind these are all MDs.
10:40 AM Central Time. Jim Gottstein talked to David and he was electroshocked. He said it took him 30 minutes to remember where he was, has a splitting headache and other typical electroshock negative effects.
10:20 AM Central Time. It appears Dr. Schak changed her e-mail address and it is now Schak.Kathryn@mayo.edu.
10:00 AM Central Time. One of our volunteers tells us the phone number of the Medical Secretary to Dr. Schak is 507-255-2326. Calls could be made to Dr. Schak there.
3:00 AM Central Time. David Russell is scheduled to be electroshocked against his will in a few hours, presumably on the order of the psychiatrist assigned to him, Kate Schak. It is believed Schak testified in court to obtain the court order and then in the face of our efforts to stop it told David she had decided against it. On May 8th, Jim Gottstein wrote to Schak asking her to get the court order revoked (vacated) because David was concerned Dr. Schak or someone else might change their mind. That certainly proved prescient.
Jim Gottstein just wrote Dr. Schak again, demanding that she stop the shock. She can almost certainly still stop the shock as of the time this is posted. Please e-mail or call Dr. Schak to stop the shock. Her e-mail address is schak.kate@mayo.org. [Note: This is a bad address. Use Schak.Kathryn@mayo.edu instead] You can also try calling her at (507) 255-5555. This is where the Mayo Clinic has locked David up. If you can’t get through to her, please leave a message for her to stop the electroshocking of David Russell.
Please leave a comment below with a copy of your e-mail and/or a description of your phone call or whatever else you might have done on David’s behalf. Our system requires approval of comments so it will take a bit for it to show up.
Thank you for your support of David.
June 12; 2024, Update
Betrayal: David to be Electroshocked Tomorrow
Today, June 12th, around 2:00 PM, David was informed they are going to start electroshocking him against his will tomorrow. They wouldn’t answer any of his questions, such as how many times they plan to electroshock him, what they expect to accomplish, or even why they decided to subject him to electroshock when they had previously informed him they were not going to. David suspects it is because he has been telling them about the corruption he has knowledge of. Even if David is incorrect about the corruption, it is no justification for electroshocking him. If it is true, which probably at least some of it is, the electroshock could erase his memory about it. Electroshock is sometimes used for just this sort of purpose. David witnessed another patient who was rendered unable to talk by electroshock and is terrified of that happening to him. Whether it gets that bad or not, Electroshock always causes brain damage, usually causing at least some memory loss. It is unpredictable, but many people are brain damaged so much they can no longer engage in their profession or are otherwise disabled.
It is unlikely Mayo Clinic executives and especially trustees know about the despicable actions of their employees and this should be brought to their attention. The Chair of the Board of Trustees is Michael Powell. Powell is the President & CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and is the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The e-mail address we have found for him is mpowell@ncta.commpowell@ncta.com
You can look at the e-mail Jim Gottstein sent Mr. Powell. Please let us know what you do on David’s behalf by putting it in the comments. Copying and pasting e-mails work. The system requires us to review comments so it might take a bit of time before it shows up.
We expect to be updating this page frequently in the next day or so with additional people to contact to try and stop the Mayo Clinic from electroshocking David. It is hoped Mr. Powell, or Eric Schmidt for that matter, who ran Google for ten years and is now the executive chairman of its parent company, would not be happy about bad publicity over this. If you find information on how to contact Mr. Schmidt, or other members of the board of trustees, please let us know. It also seems like a social media campaign could be good–if we got some reach with it. We could use some help with that, too. If you initiate or participate in a social media campaign to stop David from being electroshocked, please also put that in the comments or otherwise let us know.
May 8, 2024 Update:
Success!!!–At Least for Now
David just informed us he has been told they are no longer planning to electroshock him and going to work on discharge planning to a theoretically slightly less restrictive environment. YOU HAVE DONE IT!!! There is no doubt David would have been electroshocked against his will without your efforts on his behalf. David wants everyone to know how appreciative he is. David said he called many agencies supposedly standing up for people’s rights and no one cared until he reached MindFreedom. He said he can’t believe people who don’t even know him have tried to help him. When he has a chance, he plans to thank us in the comments section.
The court order will likely still be hanging over David’s head so that is of some concern, but for now we should stand down from the advocacy. If they change their minds again David will try to let us know and we can start the advocacy again. We will also try to keep in touch with David just to make sure.
David is still trapped by the guardianship imposed on him and it would be great if he could get out from under that.
May 7, 2024, David Russell Alert Update:
Progress?
This evening David informed us his new psychiatrist, Kate Schak, who testified in favor of electroshocking David against his will on Monday, told him today they were thinking about not going forward with the electroshock. While not definitive, it does seem hopeful. We had asking the president/CEO of the Mayo Clinic to stop his organization from electroshocking David against his will on deck as the next action to take and Mr. Gottstein’s e-mail to Dr. Farrugia is in the comments below. It is still okay to e-mail Dr. Farrugia, but with the thrust being they should indeed decide not to electroshock Mr. Russell and inform him so. Dr. Farrugia’s e-mail address is probably Farrugia.gianrico@mayo.edu.
May 6, 2024, David Russell Alert Update:
Forced Electroshock Authorized
The court authorized the forced electroshocking of David Russell today. We understand the lawyer did not present any evidence against electroshock to rebut the untruthful testimony of the doctor. David’s statements about the harms were ignored, presumably as a product of his “mental illness,” i.e., that he was delusional in believing electroshock is harmful. There were at least eight people from MindFreedom who tried to attend the Zoom hearing, told they had been changed to observers but not let in. There were probably more who haven’t informed Jim Gottstein. If you are one of those people, you might drop in a comment below. We are not giving up.
May 5, 2024, Update — Zoom Into Hearing?
The court hearing to authorize electroshocking David against his will is scheduled for 10:00 AM Central Time, Monday, May 6th. We have found out it is going to be held by Zoom that one can join using ID Number 1613247575 and Pass Code 246968. We don’t know if you will be thrown out if you join the Zoom, but it could have a salutary effect on the participants to know that people are watching what they are doing. Court rules will generally not allow you to speak. We don’t know if chat will be enabled. If it is enabled, we know it will be hard to be civil in light of what they plan to do to David, but please be courteous and respectful in spite of that. You can comment about your experience of and observations about the hearing at the bottom of this page. Our system requires approval of comments so it may take a little while before it shows up.
It is conceivable they will cancel or postpone the court hearing at the last minute. That is what happened Thursday when there was a retention hearing scheduled on whether to continue locking up David. The last we heard, David has not been told of the reason for the delay. Maybe his appointed lawyer just agreed to have David continued to be locked up? However, we don’t see anything to that effect on the docket sheet.
May 2, 2024, Update
David signed a release of information to provide information to James B. Gottstein, Esq., of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights), but they won’t honor it, saying only his guardian can. This is another reason to contact Mike Hanratty at Catholic Charities, David’s Guardian. His phone number is 507-454-2270, and his e-mail address is mhanratty@ccsomn.org. Jim Gottstein e-mailed Mr. Hanratty asking him to send him the Electroshock Petition and sign an Authorization for Release of Information to communicate with Jim. This e-mail is in the comments below. So, today’s action is to contact Mr. Hanratty and demand (respectfully) that he send Mr. Gottstein the Electroshock Petition and sign an Authorization for Release of Information. His phone number is 507-454-2270, and his e-mail address is mhanratty@ccsomn.org. You can post your e-mail and/or describe your phone conversation or voice mail in the comment section below. Our system requires moderation so it may take a bit for your comment to show up.
May 1, 2024 Update
May 1, 2024. At this point, the prime suspect for who filed the Electroshock Petition is Rob Morgan, the psychiatrist in charge of David where he is locked up at the Mayo Clinic. His e-mail address is Morgan.Robert@mayo.edu. We don’t have his direct phone number, but Jim Gottstein was able to reach him by calling the Unit at (507) 255-5555 and asking for Dr. Morgan. Dr. Morgan didn’t deny he had filed the Electroshock Petition and Jim asked him to withdraw it. Jim then e-mailed him, which is posted in the comments below.
Please e-mail and/or call Dr. Morgan and ask him to withdraw or dismiss the Electroshock Petition. While it is good to be firm and direct about the harm inflicted by Electroshock, please be respectful and courteous,. You can then post what you e-mailed, or describe your phone call or voicemail, in the comments. If you previously contacted Catholic Charities and have yet to post what you did in the comments, you still can. Speaking of Catholic Charities, as David’s Guardian, it should vehemently oppose the Electroshock Petition. They should not be let off the hook even if they didn’t file the Electroshock Petition. Mike Hanratty is the Program Director of the Catholic Charities guardianship program, his phone number is 507-454-2270, and his e-mail address is mhanratty@ccsomn.org.
April 30, 2024 Update
Catholic Charities denies it filed the Electroshock Petition and has been asked to vehemently oppose it and to identify who did. See, the exchange in the comment by Jim Gottstein below.
Shield Alert: Stop David Russell
from being forcibly electroshocked
April 29, 2024. David Russel is terrified. He is currently a psychiatric prisoner at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and there is a court hearing scheduled for this coming Monday, May 6th, where they are on track to get a court order through a sham legal process to electroshock him against his will. David is terrified because he saw another patient who was electroshocked who now can’t even talk.
They really have David boxed in, taking his rights away through a guardianship/conservatorship and assigning him the same lawyer in both cases, who does nothing on his behalf according to David and as far as we can tell. Having a guardian means David is not allowed to make his own decisions, essentially putting him in the position of a small child with the guardian taking the place of his parents. The Conservator has control of David’s assets, including his income and bank account. David is an employed software engineer and the guardianship/conservatorship is absurd, bud sadly we see this all the time.
He is currently forced to take Zyprexa and has experienced the typical large weight gain associated with it. Zyprexa also dramatically increases the risk of diabetes. Previously, he was forced to take Risperdal, which has caused his breasts to swell up and lactate. This is called gynecomastia and is a well-established consequence of taking Risperdal.
This is all terrible and it would be great for David to be freed, both physically from psychiatric incarceration and forced drugging, and from the guardianship, but right now he desperately wants to avoid being electroshocked. We are still trying to find contact information for some of the people we would like to influence, but we do know Catholic Charities has been appointed guardian over David. The person there who is making decisions about David’s life is Brittany Dannehy whose phone number is 507-454-2270 ext. 241 and e-mail address is bdannehy@ccsomn.org. Mike Hanratty, is the Program Director of Catholic Charities’ euphemistically named Adult Advocacy Program and his phone number is 507-454-2270 and e-mail address is mhanratty@ccsomn.org.
David says he has not been given the electroshock petition, even though it is almost certainly legally required that he be given it. We can’t know for sure, but the Minnesota statute about the Guardian’s Power (see § (c)(4)(ii)) says it is the Guardian who is to file a petition for electroshock, so it seems good to call and e-mail Ms. Dannehy and Mr. Hanratty demanding that they withdraw the petition for electroshocking David against his will. Information on Electroshock is available here that might be useful in crafting e-mails or for phone calls. What they are planning on doing to David is truly barbarous and the United Nations has determined it can constitute torture (see ¶ 14) so it is right to be angry, but still please be courteous and respectful. If Catholic Charities did not file the Forced Electroshock Petition they can deny it and if so, should be asked who did. :Please let us know.
You can leave comments below about steps you have taken and things you have learned and check back for updates.
Email to Dr. Kathryn Schak
Schak.Kathryn@mayo.edu
Hello Kathryn
I’m sure you’ve seen the shield alert by now. Please find it in your heart to do the right thing. This is not helping David and I know that you know that deep down. No matter who David’s guardian is, David is still a human being who deserves autonomy over his own body. He does not want the forced electroshock treatment. Please cease this barbaric practice
Warmest regards
Caitlin
I called and left a message for Brittany at Catholic Charities.
It appears that Lydia is his current case manager and her extension is not listed. I dialed a random ext between 220 and 240 (those are the extensions listed for the staff) and left a message there. I asked them as his guardian to please withdraw this electroshock petition
Dear Governor Walz,
I am writing in regards to David Russell who is being forcibly held in the psychiatric unit at Mayo Clinic. My main objective in reaching out to you today is to demand that the ECT ordered against David Russell’s wishes be cancelled. It seems a despicable move to do this to David after he was reassured at a hearing last month that ECT’s were not necessary. In fact they were talking about moving him to a less restrictive environment. Is it a common occurrence for people in the psychiatric unit at Mayo Clinic who are ready to be moved to a less restrictive environment to suddenly deteriorate while under your care? Why is that? Is he being given these ECT’s as a form of retaliation? What would Minnesota taxpayers think of their tax dollars being spent on to shock a man against his will? Is this truly the best use of hardworking Minnesotan tax dollars? I would be appalled if my tax dollars were spent on something the UN and WHO has stated is a torture.
The United Nations has concluded Electroshock can constitute torture in violation of International Law. See, UN Human Rights Council. (19 June 2020). “Mental Health and Human Rights: Resolution 43/13 Adopted 19 June 2020.” A/HRC/RES/43/13. Geneva: United Nations; UN Human Rights Council. (20 Mar 2020). Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: Report of the Special Rapporteur. A/HRC/43/49. Geneva: United Nations; Méndez, Juan E. (4 Mar 2013). “Statement By Mr. Juan E Méndez, Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.” Geneva: United Nations. See also the related Report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Juan E. Méndez (2013), A/HRC/22/53. Geneva: United Nations.
David is a bright man. He has a college education and has been employed as a white collar professional in software engineering. These accomplishments alone indicate that David is more than capable of deciding what he needs to ease his emotional distress and he says it is not ECT.
David is rightfully concerned about the effects ECT will have on his brain. According to the UK National Association of Mental Health (mind.org/UK) research is unclear on how ECT affects the brain – including how it affects your mental health. Professionals cannot even come to an agreement as to whether ECT is even beneficial — a fact I find to be alarming. ECT often ends in memory loss. As if memory loss wasn’t enough ECT may result in a person’s inability to remember new information. Not being able to learn new information would impede a person’s ability to pursue future employment, a career or to pursue further education. Does any human being have the right to do this to another? Do we have the right to play God with another person’s brain? Do we have the right to incapacitate a person to the point that they can no longer pursue a career? Being able to remember new information is exactly what is required to find gainful employment and to live a fulfilling life from day to day.
ECT causes electroporation leading to cell membrane damage leading to cell death. Due to the high voltages involved in ECT there is only limited cell repair. Even contact with minor voltage pulses can lead to deep tissue injuries. Do we have the right to injure someone’s brain? Do we have the right to determine the trajectory of his future by damaging his brain? Where is David’s right to self determination as a US citizen under the US Constitution?
Being psychiatrically incarcerated is challenging enough but to force David to undergo ECT’s is a serious escalation of his situation. Psychiatric survivors who have been subjected to forced ECT describe it as a terrifying form of torture. They often describe the lack of agency and lack of power itself to be overwhelming. Sadly, I know this to be true from personal experience.
I was subjected to forced ECT’s and I call it torture. To rob a mother of the memories of her children is one of the worse forms of torture you can do to a mother and to her children. The trauma of forced ECT’s haunts me to this day and will follow me to my death. Prior to the ECT’s my husband, children and I were temporarily living in Morocco. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. After experiencing a poisonous spider bite that took a year and a half to recover I broke down from the stress of it all and my doctor subjected me to forced ECT. I still have nightmares and probably always will but worse of all I lost all memories of living in Morocco. I lost all memories of my children at 4 and 6 enjoying Morocco. That was 24 years ago and I still grieve. And the older I get the more I grieve the loss of that year in Morocco with my precious family more and more. I find the closer one gets to the end of their lives, memories become far more valuable than objects and the size of one’s bank account. It’s beautiful memories of the past that can give us the strength to face the adversities of getting old. Memories are what gives our lives meaning. It is morally and ethically wrong to alter someone’s brain through ECT’s so that they forget some of the happiest moments of their lives — the very things that give life meaning. It’s an affront against God and Nature.
My mother lost her father at the age of 16. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage during an ECT that was being administered to him against his will — leaving my grandmother with a newborn and seven other children to raise with no life insurance. The trauma of his murder by ECT continues to be passed down from one generation to the next. I never knew my grandfather but I feel the trauma of his death to this day and so do my adult children. I pray that my grandson will be spared the inner generational trauma of his great great grandfather’s death by ECT.
Tinkering with people’s brains is neither dignifying nor respectful of life. David Russell is a child of God after all. I see zero respect for David’s dignity and life by violently forcing him to receive ECT’s that he has a right as a child of God to oppose.
The United Nations Commission on Mental Health and Human Rights condemns the use of forced institutionalization and treatment and noted that it may amount to torture. The commission warns of people losing their legal capacity causing them to fall below legal purview through third parties (Conservatorship) giving consent to subject their client to forced ECT and institutionalization. According to the UN, a third party giving consent for his or her client to endure unwanted ECT may very well constitute torture.
David may be under the care of the Mayo clinic but we will not let David be forgotten. We, at MindFreedom, care about David Russell.
As an individual who has been greatly harmed by ECT I am pleading with you to stop forcing David Russell to undergo ECT’s he doesn’t want. It is not honoring David as a human being. It is not honoring the UN’s conclusion that to give someone ECT against their will constitutes torture. Therefore I am demanding you withdraw the petition of yours for the forced ECT of David Russell.
Sincerely,
Andrea Barnes
My name is Martin Savage and i am a member of the British Neuroscience Association ( Certificate attached)
I have been studying Evolutionary Neuroscience for over a decade and hope to release my Article in a Neuroscience magazine called “Sage” in the not too distant future. This publication once peer reviewed is circulated globally in the world of Neuroscience.
My works focus is on the “Human Brain through evolution” and follows on from the “Triune” Brain model of Paul Donald Maclean. My Psychology/ Psychiatry model demonstrates clearly why these treatments are ineffective in the treatment of a patient who simply suffers with an “Unprocessed buried trauma” from some event in their life. I also intend to make my publication available on the Amazon platform and other digital media.
I beg you to consider other methods to “Heal” the patients “Trauma”, not destroy brain cells to simply subdue them and cause further Psychological damage. I would advise you to look at the work of “Rick Doblin” and the guys at The “Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies” In America.
Rick and his team have proven other methods are far more effective at healing “Buried Trauma” such as PTSD. The “Testimonials on their website speak for themselves. I encourage you to take a look and make an “Informed decision” about the future of Psychiatric treatment. Rick Doblin has also participated in a “Podcast” with “Jo Rogan” on “Spotify”. Next time your on a journey, have a listen, Spotify is free and knowledge is power.
If after that you still believe your treatment is in the patients “Best Interest” despite killing brain cells in nothing more than a “Non Invasive Lobotomy” That’s between you and your conscious.
What happened to the “Hippocratic Oath”?
DO NO HARM!
I wish you a good day
Kind regards
Martin Savage
I also sent the following email to bdannehy@ccsomn.org & mhanratty@ccsomn.org at Catholic Charities’ Adult Advocacy Program.
Subject: Time to Update Electroconvulsive therapy protocols
Dear Ms Dannehy and Mr. Hanratty,
By way of introduction, I am a nationally certified Rehabilitation counselor, and former professor of clinical psychiatric rehabilitation at San Diego State University.
As a mandated reporter, it is my duty to raise the issue of suspected abuse in the form of unregulated human experimentation at Mayo Clinic’s Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Suite. This situation came to my attention when David Russel, a young man scheduled to receive ECT contacted Mind Freedom in distress regarding his coerced treatment, requesting a “shield”. I write on his behalf.
I respectfully suggest Catholic Charities’ Adult Advocacy program immediately get up-to-date on the latest FDA and ECT device developments in order to ensure the protection of your state’s most vulnerable receiving psychiatric treatment. Please allow me to explain:
In 2018, the FDA’s final ruling on the use of ECT devices, a provisional reclassification of the devices was made, pending ECT device manufacturers’ submission of Premarket Approval Amendments (PMA aka safety studies) and Product Development Protocols (aka dosing consensus standards based on PMA). The FDA ruled that if the device manufacturers do not demonstrate compliance with the special controls, the device will be deemed adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the FD&C Act and cannot be used on humans without first filing an Investigative device exemption with the FDA (83 FR 66103, 2018).
In 2021, one of the ECT device manufacturers lost product liability insurance and filed for bankruptcy due to the number of pending lawsuits involving permanent, irreversible consequences (Reorg, 2021).
In 2023, Federal court documents in the Thelen v Somatics LLC case (the only other ECT device manufacturer) and personal communication with the FDA revealed no amendments were filed. A jury found Somatics, LLC guilty of “failure to warn” of ECT’s serious adverse events (Wisner Baum, 2023). Risks include “permanent memory loss and permanent brain damage,” among other serious adverse events like non-convulsive status epilepticus, cardiopulmonary arrest, and death (Somatics LLC, 2018, 2021).
Further, court transcripts revealed ECT dosing to generate a therapeutic seizure lasting 30 seconds were “plucked … out of the air” according to well-esteemed psychiatrist and ECT device manufacturer, Dr. Richard Abrams (Wisner Baum, 2023).
In ECT, the electrode is placed directly on or near one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve (Sartorius et al., 2022). This purposefully stimulates the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR). A standard electrical field dose (0.5 pulse width, 70 Hz, 900mA) pulses 1,120 times in just eight seconds “without any clinical or scientific rationale,”(Abbott et al., 2024; Abbott et al., 2021; Abrams, 2009). The TCR is a clinical phenomenon consisting of sudden onset of hemodynamic perturbations (acute changes in MABP, decreased HR, asystole), respiratory changes (apnea) and gastric changes (hypermotility) resulting from stimulation of any branch of the fifth cranial nerve along its course.”(Meuwly et al., 2015). Consequently, “acute post stimulus bradycardia and asystole are common in ECT”(Sartorius et al., 2022) Purposeful stimulation of the Trigeminocervical Reflex carries a risk so great that it exceeds any benefit—rendering it’s study in humans unethical (Sadr-Eshkevari et al., 2014).
Without PMA Amendments submitted as required to the FDA by the deadline to establish dosing consensus protocols, every time ECT is given at Mayo Clinic (and elsewhere) on a modern ECT device, an electrical field dose is chosen “without clinical or scientific rationale” (Abbott et al., 2024; Abbott et al., 2021).
According to the FDA’s final ruling, without submission of the amendments, no facility can use ECT devices on humans without filing an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) with the FDA and enrolling the patient in a formal research study associated with the IDE on record with the FDA (83 FR 66103, 2018).
Without an IDE filed with the FDA, Electroconvulsive Therapy is unregulated, unwitting human experimentation contraindicated by the Mayo Clinic values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Healing, Teamwork, Innovation, Excellence, and Stewardship.
The World Health Organization recognizes ECT as an “irreversible intervention.” Giving ECT without free and informed consent “violates the right to physical and mental integrity and may constitute torture and ill-treatment”(World Health Organization & United Nations, 2023)
Please protect patients from torture and ill-treatment by immediately withdrawing the petition for David Russell (and any other patient) to receive ECT without “free and informed consent” who are not registered in a formal trial with the proper investigational device exemption filed with the FDA.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Sarah Price Hancock, MS, CRC
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Consultant
Co-Founder and Trustee, Ionic Injury Foundation
References
Neurological Devices; Reclassification of Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices; Effective Date of Requirement for Premarket Approval for Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices for Certain Specified Intended Uses, 22 66103-66124 (2018). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/26/2018-27809/neurological-devices-reclassification-of-electroconvulsive-therapy-devices-effective-date-of
Abbott, C. C., Miller, J., Farrar, D., Argyelan, M., Lloyd, M., Squillaci, T., Kimbrell, B., Ryman, S., Jones, T. R., Upston, J., Quinn, D. K., Peterchev, A. V., Erhardt, E., Datta, A., Mcclintock, S. M., & Deng, Z.-D. (2024). Amplitude-determined seizure-threshold, electric field modeling, and electroconvulsive therapy antidepressant and cognitive outcomes. Neuropsychopharmacology, 49(4), 640-648. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01780-4
Abbott, C. C., Quinn, D., Miller, J., Ye, E., Iqbal, S., Lloyd, M., Jones, T. R., Upston, J., Deng, Z., Erhardt, E., & McClintock, S. M. (2021). Electroconvulsive Therapy Pulse Amplitude and Clinical Outcomes. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 29(2), 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.06.008
Abrams, R. S., Conrad M. (2009). Thymatron® System IV Instruction Manual (14 ed.) [Medical Device Instruction Manual]. Somatics, LLC.
Meuwly, C., Golanov, E., Chowdhury, T., Erne, P., & Schaller, B. (2015). Trigeminal cardiac reflex: new thinking model about the definition based on a literature review. Medicine (Baltimore), 94(5), e484. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000000484
Reorg. (2021). UPDATE 1: Facing ‘Direct Harassment and Meritless Litigation,’ Electroconvulsive Therapy Device Maker MECTA Corporation Seeks to Reorganize. https://reorg.com/articles/mecta-corp-first-day-declaration/
Sadr-Eshkevari, P., Schaller, B. J., & Bohluli, B. (2014). Trigeminocardiac reflex: Some thought to the definition. Surg Neurol Int, 5, 43. https://doi.org/10.4103/2152-7806.129617
Sartorius, A., Kellner, C. H., & Sebastian, K. (2022). The Trigeminocardiac Reflex in Electroconvulsive Therapy [LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]. The Journal of ECT, 38(4), 257-258. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000859
Somatics LLC. (2018). Regulatory Update to Thymatron® System IV Instruction Manual. In.
Somatics LLC. (2021). User Manual: Thymatron System IV (22 ed.) [User Manual]. Somatics LLC, . https://www.thymatron.com/downloads/System_IV_Instruction_Manual_Rev22.pdf
Wisner Baum. (2023, August 16, 2023). Electroshock Therapy (ECT) Trial – Jury finds Somatics failed to warn of ECT risks. https://www.wisnerbaum.com/blog/2023/august/electroshock-therapy-ect-trial-jury-finds-somati/
World Health Organization, & United Nations. (2023). Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice (978-92-4-008073-7). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080737
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2024 8:39 AM
To: tim.walz@state.mn.us
Cc: Schak.Kathryn@mayo.edu; rihal@mayo.edu; fonseca.rafael@mayo.edu; callstrom.matthew@mayo.edu; kbaicker@uchicago.edu; schak.kate@mayo.org; Jeremy.Olson@startribune.com; Farrugia.gianrico@mayo.edu; mpowell@ncta.com; researchservicecenter@mayo.edu; researchparticipantadvocate@mayo.edu; Jim Gottstein ; office@mindfreedom.org
Subject: Egregious Ethical Concerns re Mayo Clinic electroconvulsive therapy use
Dear Governor Waltz and Mayo Clinic,
By way of introduction, I am a nationally certified Rehabilitation counselor, and former professor of clinical psychiatric rehabilitation at San Diego State University.
As a mandated reporter, it is my duty to raise the issue of suspected unregulated human experimentation at Mayo Clinic’s Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Suite. This situation came to my attention when David Russel, a young man scheduled to receive ECT contacted Mind Freedom in distress regarding his coerced treatment, requesting a “shield”. I write on his behalf.
I respectfully suggest the Board of Directors and Integrity and Compliance Office needs to immediately get up-to-date on the latest FDA and ECT device developments in order to ensure Mayo’s stalwart legacy of “RICH TIES” is not tarnished. Please allow me to explain:
In 2018, the FDA’s final ruling on the use of ECT devices, a provisional reclassification of the devices was made, pending ECT device manufacturers’ submission of Premarket Approval Amendments (PMA aka safety studies) and Product Development Protocols (aka dosing consensus standards based on PMA). The FDA ruled that if the device manufacturers do not demonstrate compliance with the special controls, the device will be deemed adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the FD&C Act and cannot be used on humans without first filing an Investigative device exemption with the FDA (83 FR 66103, 2018).
In 2021, one of the ECT device manufacturers lost product liability insurance and filed for bankruptcy due to the number of pending lawsuits involving permanent, irreversible consequences (Reorg, 2021).
In 2023, Federal court documents in the Thelen v Somatics LLC case (the only other ECT device manufacturer) and personal communication with the FDA revealed no amendments were filed. A jury found Somatics, LLC guilty of “failure to warn” of ECT’s serious adverse events (Wisner Baum, 2023). Risks include “permanent memory loss and permanent brain damage,” among other serious adverse events like non-convulsive status epilepticus, cardiopulmonary arrest, and death (Somatics LLC, 2018, 2021).
Further, court transcripts revealed ECT dosing to generate a therapeutic seizure lasting 30 seconds were “plucked … out of the air” according to well-esteemed psychiatrist and ECT device manufacturer, Dr. Richard Abrams (Wisner Baum, 2023).
In ECT, the electrode is placed directly on or near one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve (Sartorius et al., 2022). This purposefully stimulates the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR). A standard electrical field dose (0.5 pulse width, 70 Hz, 900mA) pulses 1,120 times in just eight seconds “without any clinical or scientific rationale,”(Abbott et al., 2024; Abbott et al., 2021; Abrams, 2009). The TCR is a clinical phenomenon consisting of sudden onset of hemodynamic perturbations (acute changes in MABP, decreased HR, asystole), respiratory changes (apnea) and gastric changes (hypermotility) resulting from stimulation of any branch of the fifth cranial nerve along its course.”(Meuwly et al., 2015). Consequently, “acute post stimulus bradycardia and asystole are common in ECT”(Sartorius et al., 2022) Purposeful stimulation of the Trigeminocervical Reflex carries a risk so great that it exceeds any benefit—rendering it’s study in humans unethical (Sadr-Eshkevari et al., 2014).
Without PMA Amendments submitted as required to the FDA by the deadline to establish dosing consensus protocols, every time ECT is given at Mayo Clinic (and elsewhere) on a modern ECT device, an electrical field dose is chosen “without clinical or scientific rationale” (Abbott et al., 2024; Abbott et al., 2021).
According to the FDA’s final ruling, without submission of the amendments, no facility can use ECT devices on humans without filing an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) with the FDA and enrolling the patient in a formal research study associated with the IDE on record with the FDA (83 FR 66103, 2018).
Without an IDE filed with the FDA, Electroconvulsive Therapy is unregulated, unwitting human experimentation contraindicated by the Mayo Clinic values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Healing, Teamwork, Innovation, Excellence, and Stewardship.
The World Health Organization recognizes ECT as an “irreversible intervention.” Giving ECT without free and informed consent “violates the right to physical and mental integrity and may constitute torture and ill-treatment”(World Health Organization & United Nations, 2023).
Please protect patients from torture and ill-treatment by immediately suspending the electroconvulsive therapy of David Russell and any other patient receiving ECT at Mayo without “free and informed consent” who are not registered in a formal trial with the proper investigational device exemption filed with the FDA.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Sarah Price Hancock, MS, CRC
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Consultant
Co-Founder and Trustee, Ionic Injury Foundation
References
Neurological Devices; Reclassification of Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices; Effective Date of Requirement for Premarket Approval for Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices for Certain Specified Intended Uses, 22 66103-66124 (2018). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/26/2018-27809/neurological-devices-reclassification-of-electroconvulsive-therapy-devices-effective-date-of
Abbott, C. C., Miller, J., Farrar, D., Argyelan, M., Lloyd, M., Squillaci, T., Kimbrell, B., Ryman, S., Jones, T. R., Upston, J., Quinn, D. K., Peterchev, A. V., Erhardt, E., Datta, A., Mcclintock, S. M., & Deng, Z.-D. (2024). Amplitude-determined seizure-threshold, electric field modeling, and electroconvulsive therapy antidepressant and cognitive outcomes. Neuropsychopharmacology, 49(4), 640-648. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01780-4
Abbott, C. C., Quinn, D., Miller, J., Ye, E., Iqbal, S., Lloyd, M., Jones, T. R., Upston, J., Deng, Z., Erhardt, E., & McClintock, S. M. (2021). Electroconvulsive Therapy Pulse Amplitude and Clinical Outcomes. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 29(2), 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.06.008
Abrams, R. S., Conrad M. (2009). Thymatron® System IV Instruction Manual (14 ed.) [Medical Device Instruction Manual]. Somatics, LLC.
Meuwly, C., Golanov, E., Chowdhury, T., Erne, P., & Schaller, B. (2015). Trigeminal cardiac reflex: new thinking model about the definition based on a literature review. Medicine (Baltimore), 94(5), e484. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000000484
Reorg. (2021). UPDATE 1: Facing ‘Direct Harassment and Meritless Litigation,’ Electroconvulsive Therapy Device Maker MECTA Corporation Seeks to Reorganize. https://reorg.com/articles/mecta-corp-first-day-declaration/
Sadr-Eshkevari, P., Schaller, B. J., & Bohluli, B. (2014). Trigeminocardiac reflex: Some thought to the definition. Surg Neurol Int, 5, 43. https://doi.org/10.4103/2152-7806.129617
Sartorius, A., Kellner, C. H., & Sebastian, K. (2022). The Trigeminocardiac Reflex in Electroconvulsive Therapy [LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]. The Journal of ECT, 38(4), 257-258. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000859
Somatics LLC. (2018). Regulatory Update to Thymatron® System IV Instruction Manual. In.
Somatics LLC. (2021). User Manual: Thymatron System IV (22 ed.) [User Manual]. Somatics LLC, . https://www.thymatron.com/downloads/System_IV_Instruction_Manual_Rev22.pdf
Wisner Baum. (2023, August 16, 2023). Electroshock Therapy (ECT) Trial – Jury finds Somatics failed to warn of ECT risks. https://www.wisnerbaum.com/blog/2023/august/electroshock-therapy-ect-trial-jury-finds-somati/
World Health Organization, & United Nations. (2023). Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice (978-92-4-008073-7). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080737
*****
I also called the Governor’s Office and spoke with the receptionist, Elizabeth, to call attention to my email. After consulting with her colleagues, she suggested there was nothing the Governor’s office could do, assuming the only way Mr. Russel could get ECT against his will was if he was on a conservatorship. She suggested I contact the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Lisa Harrison-Hadler, Ombudsman
Phone: 651-757-1806
Fax: 651-797-1960
Toll Free: 1-800-657-3506
lisa.harrison-hadler@state.mn.us
I adapted the above email and sent it to her. Evidently she will be out of town, not checking emails until June 24th. “Should anything be needed prior to June 24, please contact the Regional Ombudsman Supervisor, Andrea Strobel-Ayres, at Andrea.Strobel-Ayres@state.mn.us ”
I forwarded her the email with the subject, “Emergency: suspected torture and ill treatment of vulnerable adult with mental illness.” Turns out she is also out of the office and will not be checking email until July 1.
The Governor’s assistant also suggested I contact Mn Legal Aid (18002924150), the organization Federally designated with a PAIMI advisory council. The person answering the call did not know who where to route my call to because I did not know in which county Mr. Russel was receiving ECT. They routed me to a random person’s voicemail and I left a message.
I have received the upsetting news of David’s update concerning forced electroshock treatment. I have sent out emails to the individuals as requested by MindFreedom International.
My emails are as follows:
“Governor Walz.
My name is Gregg Holliday and I am a United States citizen who is concerned for the welfare of a Minnesota resident named David Russell.
Mr. Russell is a psychiatric patient at the Mayo Clinic under the care of Dr. Schak. It has come to my attention that Mr. Russell is being subjected to electroshock therapy without his consent. This understanding was provided by an international organization named MindFreedom International. They also report Mr. Russell is describing cognitive and physical troubles as a result of the forced electroshock treatment.
I am writing this email to request that you prevent David Russell from being subjected to electroshock treatment. Electroshock treatment is understood as being inhumane and cruel. This understanding is held by the highly esteemed United Nations, who constitute it as a form of torture. Additionally, its dangers outweigh its purported benefits and this understanding follows from scientific evidence. If David Russell is in dire need of a remedy for a psychiatric condition, then there are ethical and efficacious alternatives.
I place my trust in you and the democratic values of equality, liberty, and justice for all. I hope you will hear this plea and do what you responsibly can.
Sincerely,
Gregg T. Holliday”
and
“G. Farrugia and C. Zorn,
My name is Gregg Holliday and I am a United States citizen who is concerned for the welfare of a Minnesota resident named David Russell.
Mr. Russell is a psychiatric patient at the Mayo Clinic under the care of Dr. Schak. It has come to my attention that Mr. Russell is being subjected to electroshock therapy without his consent. This understanding was provided by an international organization named MindFreedom International. They also report Mr. Russell is describing cognitive and physical troubles as a result of the forced electroshock treatment.
I understand you are high level officials at the Mayo Clinic where Mr. Russell is receiving the forced electroshock treatment. Therefore, I am writing this email to request that you prevent Mr. Russell from being subjected to electroshock treatment. Electroshock treatment is understood as being inhumane and cruel. This understanding is held by the highly esteemed United Nations, who constitute it as a form of torture. Additionally, its dangers outweigh its purported benefits and this understanding follows from scientific evidence. If Mr. Russell is in dire need of a remedy for a psychiatric condition, then there are ethical and efficacious alternatives.
I place my trust in you, the Hippocratic oath, and the democratic values of equality, liberty, and justice for all. I hope you will hear this plea and do all that you responsibly can.
Sincerely,
Gregg T. Holliday”
Please stop giving ECT to David Russell without his consent. This is barbaric and completely unethical. Stop at once!
Dr. Danco
Bridgewater, NJ
42 years of clinical experience
Jeffrey C. Danco, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
NJ #2078
I suspect the case worker chose the lawyer. That the lawyer is non-responsive is of interest, making me wonder who wants to take assets (I always follow the money). I propose writing to the Archbishop of Minnesota. My understanding of Catholic protocols is that the Archbishop is responsible for the dignity of persons within his venue, even if the person is not Catholic. There are also likely at least two Catholic parishes nearby. Priests are also responsible for persons in their venue, even if the person whose dignity is being assaulted is not Catholic. I wanted to run this by you before doing this.
I try to leave comments. I guess mine are not good enough. I guess I worry to help anyone any more
Hi Martha, our system requires comments must be approved so it just may take a bit of time to get them approved.