Victims' Stories
Silent no more, victims of chiropractic stroke are speaking out. Click on these links to hear just a sampling of the hundreds of heartbreaking stories we hear from victims.
John Hoffman's Story
My 39 year old husband John suffered a major stroke on August 5, 2004. His stroke occurred about 3 hours after having a neck adjustment at his chiropractor’s office. John died August 11, 2004. Because of John’s age and the circumstances surrounding his death, his body was sent to the State of Maryland Medical Examiners Office for autopsy. According to the autopsy report and death certificate (attached), the cause of John’s death was listed as Stroke caused by neck manipulation. His death was ruled as an “Accident” and under the location of accident it shows the chiropractors office address.
The first time I had ever heard anything about this type of danger was when the Emergency Room doctor said after finding out John had been to a chiropractor that day– “Everybody knows you never let them near your neck”. I didn’t know and I didn’t know they weren’t doctors. Other victims I’ve spoken with also did not know before their strokes. Why doesn’t the public know? Why aren’t they obligated to tell people? The Chiropractic community keeps saying how rare this is… but it’s not as rare as they would like us to believe. Even if it were rare, don’t we have the right to be told? If I go to see my medical doctor and he wants to do a procedure that has risks, he tells me and usually has me sign a consent form. Why shouldn’t chiropractors be held to the same standards? Why are they so afraid of Informed Consent? Is it because if they tell people it could happen the recorded number of patients who have been injured, maimed, or killed would increase?
I became a widow at the age of 41 after losing my husband of 17 years. We have to find a way to educate the public on these dangers and begin demanding the chiropractic community treat us as living, breathing human being and not mindless cattle that they can experiment on.
Susan Hoffman
Dave's Story
On November 20, 2000, I went for my first visit to the Chiropractor. At the end of my visit, my chiropractor decided to manipulate my neck, and trusting her, as I was dumb then, I said okay. When she twisted my neck, it hurt like hell! But, I figured the Chiropractor knew what she was doing. She said it was alright to go back to work, so I did. Later that evening, while I was still at work, I developed a really bad headache. It hurt so much, that I called my wife and jokingly told her that I thought that I was going to die, so I thought I'd better call and tell her that I loved her. After hanging up, I went over and lay on the floor, which seemed to help. My son-in-law was also working with me, so when my wife called back he answered the phone and told her that I was lying on the floor. At that time, she asked him to drive me home and she called the Chiropractor. Believe it or not, the Chiropractor told me to take an aspirin and she would see me in the morning. She called at about 8:30 A.M. the next morning and told me to come in and she would meet me at her office. The first thing she did was to get me up on the table and do a neck manipulation. After cracking my neck, she took my BP, which was 240/140. Then she said, 'Let's try it again'. So I jumped back on the table, so that she could crack my neck again. And again she took my BP, which was 240/140. Well, she concluded that it was kind of high, maybe I should go see my Primary Care Doctor. After a little discussion, it was decided that it was alright to go back to work, but I would call my PC Doctor for an appointment as soon as I could get one. I guess she felt that she was passing the responsibility for me to my Primary doctor. Anyway, the best they could do was 4:00 P.M., or the last patient of the day. When I finally got in at 4:30 P.M., he checked my BP and it was 130/100, so there wasn't any panic. And he said to come back in the morning, and they would check it again. I went home and sat down to eat supper with my wife. After a couple of bites, I hit the floor throwing up and I can't remember my wife calling 911 and screaming to me not to lose consciousness. And the rest is a blur.........
I was taken by ambulance to the Hospital. After a night and a day, I was transferred to Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Mass., where I was operated on and was put into a Coma for 5 weeks. On December 26, 2000, I was transferred to Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital for 6 weeks. Lahey Clinic said that I had suffered a Bilateral Dissection. They had originally told my wife that I probably wouldn't make it and after all was said and done, that it was a miracle that I did.
On June 30, 2010 David MacDonald passed away in his sleep at 63 years of age.
David MacDonald of Windsor Locks, Connecticut is at the far right of this photo, which was taken as Governor M. Jodi Rell signed Public Act 08-109 into law on June 16, 2008. The law will extend the state's online Physician's Profile to chiropractors.
Jeremy Youngblood's Story
Police investigate Ada man's death
ADA, OK - 30-year-old Jeremy Youngblood's family say he went to a local chiropractor in Ada for a sore neck, but two days later he died of a stroke brought on by the procedure, according to the medical examiner. Now police and the family's attorney are investigating.
Ada Police Detective Kathi Johntson says on the morning of June 9th, Jeremy Youngblood came to Power Chiropractic Clinic in Ada for a neck adjustment.
"Jeremy went in to see a chiropractor for general purposes. I think it was a general procedure and something happened while he was there. He became ill, and he was taken to Valley View [Hospital] by his father," Det. Johnston says.
Jeremy was then taken to Mercy Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma City, where his family learned that he had suffered a stroke.