The Victims are Heard

On April 29 the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee held a hearing on Heparin imports from China on Capitol Hill in Washington.  Amongst testimonies of the involved companies and agencies, the tragic stories of the surviving family members were heard. Through highly emotional testimony, these individuals were able to lend a face to the over 80 deaths attributed to the blood thinner.

"I watched my husband and my best friend slip away before my eyes," said Colleen Hubley, a dialysis nurse whose husband, Randy Hubley, died after receiving heparin. "I never thought the lifesaving medication we were relying on could be contaminated."

Leroy Hubley of Toledo, Ohio, lost both his wife and his son to heparin.  In a tearful testimony he said “I want to know if my daughter, Dawn, and millions of others who continue to receive dialysis are safe."

Johanna Marie Staples, also of Toledo, lost her husband, Dennis, after he received contaminated heparin.  Brushing tears from her eyes, Johanna remembered the last day of her husband’s life.  Dennis Staples had been looking forward to an evening birthday party at a steakhouse with friends when he underwent the deadly dialysis treatment. Widowed by a drug that was supposed to make her husband healthier, Johanna was left with confusion and grief.  In the hearing she voiced these feelings saying “we have a false sense of security" in a land where people expect to be protected and safe.

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