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At any time or place, I close my eyes and see your face
Today's Brookline TAB had an article on last Friday's vigil for Nora. Here's to making people take notice. And change things.
Remembering Nora, one year later
By Lara Farrar
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A quiet, candlelit vigil became a silent protest on the sidewalk in front of Bournewood Hospital in South Brookline Friday night, as almost 100 people turned out in below-freezing temperatures to support Allan and Barbara Tosti and memorialize their daughter, Nora, who died at the facility a year ago.
The Tostis are calling on friends, family and colleagues to help them launch a crusade against the South Brookline psychiatric hospital and the state Department of Mental Health, whom they hold responsible for their daughter's death.
Their daughter was found unresponsive on Dec. 8, 2005, in a locked room at Bournewood less than two days after she voluntarily admitted herself there for a drug treatment program. State medical inspectors estimated that she had been dead for six hours when her body was found.
"We don't want this to happen to somebody else," said Allan Tosti. "That is what we have dedicated this to, and we have got a lot of people to support us."
Supporters lined the sidewalk hugging Bournewood's property line along South Street while the Brookline Police Department directed traffic and a lone security guard stood at the hospital's entrance.
The Arlington couple handed out tiny blue and white candles at the vigil and passed around a petition calling on DMH to "stop the practice of administering medications" without "monitoring to determine when patients are developing respiratory or other medical distress in time to provide lifesaving treatment before it is too late."
According to a DMH report released in August, staff at the hospital claimed they checked on Nora every 30 minutes the night she died. These checks reportedly included shining a flashlight the patient's room and monitoring respiration.
"These 30-minute safety checks are primitive," said Allan Tosti. "If you are getting a certain amount of dangerous drugs within a period of time, you should be electronically monitored."
The hospital administered 16 doses of various medications to Nora, including methadone, lorazepam and trazodone, a letter from the family said. An autopsy report concluded the 23-year-old died from "chronic drug abuse" and found no evidence of a drug overdose.
When reached by telephone, Bournewood President Raymond Robinson declined to comment directly on the event, instead issuing a statement that said Nora "died in her sleep at the hospital" and following an autopsy, "the medical examiner determined that her death was due to natural causes."
But Barbara Tosti believes the combination of medications led to her daughter's death.
"Yes, she had a drug problem, but she never would have taken that much medication," said Barbara, who works as a mental health counselor in Arlington. "They just pumped her full of that much stuff."
Following a six-month investigation into the case, DMH reprimanded the facility and concluded Nora Tosti's death "might have been prevented" while ordering Bournewood to improve its training.
But the Tostis said that still is not enough.
"I think it is going to take a major lawsuit," said Barbara. "I think we are going to have to cost them a lot of money because that is the only thing they care about."
The Tostis said they met with DMH Commissioner Elizabeth Childs several weeks ago about enforcing stricter patient monitoring guidelines, but said they felt unsatisfied after the meeting.
"She [Childs] says all of the right things, but they [DMH] are not doing anything," said Barbara Tosti.
A spokesperson for the state agency declined to comment.
Attendees of Friday's vigil, including many parishioners from the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington where the Tostis are active members, said they supported the family's cause.
"I am in support of Nora and to bring attention to this situation where somebody died needlessly," said Erin Phelps, of Arlington. "I think they [Bournewood Hospital] need to take better care of their patients."
Andrew Fischer, also of Arlington, said he had heard other complaints about the hospital.
"There is at least one psychiatric social worker in Arlington who does not refer people here anymore because it is so awful," said Fischer. "What I want to know is why doesn't everyone know that?"
Other attendees, including Sonya Taaffe of Lexington, attended the vigil in remembrance of Nora, who was one of her earliest childhood friends.
"You do not expect to have old friends suddenly turn up dead," she said. "You always figure if you don't see them, they are somewhere out there."
Nora's brother, Ian Tosti, said he is struggling to move forward after his sister's death.
"It seems like every time her birthday is going to come up, or, like today, when she died, it is just like another funeral," he said.
The Tostis said they have decided to file a lawsuit against Bournewood in hopes of preventing another fatality.
"I am going to be their worst nightmare," said Barbara Tosti. "They were mine, and I am going to be theirs. I am not giving up on this."
Remembering Nora, one year later
By Lara Farrar
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A quiet, candlelit vigil became a silent protest on the sidewalk in front of Bournewood Hospital in South Brookline Friday night, as almost 100 people turned out in below-freezing temperatures to support Allan and Barbara Tosti and memorialize their daughter, Nora, who died at the facility a year ago.
The Tostis are calling on friends, family and colleagues to help them launch a crusade against the South Brookline psychiatric hospital and the state Department of Mental Health, whom they hold responsible for their daughter's death.
Their daughter was found unresponsive on Dec. 8, 2005, in a locked room at Bournewood less than two days after she voluntarily admitted herself there for a drug treatment program. State medical inspectors estimated that she had been dead for six hours when her body was found.
"We don't want this to happen to somebody else," said Allan Tosti. "That is what we have dedicated this to, and we have got a lot of people to support us."
Supporters lined the sidewalk hugging Bournewood's property line along South Street while the Brookline Police Department directed traffic and a lone security guard stood at the hospital's entrance.
The Arlington couple handed out tiny blue and white candles at the vigil and passed around a petition calling on DMH to "stop the practice of administering medications" without "monitoring to determine when patients are developing respiratory or other medical distress in time to provide lifesaving treatment before it is too late."
According to a DMH report released in August, staff at the hospital claimed they checked on Nora every 30 minutes the night she died. These checks reportedly included shining a flashlight the patient's room and monitoring respiration.
"These 30-minute safety checks are primitive," said Allan Tosti. "If you are getting a certain amount of dangerous drugs within a period of time, you should be electronically monitored."
The hospital administered 16 doses of various medications to Nora, including methadone, lorazepam and trazodone, a letter from the family said. An autopsy report concluded the 23-year-old died from "chronic drug abuse" and found no evidence of a drug overdose.
When reached by telephone, Bournewood President Raymond Robinson declined to comment directly on the event, instead issuing a statement that said Nora "died in her sleep at the hospital" and following an autopsy, "the medical examiner determined that her death was due to natural causes."
But Barbara Tosti believes the combination of medications led to her daughter's death.
"Yes, she had a drug problem, but she never would have taken that much medication," said Barbara, who works as a mental health counselor in Arlington. "They just pumped her full of that much stuff."
Following a six-month investigation into the case, DMH reprimanded the facility and concluded Nora Tosti's death "might have been prevented" while ordering Bournewood to improve its training.
But the Tostis said that still is not enough.
"I think it is going to take a major lawsuit," said Barbara. "I think we are going to have to cost them a lot of money because that is the only thing they care about."
The Tostis said they met with DMH Commissioner Elizabeth Childs several weeks ago about enforcing stricter patient monitoring guidelines, but said they felt unsatisfied after the meeting.
"She [Childs] says all of the right things, but they [DMH] are not doing anything," said Barbara Tosti.
A spokesperson for the state agency declined to comment.
Attendees of Friday's vigil, including many parishioners from the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington where the Tostis are active members, said they supported the family's cause.
"I am in support of Nora and to bring attention to this situation where somebody died needlessly," said Erin Phelps, of Arlington. "I think they [Bournewood Hospital] need to take better care of their patients."
Andrew Fischer, also of Arlington, said he had heard other complaints about the hospital.
"There is at least one psychiatric social worker in Arlington who does not refer people here anymore because it is so awful," said Fischer. "What I want to know is why doesn't everyone know that?"
Other attendees, including Sonya Taaffe of Lexington, attended the vigil in remembrance of Nora, who was one of her earliest childhood friends.
"You do not expect to have old friends suddenly turn up dead," she said. "You always figure if you don't see them, they are somewhere out there."
Nora's brother, Ian Tosti, said he is struggling to move forward after his sister's death.
"It seems like every time her birthday is going to come up, or, like today, when she died, it is just like another funeral," he said.
The Tostis said they have decided to file a lawsuit against Bournewood in hopes of preventing another fatality.
"I am going to be their worst nightmare," said Barbara Tosti. "They were mine, and I am going to be theirs. I am not giving up on this."
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