FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tristan Christopher Larson
802-779-9771
RUTLAND CITY, VERMONT (May 3, 2021) — A Rutland family has filed a lawsuit against Stacey Vaillancourt for their minor child who attended the same daycare as Harper Rose Briar, who died at the daycare in 2019. The lawsuit accuses Stacey Vaillancourt of giving their child diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. The drug is sold over the counter under several names, including “Benadryl(R).” Stacey Vaillancourt is also criminally charged with causing the death of Harper Rose Briar by dosing her with the same medication.
“Diphenhydramine can be a dangerous drug for children when misused,” says Melanie McAtee, the mother and named plaintiff in the lawsuit – and also a licensed pharmacist. “Even though it is sometimes marketed as “Children’s Benadryl”, this drug should never be given to a child, under the age of six, without a doctor’s order. It’s very misleading to market this drug for children at all. Parents and caregivers need to remember that even when you can buy a drug without a doctor’s prescription, you should still read the medication labels. Harper’s unfortunate case has taught us that babies do not come with instructions, but medications do.” Tristan Larson, the McAtee’s lawyer, notes that the lawsuit aims to compensate the family for what they’ve been through, but also hopes to raise awareness of the dangers of giving drugs to children without a doctor’s order.
Larson & Gallivan Law is located at The Service Building, 128 Merchants Row, Suite 405, Rutland, VT 05701, and at www.larsoninjurylaw.com. They can be reached at (802) 327-8458.
