NurseWeek

Mother charged in daughter’s death when pacemaker expires

By Tonie Auer
July 29, 2000


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Springfield, Ore. An Oregon woman faces a manslaughter trial in the February death of her 13-year-old daughter whose pacemaker battery was nine months overdue for a replacement.

Lacey Rossini told a school nurse and several others that she suspected her pacemaker was failing, Detective John Umenhofer of the Springfield Police Department said. The school nurse told Rossini’s mother, Lori Simonis, about the need for surgery to replace her daughter’s pacemaker battery, Umenhofer said, but no appointment was scheduled.

Simonis had not taken her daughter to a physician since 1997, said Bob Gorham, Lane County deputy district attorney. Rossini had a congenital heart defect.

An autopsy report confirmed that the expired pacemaker battery was the cause of death. Umenhofer said Rossini’s death is the first homicide he has investigated as a result of neglect of medical condition.

"She had health coverage and lived only one mile from a facility that could have done the simple procedure," he said.

A child with a pacemaker, regular medical attention and no other medical conditions has a normal life expectancy, said cardiologist Jack Kron, director of arrhythmia services at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.

If convicted, Simonis could spend 10 years in prison. Simonis remains in jail and was unavailable for comment.