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Pregnant Woman Who Overdosed On Heroin Charged With Assault Of Unborn Child

A man injects himself with heroin using a needle obtained from the People's Harm Reduction Alliance, the nation's largest needle-exchange program, in Seattle, Washington April 30, 2015. The People's Harm Reduction Alliance launched its free meth pipe program, which is pioneering but illegal, in March after learning from its own survey that 80 percent of area meth users would be less likely to inject drugs if given access to pipes. The theory behind the Alliance's handout program is that giving meth pipes to drug users may steer some away from needles, which are far riskier than smoking, especially if the user is sharing with another person infected with HIV or hepatitis C. There is little scientific evidence to support that claim, but the Alliance, a privately funded needle-swap group run by drug users, said it has distributed more than 1,000 pipes in Seattle in a matter of weeks and could expand to other cities in Washington state and Oregon. Opponents say giving away meth pipes discourages quitting while wasting resources on an untested scheme that will not solve a city-wide health problem. Picture taken April 30, 2015. REUTERS/David Ryder

REUTERS/David Ryder

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Steve Birr Vice Reporter
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Authorities charged a mother who injected and overdosed on heroin while seven-months pregnant with aggravated assault on an unborn child Wednesday.

Police responded to the home of Kasey Dischman, 30, in Pennsylvania June 23 after her boyfriend found her unconscious on the bathroom floor. Dischman was rushed to the hospital where she went into cardiac arrest. She was revived by emergency room doctors who successfully stabilized her. Doctors performed an emergency C-section Saturday at Mercy Hospital to deliver the baby, who is now on life support, reports CBS Pittsburgh.

The newborn girl has been declared brain dead, but a decision has yet to be made about taking the baby off life support.

“The baby is not doing good at all,” Lt. Eric Hermick with the Pennsylvania State Police told CBS Pittsburgh. “She was resuscitated once and she’s on a life support system now. Should the baby not survive, and we’ve talked to the [District Attorney], he’s leaning towards filing the criminal homicide charge.”

Dischman told police she found a heroin baggie under the couch and shot up in the bathroom. She also informed police she had just gotten out of jail on parole for theft five days earlier.

Emergency responders were initially misled by Dischman’s boyfriend, who told police she had a seizure condition. Police later found a needle in the home and only treated her for an overdose after finding opioids in her system at the hospital. Officials said if police were able to administer the overdose reversal drug Narcan at the scene, the outcome may have been different for the baby.

Dischman’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Andrew Lucas, is being held in the Mercer County Prison but has not been officially charged. Dischman and Lucas also have a 6-year-old daughter who was in the apartment during the overdose.

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