Day 3

Thalidomide
 Listening
 Article: Vocabulary
Synthesis writing
 Guidelines
 Sample Analysis
 Assignment: ‘Reintroduction of Thalidomide:
Controversial, Yet a Necessary Evil.’

Thalidomide, A Second Chance – BBC

You are going to watch and listen twice to a sequence about the infamous drug, its history and the
discovery of its ill effects, as well as about its reintroduction, with it now being described as a wonder
drug. Listen carefully and answer the questions in complete sentences, where necessary, and in your own
words. Try to concentrate and understand the bulk of the script.
1. NARRATOR (VOICE OVER): Half a ___century_____ ago, scientists made one of the
biggest __blunders___________ in history. They created this drug. A drug that
_destroyed__________ many lives, but now it’s saving them. […]
Dr Paul Richardson: Certain cancers instead of being __rapidly fatal______ will become more
_____treatable__. […]
Dr Kenneth Anderson: It’s really the gift of life_____ for some patients and there really is no
__greater gift___ than that.
Narrator: Sales of the drug are _rocketing______, but can this drug ever be used
__safely_____?
KEVIN DONELLEN: … with the drug being __widely__ _used___ on the market that it’s
a_tragedy waiting___ _____ to happen again. I’m ____living proof____ of how dangerous it is.
NARRATOR: This is the extraordinary story of Thalidomide. A drug that even today no one
_______fully____ understands. But which some now want to __bring back__________. Chase
Peterson was ___looking forward to___________ a long and happy retirement. […]
But Chase _should have died______________ three years ago. In 1997, he ___was
diagnosed____________ with ____multiple myeloma_________, a type of blood cancer which
is always _________fatal_. […] For two years he _______held____ the disease at
bay__________ with chemotherapy. But then the cancer came back. His only option was a
painful and dangerous ______bone marrow____ transplant. […] As Chase was a doctor
himself, he searched for an _________alternative treatment______ . He soon heard of a new
wonder drug – a drug with a terrifying past.
2. Which drug did Dr. Perterson choose? Was it successful in treating his cancer? Provide
relevant details. (40 words)
3. Why is the claim that Thalidomide is a miracle drug shocking to someone like Kevin
Donnellon? (30 words)
4. What is the story of Thalidomide? How did it begin? Provide all relevant details. (80
words)
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5. True or False. Tick the correct box corresponding to the correct statement. Correct the
statement if it is false by providing the correct word(s) or phrase(s).
Tru Fals
e e
1. Agnes Donnellon was about 6 weeks pregnant with Kevin was
prescribed Distaval, a drug similar to Thalidomide for the treatment of
her morning sickness.
2. Agnes Donnellon took the tablets, but when she gave birth, she wasn’t
allowed to see her baby for some days because it wasn’t doing too well.
3. Numerous babies were born with the same malformations with a perfect
head and trunk, but with no arms and legs.
4. At first doctors though it might be a virus possibly linked to a new type of
flu or that it was caused by radioactivity, perhaps leakage from an
atomic reactor, or from the use of a new chemical washing liquid.
5. An Australian obstetrician, William McBride, made the connection in
December 1961 when he examined the medical records of three disabled
babies that he had delivered, and realising that before the foetus was
fully formed, the mothers had all taken the drug Distaval.
6. What puzzled scientists was how could a drug that was so harmless to
adults be capable of causing such damage to the body of these tiny
babies. Until then it was thought that any drug that was safe for the
mother had to be safe for the foetus.

Use one of the following words where appropriate. Some words may be used more than
once. Capitalize where needed:
overturned claimants upheld evidence negligence Statute
compensation claim(s) proof arbitrary negligent appeal
proceedings misconduct litigation obtaining settlements grounds

Why Thalidomide Survivors Have Such a Tough Time Getting

Compensation
December 9, 2015 6.12am AEDT – Bill Madden Adjunct Fellow, School of Law, Western Sydney University
It’s been more than 50 years since pregnant women took thalidomide to treat morning sickness,
with around 10,000 cases of birth defects attributed to its use worldwide. Decades have passed
and yet the issue of financial ___compensation____________ for the less than 3,000 remaining
“survivors” of the tragedy has, in many instances, remained unresolved.
Some have received money, either from their respective governments or – as a result of
____________settlements_____– from the drug manufacturer, Grunenthal, or companies that
distributed it in various countries.
___________compensation______amounts vary and the value of money has dropped over
time, affecting those who accepted it years ago. No doubt many would say any financial
payment, however generous, would not be enough to truly compensate for what thalidomide
victims with severe disabilities had to go through.
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Victims of medication-related injuries face significant challenges in obtaining
_______compensation________. They include time barriers, difficulties proving the drug was
responsible for the disability and obtaining sufficient ___evidence______________ to prove a
pharmaceutical company was _____negligent____________.
Successful cases – _______claims_________ for victims of medication side effects isn’t
automatic. The law usually requires the affected person to prove their injuries were the fault of
the manufacturer or distributor. Then they commonly use the legal argument of
_________negligence_______ on the company’s part.
To prove fault, the person may argue she suffered injury because a company didn’t adequately
test the product before its release, didn’t provide warnings, or didn’t immediately withdraw a
product once aware of its side effects.
Australian woman Lyn Rowe, who was born without arms and legs after her mother took
thalidomide during pregnancy in the 1960s, used these arguments in a recently successful
___________ligitation______. Lyn’s lawyers argued inadequate testing by the manufacturer
(Grunenthal) and that they and the distributor (Distillers) knew thalidomide was causing birth
deformities but delayed withdrawing it from sale.
After Lyn’s multimillion-dollar settlement was reached in 2012, Diageo (the parent company of
Distillers) agreed to pay $A89 million to about 100 survivors in New Zealand and Australia. The
settlement will hopefully be enough to cover their needs for the rest of their lives.
Despite its relative success, Lyn Rowe’s case was difficult and serves to illustrate challenges
thalidomide survivors face in ___obteining compensation______________
_________________.
_____________statute____ of limitations
There are limits within law that set the maximum time after an event when legal
________claims_________ may be initiated. Few, if any, legal systems permit
________litigation_________ 50 years later, without complex extension arguments.
Thalidomide victims in Spain have felt this all too recently. In 2014, a court ruled that Grunenthal
should pay around 35 million euros to 22 Spaniards affected by thalidomide.
On ___________appeal______, the decision was _____overturned____________ on the
________________grounds___ that the “_____statute____________ of limitations” for the case
had expired. Following a further __appeal_______________, the Supreme Court
___________upheld______ that decision in September this year.
This trend towards short limitation periods may be reversing, at least in some circumstances. In
Australia, for instance, we have seen recommendations to drop limitation periods for child abuse
____claims____________altogether. These proposals stand some chance of becoming a
reality.
_____proof____________of causation
If they are to be compensated, ____________claimants_____ must also prove their injury or
disability was actually caused by the drug in question. This isn’t always simple, considering the
disability may have other causes.
It is now accepted knowledge that thalidomide largely affects the limbs, causing a rare condition
called “phocomelia” (or flipper arms). When someone such as Lyn, who has no arms or legs,
says thalidomide caused her disabilities, it may be easy for a court to accept that. But it’s not
always that clear-cut, particularly for victims who don’t have typical injuries.
An example of the difficulty proving causation is the case of painkiller Vioxx. Pharmaceutical
company Merck withdrew the drug in 2002 following a clinical study showing the drug increased
the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. Australians claiming to be
affected by Vioxx only received a modest amount of money. The settlement followed a finding of
the Federal Court that the lead _______claimants__________’s heart attack could have been
caused by his other health conditions.
Old records
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Thalidomide __________claimant_______ need to prove in court that their mother actually took
the drug while pregnant. But their mother may no longer be alive, doctors may have retired and
records may have been lost. Indeed, there may be no records of a prescription written 50 years
ago.
__________compensation_______ payments are not calculated simply because something
happened, such as the use of a drug. ________compensation_________ payments focus on
the effects – injury and its consequences.
So information about what a child went through is relevant to the amount of compensation they
may be asking for. What operations did they have and how much did they cost? Were they able
to get a job? Some of those issues can be difficult to prove, years later.
The risk of losing a claim at trial often sees __claimants_______________, as in the case of the
Vioxx trial, accept a reduced amount of ______compensation___________, rather than risk
getting nothing at all. In such cases, the compensation amount may be
___arbitrary______________, with little chance of meeting future needs.
In Lyn’s case, the Australian court didn’t rule whether there was negligence; the claims were
resolved by negotiation. The case’s lead lawyer, Peter Gordon, was quoted at the time saying:
Diageo has behaved in a compassionate fashion… In fact, in my more than 30 years of
personal injury _______litigation__________, I have never seen a company behave so
constructively.
His comments show corporations may have better ethical standards than existed in the 1960s.
But then again, the recent Volkswagen scandal, where the CEO said he was “shocked” and
“stunned” that “_____misconduct____________on such a scale was possible”, says otherwise.
Perfection in the skills and conduct of corporations still seems a long way off.
http://theconversation.com/why-thalidomide-survivors-have-such-a-tough-time-getting-compensation-47164

Eat to Live
Eat to live; don’t live to eat (or not to). This is very hard for a person with an eating disorder to
understand since food is their tool for handling the stress and anxiety in their lives. Eating
disorders affect millions of Americans each year (Eating Disorders 1). The most common eating
disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and Compulsive Overeating. These disorders
are serious, and, when taken to extremes, can be life threatening as well.
All eating disorders arise from a combination of long-standing psychological, interpersonal, and
social conditions (Gurze 24). Several other factors such as family and personal problems, a low
self-esteem, and the desire for the ideal body may also contribute to the development of an
eating disorder.
Eating disorders have reached epidemic levels. Over seven million women and one million men,
children and adolescents have an eating disorder. Eighty-six percent report onset of illness by
age 20, and seventy-seven percent report duration of illness from one to fifteen years. Only fifty
percent report being cured. The cost of treating an eating disorder is often extremely expensive
with the potential to extend over $100,000 (Ratner 17). Once an eating disorder has begun, it
becomes a long-term (sometimes lifetime-long) cycle of dieting, bingeing and purging, or
excessive eating. A person with an eating disorder becomes trapped in this endless cycle and
needs professional physiological and psychological help to break through the chains.
Eating disorders, just as any other addiction, are a reaction to low self-esteem and a negative
means of coping with life and stress. Others may use alcohol, drugs, and even compulsive
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gambling as a way to cope with their problems. To someone with an eating disorder, their illness
is a means of incorporating control into their lives.
Anorexia nervosa, a disorder of self-starvation, manifests itself in a complete refusal of food and
can cause psychological, endocrine, and gynecological problems. An anorexic person will turn
to obsessive dieting and starvation as a way to control not only their weight, but also their
feelings and actions regarding the emotions attached (Definition of anorexia nervosa 1). Some
physiological characteristics of anorexia nervosa include low body weight, slowed heart rate,
reduction in body temperature, a lowered resistance to infection, growth of body hair (lanugo),
muscular weakness, and dizziness. Behaviorally, they may frequently weigh themselves, have
insomnia, exercise compulsively, layer their clothing, and show increased tension at mealtimes.
They may show signs of depression, perfectionism, and irritability. They usually tend to have
difficulty thinking clearly, a low sense of worth, a distorted body image, a decreased interest in
sex, and an intense fear of becoming fat (Ratner 6).
Anorexia may begin with a normal person who diets intending only to lose just a few pounds.
Dieting then becomes an obsession as they develop a distorted body image and feel larger than
they really are. Soon, 5 to 10 pounds is not enough and they slowly begin to avoid food either
by denying hunger or claiming to be stuffed after a few small bites.
Extreme weight loss is not the only result of this refusal of food. A person with anorexia can
expect a loss of head hair, growth of fine body hair, constipation, intolerance of cold
temperatures, and low pulse rate. Moreover, certain endocrine functions become impaired
causing a cessation of menstruation in women, and, in men, an interruption of normal
reproductive system processes. Anorexia can also lead to death, which claims about 10-15
percent of Anorexic patients (Eating Disorders: anorexia nervosa 1).
Treatment of anorexia consists of nutritional therapy, individual psychotherapy, family
counseling, and, in extreme cases, hospitalization. It focuses on getting the patient to gain the
weight they have lost and to make them feel comfortable about eating again. Improvement
usually occurs rapidly; however, a permanent cure has yet to be discovered.
Bulimia nervosa is a related form of anorexia nervosa. Patients with this disease are trapped in
a cycle of bingeing and purging. Bulimics will eat a large quantity of food in a relatively short
amount of time and then use behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or abusing laxatives in
order to punish themselves for something they feel they should unrealistically blame themselves
for (Definition of bulimia nervosa 1). This can be in direct relation to how they feel about
themselves or how they feel about a particular event or series of events in their lives. Episodes
of bingeing and purging are also used to avoid and let out feelings of anger, depression, stress,
and anxiety.
Unlike anorexic patients, bulimics are usually aware that they have an eating disorder. In
fascination of food, they will sometimes buy magazines or cook books to read recipes, and
enjoy discussing dieting issues. The physical effects of the disease are eminent. A person with
bulimia is likely to experience weight fluctuations, menstrual irregularities, swollen glands, tooth
decay, damage to the esophagus, headaches and fatigue, and a chemical imbalance in the
blood. Behavioral signs of bulimia include self-induced vomiting, shoplifting and/or stealing
money to buy binge food, secretive food foraging and hoarding, and other obsessive-
compulsive behaviors. All of these can be warning signs that someone is suffering from bulimia
(Ratner 7).
What makes a person bulimic is the cycle of bingeing and purging. Purging may be self-induced
vomiting or the abusive of laxatives, but there are non-purging bulimics who use other
inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as compulsive exercise (excessive jogging or
aerobics) to attempt to burn off the calories of a binge, or fasting the day after a binge. Other
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bulimics take diet pills to avoid bingeing, or use diuretics to try to lose weight. Bulimia is very
hard to overcome, particularly because it usually has been a pattern of behavior for a long time.
Bulimia is usually treated by a team of four different doctors. A medical doctor, dentist,
psychotherapist, and nutritionist make up this team. Each member of this team is relevant and
necessary for adequate treatment and healing. A person with an eating disorder must want to
get better in order for any medical and psychological treatment to work.
Compulsive overeating is an eating disorder that is characterized by periods of compulsive
gorging or continuous eating (Gurze 24). The only difference between Compulsive overeating
and bulimia nervosa is that persons with this disorder do not purge following a binge. They use
food for comfort from stress and anxiety. Some people with this disease may fast sporadically or
repetitively diet unsuccessfully. The body weight of a compulsive overeater may range
anywhere from normal to severely obese. Psychological and nutritional counseling is the
recommended treatment for this disease.
All eating disorders seem to have a direct relation to the common occurrence of sexual and/or
physical and emotional abuse. However, not all people living with eating disorders are survivors
of abuse. Clinical depression can also lead to an eating disorder. However, no matter how much
research is done, never will a person without an eating disorder understand why a person with
an eating disorder thinks and acts the way they do. All in all, eating disorders are very complex
emotional issues. Though they may seem to be nothing more than a dangerously obsessive
weight concern on the surface, for those suffering with eating disorders there are deeper
emotional conflicts to be resolved.

Works Cited
Definition of anorexia nervosa. Something Fishy.
http://something-fishy.org/anox.htm. 25 Apr. 2000: 1.
Definition of bulimia nervosa. Something Fishy.
http://www.something-fishy.org/bul.htm. 25 Apr. 2000: 1.
Eating Disorders. Mental Health Net. http://www.eatingdisorders.cmhc.com. 22 Apr. 2000: 1.
Eating Disorders: anorexia nervosa. Mental Health Net.
http://www.cmhc.com/factsfam/anorexia.htm. 22 Apr. 2000: 1.
Gurze 2000 Eating Disorders Resource Catalogue, The. 28 Apr. 2000: 24. Ratner, Kathryn M.S.W., L.S.W. Eating
Disorders. 21 Apr. 2000: 6,7,17.

Teenagers: A Threat to Adults  

A common phrase that adults can testify to hearing from any given teenager is, “You don’t
understand!” This proves a struggle between the youth and the adults that quite possibly is
never-ending. Adults make assumptions about kids, based on the way they dress, which pushes
kids further and further away. In the essay, “Goths in Tomorrowland” by Thomas Hine (2001),
he emphasizes the beliefs that adults began the idea of youth alienation from older societies
and the teenagers keep it that way. Donna Gaine’s (2001) essay, “Teenage Wasteland,”
discusses four teenagers who were mocked and misunderstood by adults and reporters alike. 
Jon Katz (2001) lets the kids explain themselves about their seclusion from society and the
misconceptions about them in his column, “More from the Hellmouth: Kids Tell About Rage.”
The fear that elders show towards young people is merely a fear of the unknown. Adults are
worried about the younger generations because of their misunderstandings of the youth culture,
their failure to accept youth into the adult society, and the instigation provoked from young
people.
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 Misunderstanding of youth creates the gap between adults and teenagers. Many teenagers
spend their whole teen experience searching for someone to just understand them. A lot of
them do not even make it through this experience because they give up feeling that no one
knows what they are going through. Parents also fear for their kids because they do not
understand them. A boy named Evan best explains this in “More from the Hellmouth: Kids Tell
About Rage.” He says, “People fear what they don’t understand, and let’s face it, the world . . .
isn’t something most people can understand . . .” (Katz, 2001, p. 81). I can remember going
through hard times of changing schools so frequently and my parents thinking it was so easy for
me. When in reality, it was the hardest thing to do. It is hard on a kid to have to make friends,
move, and then start all over again. When I tried to talk to them about it, they could never see
where I was coming from or my point of view on anything. There is nothing that can be done for
adults to be able to fully understand the younger generation. It is just a gap that is placed there
by human nature and this generation gap can never be fully understood. Regarding my
experience mentioned earlier, I noticed that my parents made no effort to understand what I was
feeling and how their decisions would affect me. That is what separated me from them, the fear
of the unknown.

The fact that the majority of adults make no effort to accept young people into their world is
no alien idea. The teenagers from “Goths in Tomorrowland” were not accepted by adults simply
for the reason that the teens dressed differently from what was considered to be normal dress.
“They [adults] confuse thrashers with metalheads and goths because they all wear black. Then
they assume that they’re all taking drugs and worshipping Satan” (Hine, 2001, p.71). Adults do
not understand that teenagers are constantly searching to define themselves as individuals.
Expression through clothing is a form of that. Yet, Hine’s article is not about merely how the
teenagers dressed differently to express themselves, “It is about the alienation of teenagers
from adult society, and equally about the alienation of that society from its teenagers. The mere
presence of teenagers threatens us [adults]” (p. 69). Is it the idea that this young generation of
gothic-dressed supposed losers will be replacing the elders when their time is up that is so
scary? Or are the youth of today causing this boundary that is formed by instigating the adults
with things that they know scare them?

The fault of the misunderstanding between youth and elders is not all due to the close-
mindedness of adults. Young people draw adults to see them as irresponsible and immature by
the way they act and carry themselves. It is almost as if they are purposely trying to show the
world that they are independent, young, and can do whatever they please.

The body alterations that young people use to assert that they are no longer children
successfully frighten grown-ups, but they also convince them these weird creatures are well
short of being adults. The ring through the lip or the nipple merely seems to demonstrate that
they are not ready for adult responsibility. What they provoke is not respect but restrictions.
(Hine, 2001, p. 71)

By showing off their ability to create their own identity, they are causing trouble for
themselves. They should be able to express themselves freely, but instead they are left with no
choice but to keep in and guard their emotions. Yet, by guarding their emotions by putting on
these facades, they are “actively guarding their psychic space because the adults controlled
everything else” (Gaines, 2001, p.66). Another thing that sometimes can separate youth from
their adults is their inability to speak up. They are afraid that if they say what is on their mind or
how they are feeling that it could be used against them. According to Donna Gaines’ “Teenage
Wasteland,” “Like any other alienated youth . . ., they don’t like to talk to adults” (p. 65). By
talking to adults, they are giving themselves away and “whatever you [they] say can be held
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against you [them]” (p. 65). Their deepest and darkest secrets should only be shared with
someone who understands them.

This game of misunderstanding played between adults and youth has been going on since
the beginning of time. They are considered to be in two different societies and it will be like that
until the end of time. Adults do not completely understand teenagers and they never will. It is
just the truth of being either an adult or a teenager. No one can understand both. Adults refuse
to accept youth inside of their world and youth refuse to be a part of their elder’s world. It is a
vicious cycle. Adults have to learn to let teenagers live their lives; even when they feel like
protecting their children.

References
Gaines, Donna. (2001). Teenage Wasteland. In D. George & J. Trimbur (Ed.) Reading Culture. 4th ed. (pp. 63-66).
New York: Longman.
Hine, Thomas. (2001). Goths in Tomorrowland. In D. George & J. Trimbur (Ed.) Reading Culture. 4th ed. (pp. 68-73).
New York: Longman..
Katz, Jon. (2001). More from the Hellmouth: Kids Tell About Rage. In D. George & J. Trimbur (Ed.) Reading Culture.
4th ed. (pp 78-83). New York: Longman.

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