Children's Medication Linked To Blindness

Children's Motrin is one of the most popular fever-suppressors for kids. But how safe is it? A little girl from Calabasas was the star witness Thursday in a hearing before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She's testified about a terrible skin condition that her parents say she got from taking Children's Motrin. Sabrina Johnson of Calabasas keeps her face covered at all times and goes outside only at twilight. She's blind and ultra-sensitive to light. "It hurts real bad," Johnson said. "It would make my eyes hurt a lot." She's the victim of Steven's Johnsons Syndrome, a severe allergic reaction that blisters the body and the eyes. She came down with it over a year ago, after taking Children's Motrin. And she testified about her ordeal to the FDA. "I can't really have playdates that much and I don't go to school because I'm always seeing doctors," said Johnson. Her mom, Joan Johnson, also appeared at the hearing, but doubts anyone can appreciate what her child has been through. "I don't know if seeing Sabrina will really get across how horrible it has been … the 18 surgeries, the suffering," Joan Johnson said. "The burns inside of her body left her in tremendous pain that we weren't even aware of." Sabrina and her parents have become crusaders against Children's Motrin. They're suing its maker - McNeil Pharmaceuticals. They say the company has long "known about the connection between the drug and these severe, potentially fatal reactions" but has "failed to provide adequate warning or instructions to the medical community, consumers and users." They want the FDA to force a change in the labeling