Nationally-known pediatric heart surgeon commits suicide

LITTLE ROCK (AP) _ Nationally renowned heart surgeon Doctor Jonathan James Drummond-Webb is dead at 45 of an apparent suicide. <br/><br/>In just four years at Arkansas Children's Hospital, he brought

Monday, December 27th 2004, 10:51 am

By: News On 6

LITTLE ROCK (AP) _ Nationally renowned heart surgeon Doctor Jonathan James Drummond-Webb is dead at 45 of an apparent suicide.

In just four years at Arkansas Children's Hospital, he brought prominence to the Little Rock hospital as the featured doctor on an ABC documentary series in 2002 and just last month implanted the first children's heart pump of its kind.

But he was reportedly wracked by depression and the hospital said he died Sunday of an apparent overdose. Police said his wife found him in their den with a couch pushed in front of the door.

Drummond-Webb was a marathon runner and triathlete who had beaten a cancerous tumor in his leg.

Doctor Jonathan Bates, the Children's Hospital's CEO, says patients and their families should know there will be no disruption in the level of care since Drummond-Webb's medical partners are familiar with patients' needs.