Heather’s Decades Of Crime & Punishment Could Be Absolved Thanks To Metallosis Diagnosis

After a recent visit to Pentonville penitentiary, Laura decided to advocate for Heather Webber (Alley Mills), and news is spreading fast that the “The Hook” murders could have been the result of Cobalt poisoning from Heather’s hip implant. However, many emotions and questions are arising about her actual culpability or amount thereof: What is the truly appropriate punishment for her crimes based on the new findings? What does this mean for the families of the victims? If she is released, will the people of Port Charles be safe? 

It’s commendable that the GH writers are committed to storylines that bring awareness to and deal with struggles of mental health during Mental Health Month. Most notably the plot is centering around; Ava being on the precipice of discovering that it is Valentin pulling the strings and making the pharmacist manipulate Sonny’s Bipolar Disorder medication, and delving into the very real neurological harms that Metallosis can have on joint replacement patients, like Heather.

“Metallosis is a type of metal poisoning that can occur as a side effect of joint replacement devices with metal components, such as metal-on-metal hip replacements or other metal implants. These devices are made from a blend of several metals, including chromium, cobalt, nickel, titanium and molybdenum,” according to a January 2024 report by DrugWatch. “Exposure to metal in the blood and surrounding tissues can lead to several other complications. Buildup of cobalt or other metals can affect the brain, heart, eyes, and other organs.”

However, after decades of chaos and criminal behavior should Heather be completely absolved, and have carte blanche to move on with her life? Introduced to Port Charles in 1976, the role of Heather Grant (later Webber) was originated by Georganne LaPiere, and popularized by Robin Mattson. Over the years, Heather has been incarcerated and institutionalized a multitude of times for numerous crimes and escapes, including kidnapping, murder, fraud, etc. Yet, the question remains, how many of those actions should she be held accountable for based on the laws of New York regarding mental health? Certainly, a diagnosis of Metallosis of the brain must be taken into account, but what about Heather’s decades of horrific behavior prior to having the hip replacement? 

The DrugWatch report states that most of the metal-on-metal implants have been recalled and many patients have had them removed. Many thousands of patients who have adverse reactions to the implants have filed lawsuits against the manufactures. Thankfully, “as of March 2019, there are no metal-on-metal total hip replacements approved for use in the United States.” 

Heather had the procedure to remove the implant at General Hospital, and now she’s exhibiting signs of remorse. Will her storyline now switch to one of mental clarity and sound mental health? And, might she also file a lawsuit as retaliation for the pain, suffering and time she has been incarcerated? Will the families of her victims file civil suits? There so much that could happen!

Mental Health Month (Wed, May 1, 2024 – Fri, May 31, 2024), for more information visit www.mhanational.org/mental-health-month.

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