You Don't "Improve" After Brain Death
You go from "dead" to "still dead" to "yep, still dead."
But the word that Jahi McMath, the brain-dead girl who died recently after a hospital procedure, is "improving" comes from her family's lawyer, Chris Dolan.
From CNN's Ashley Fantz and Joe Sutton:
Under the care of "optimistic" doctors, Jahi McMath -- whom a judge and other doctors have declared brain-dead, over her family's objections -- is "improving" days after her release from an Oakland, California, hospital, her family's lawyer said.Attorney Chris Dolan detailed some of what's happened to the 13-year-old girl since her release Sunday from Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland. Specifically, he said that after initially "doing poorly she is stabilizing," having had tracheotomy and gastrostomy tube procedures.
"She is doing very well and getting the treatment she should have gotten 28 days ago," Dolan said, referring to what happened to Jahi after a December operation.
"Doctors are optimistic that her condition has stabilized and that her health is improving from when she was taken from (the Oakland hospital)."The family hasn't said where the eighth-grader currently is. Dolan has declined to say if she had been transferred to another facility and, if so, to describe that facility.
Instead, they have chosen to lay low as they continue their efforts to care for Jahi. Dolan said the family needs to "heal up from this whole experience" and have "some quiet time" away from media questions.
"(The) family is seeking to focus attention on Jahi," added the lawyer.
Helpfully, this also helps them avoid contact with people who would tell them their lawyer is full of shit.
As I've posted here before, you don't come back from brain death. It's irreversible.
In other words, her vegetative status has been upgraded from 'soggy' to 'crisp'. That was mean. Sorry.
model_1066 at January 8, 2014 11:46 PM
Sounds like this poor child will grow a new brain before the adults do.
This is just ... gruesome.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 9, 2014 1:41 AM
Don't blame the lawyer for being the hired gun (i.e.: being the
legal advocate for the parents). It's the parents who are
figuratively insisting that this is just a flesh wound.
Ron at January 9, 2014 4:10 AM
Franco! Still dead tonight!
Cousin Dave at January 9, 2014 6:27 AM
There 's an Internet story found in comments that the family fed her solids while the nurses were distracted in the Recovery Room. Probably fake, but would the hospital have video? jahi's 3 younger sisters are now going to be living with a corpse. f'ed up.
KateC at January 9, 2014 6:44 AM
The Terri Schiavo Foundation is helping these people.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/terri-schiavos-foundation-secretly-helping-jahi-mcmath/story?id=21393351
Kevin at January 9, 2014 7:48 AM
$$$$ ka-ching! $$$$
carol at January 9, 2014 9:11 AM
> Franco!
I prefer "The Choir Invisible."
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at January 9, 2014 9:52 AM
Wonder if the McMaths will be guests at the Schiavo family "award gala" -- tickets are just $1,500 per table!
www.lifeandhopeaward.com
Kevin at January 9, 2014 10:25 AM
I feel for the family. Yes they are in denial; but the heartbreak of losing a young child is allowing them to be mislead/used by people who see gain for themselves.
It is sort of like terminal cancer patients who grasp at unscientific or quack cures in a desperate attempt to survive.
These parents will now have to go through the loss of their daughter again and again as reality sets in.
Jay at January 9, 2014 12:10 PM
Kevin, I was thinking of Terri Schaivo when I read the article. It figures they'd involve themselves.
Supporting the parents of a braindead child. Because denial is expensive!
Patrick at January 9, 2014 2:24 PM
She's not only merely dead! She's really most sincerely dead!
Patrick at January 9, 2014 2:47 PM
If I recall correctly, Terry Schiavo actually kept on breathing after the respirator was unplugged, indicating that there was still some lower level brain functioning.
A good test for seeing if there is brain function, Is to unplug the respirator. If the person does not breathe on their own, there is no brain function. Rigor mortis will set in, and you can move on.
While I really admire what science and medicine have done, the medical profession has been peddling the lie that they can fix almost everything, for years, and minimizing the surgical risks of damn near every procedure, leading to a lot of unnecessary surgical intervention, and then false hope, and essentially limbo at great public and private expense for these unfortunate individuals.
Isab at January 10, 2014 10:28 AM
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