Miami Gardens Woman Has Been Caring for Comatose Daughter for 33 Years

Orlando Sun-Sentinel ^ | 10/30/2003 | Megan O'Matz

[Keyes2000mt]

MIAMI GARDENS -- For 33 years, in a bedroom decorated with angels, Kaye O'Bara has tended to her daughter, Edwarda, a diabetic whose heart stopped beating in 1970, damaging her brain and thrusting her into a sleep from which she has never awakened.

Kaye turns Edwarda from side to side a dozen times a day to prevent bedsores. She mixes baby food, milk, eggs, orange juice, Mazola oil, brewer's yeast and a piece of white bread into a blender and then a wire mesh strainer, pouring the concoction into Edwarda's feeding tube every two hours, day and night.

She suctions mucus from Edwarda's throat, whispers endearments in her ear, and braids her long gray hair. "She always liked to be fussed with," Kaye says of her eldest daughter, who was 16 when she begged her mother: "Promise you won't leave me, will you, Mommy?" before losing consciousness in the hospital. Now 50, Edwarda has never said another word.

She coughs, grins, grimaces, blinks, and yawns, but exhibits no signs of cognition.

Kaye refuses to let anyone refer to her child's condition by its medical term: persistent vegetative state. "I say if they can find me a tomato that smiles, they can say she's in a vegetative state."

[chachacha]

How so un-selfish. May GOD bless her!

[billorites]

There's no limit to a mother's love.

[tutstar]

AMEN

[pollywog]

God BLESS YOU DEAR MOTHER!!! Oh how sweet this story is to my ears. We STILL HAVE LOVING, CARING, MAMA's!!!

[beelzepug]

I guess this mom believes that she brought her into this world and this is the responsibility God has given her. Quite a contrast to the, "Oops, I'm pregnant, better schedule an abortion." types we are so used to today. I guess not all the saints have a day set aside for them.

[KantianBurke]

At the same time, Kaye readily concedes that she needs the charity of others to survive.

www.edwardaobara.com

I'll try to help ease the burden.

[pollywog]

A nice note to the writer would be in order. In light of such horror stories concerning Terri Schiavo, this sure paints the side of humanity MOST people want to see. God will repay this devoted mom to her daughter 100 fold!

momatz@sun-sentinel.com

Megan O'Matz staff writer

[pollywog]

she will have my charity too.

[Recovering_Democrat]

If an angel could take on flesh, this woman would be the prime example.

[LasVegasMac]

There's no limit to a mother's love.

Brings tears to the eyes.

God Bless this very loving woman.

LVM

[onedoug]

'Sure makes one misty.

Lord, please remember this mom and daughter.

[condi2008]

Will there be any stars any stars in my crown
When at evening the sun goeth down?
Will I wake with the blessed in God's mansions of rest
Will there be any stars in my crown?

This woman need not ask herself the age-old question.

[Matthew James]

bttt

[DefCon]

"...I say if they can find me a tomato that smiles,
they can say she's in a vegetative state..."
-
I'll be using that line.
- - -
"...Promise you won't leave me, will you, Mommy?..."
-
This mother has given up her life
to honor the promise she made to her daughter.
She is an angel on earth.

[Mfkmmof4]

I am curious. Where did the idea of starving Terri come from? Was it the doctors or her husband? Just curious. I post on another board and whenever I offer these stories like this one...the responses are amazing. They should be allowed to die. Or the money should be used on the living noraml child instead of wasted on those in coma states.

[Saundra Duffy]

The woman is a saint. What a lovely story of love and devotion. Thank God for that kind of dedication. Unconditional love.

[katnip]

Wow, read this story!

Beautiful!

[Skooz]

A saint.

God bless her. Her faithfulness, love and devotion puts almost all the rest of us to shame.

I have no problems.

[Krodg]

I am curious. Where did the idea of starving Terri come from? Was it the doctors or her husband?

It will take awhile to find it but, I believe a doctor brought it up first and Michael said NO. This is very important since it would help establish 'who' brought his mind around to 'right to die'.