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Jahi McMath, Once Declared Dead, is Not Brain Dead Neurologists Say
Life News ^ | 12/12/14 | Wesley J. Smith

Posted on 12/12/2014 11:35:26 AM PST by wagglebee

I accept properly diagnosed brain death as dead. Hence, when three doctors found that Jahi McMath was tragically gone, I accepted the diagnosis.

But I also wrote that if her body did not deteriorate–as happens in almost all brain death cases–that would raise my eyebrows. Now, it’s one year later, and she remains here. My eyebrows are now above my receding hairline.

Moreover, I am increasingly suspicious of the seeming ideological commitment of some to making sure she stays dead. The intensity of their resistance to even the possibility that a mistake has been made–or that we can learn something new about the elasticity of the brain–reminds me of the emotional intensity of those who wanted Terri Schiavo dehydrated to death.

JahiMcMath2

I bring this up because I suspect that the case will return to court sometime soon. Also, I think it is important to keep certain facts straight and point out media bias/ignorance when it rears its ugly head–sometimes, it is hard to tell which.

Let’s look at a Q & A format AP story about the sad anniversary and straighten things out a bit:

Q: Why does her family want to keep her on a ventilator?

A: Jahi’s relatives say their religious beliefs dictate that as long as her heart is beating, Jahi is alive and deserves long-term care. In October, the family released videos of the girl showing her foot and hand appearing to move in response to her mother’s commands.

In other words, they think she’s alive–not because “their religious beliefs dictate” anything. Plus, if she did comply with requests, she’s not brain dead by definition.

But look at what the story completely fails to report: Two very respected neurologists have testified that she is no longer brain dead. Yet, this is the most important evidence that she is not dead. How could the reporter fail to even mention that?

Then, there is a bit of confusing verbiage:

David Magnus, director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, has said there is no evidence that patients who are brain dead can ever recover. Still, he said that it’s somewhat surprising her body has lasted as long as it has and that some patients can live for years on ventilators.

Well, it’s very rare–but occasionally happens–for a truly brain dead body to be maintained. More to the point, a truly brain dead does not “live” on a ventilator.

The unprecedented nature of a brain dead person recovering function–which may have happened with Jahi–makes this a very important case. If she has come back, that opens a whole new area of scientific inquiry. From that perspective alone, why fight taking a thorough new look to see if it happened?

I strongly believe this case needs to be reopened–for Jahi, for her family, for the integrity of the system, and for the good of science.

The harder the “establishment” resists, the more I think their objections are ideological, reflecting deep concerns about how a finding that she is alive would rock their world.

They are right: It would. But that’s no reason to force her to remain among the dead if that is not where she belongs.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: euthanasia; jahimcmath; moralabsolutes; prolife
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The harder the “establishment” resists, the more I think their objections are ideological, reflecting deep concerns about how a finding that she is alive would rock their world.

Of course it would, the culture of death has a vested interest in dehumanizing people like Jahi and Terri Schiavo.

1 posted on 12/12/2014 11:35:26 AM PST by wagglebee
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To: Coleus; narses; Salvation
Pro-Life Ping
2 posted on 12/12/2014 11:36:04 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 185JHP; 230FMJ; AKA Elena; APatientMan; Albion Wilde; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

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3 posted on 12/12/2014 11:36:33 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: Ohioan from Florida; 8mmMauser; T'wit; wagglebee; Alamo-Girl; AlwaysFree; amdgmary; angelwings49; ..

4 posted on 12/12/2014 11:37:11 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

You die when we tell you to die — that’s how it is in the People’s Republic of Obamastan under Caliph Hussein.


5 posted on 12/12/2014 11:40:53 AM PST by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: wagglebee

“.. Two neurologists testified she is no longer brain dead.”

I’m not being funny.. was she initially brain dead and then cured (via a miracle or science) OR was she determined brain dead by doctors and not?


6 posted on 12/12/2014 11:43:03 AM PST by momtothree
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To: wagglebee

There’s video here of Jahi moving her foot:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871712/Brain-dead-girl-13-hooked-life-support-exactly-year-cardiac-arrest-family-continues-insist-alive.html


7 posted on 12/12/2014 11:46:06 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: momtothree
would she live if the ventilators just were turned off?...would she survive if tube feedings weren't being poured into her?....assuming she has gotten multiple pneumonias and uti's would she be alive if they didn't pump iv antibiotics in to her?

just because we "can" keep people "alive" on machines it doesn't mean its a wise or moral thing to do.....it doesn't mean its the right thing, or the thing God intended....

it seems God intended for us to live and to die.....

8 posted on 12/12/2014 11:49:51 AM PST by cherry
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To: momtothree

Brain death is very much a moving target. There are criteria used to determine it, but obviously that can change.

As far as I know, it is IMPOSSIBLE for someone who is truly brain dead to ever regain brain activity.

This article about the testimony of a UCLA professor of neurology is very interesting:
http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/389564/ucla-neurologist-jahi-alive-awake-wesley-j-smith


9 posted on 12/12/2014 11:50:32 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: trisham

This article is very interesting:

http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/389564/ucla-neurologist-jahi-alive-awake-wesley-j-smith

She had her first menstrual period AFTER being declared brain dead. Sexual maturation REQUIRES a functioning brain.


10 posted on 12/12/2014 11:52:34 AM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

I don’t know what to say, since I’m not in the family or one of the doctors. I tend to think she should be allowed to pass on. A body can be ‘maintained’ in such a comatose state for quite a while. As an example, I think a read that singer Aretha Franklin’s father was in a coma for six years before he was allowed to pass on. Ariel Sharon was in a coma for maybe eight years before meeting the same end. There is a difference between living and ‘being maintained’ involuntarily around the clock.


11 posted on 12/12/2014 11:56:49 AM PST by lee martell
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To: wagglebee

I’m convinced that she is not “brain-dead”.


12 posted on 12/12/2014 11:58:13 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: wagglebee

“Of course it would, the culture of death has a vested interest in dehumanizing people like Jahi and Terri Schiavo. “

Another one of the “avenues” in Obamacare. Like most everything else, everything has devolved down to “the cost to society.” Seemingly, any pretext to put someone in the ground and save a buck. That coupled with some doctors with a “Gruber Complex,” who can’t stand to be wrong.


13 posted on 12/12/2014 11:59:18 AM PST by vette6387
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To: cherry

Are you suggesting that she should be starved?


14 posted on 12/12/2014 11:59:19 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: cherry; Morgana; Responsibility2nd; DJ MacWoW; little jeremiah; Coleus; narses; TheOldLady; ...
would she live if the ventilators just were turned off?

Plenty of people need ventilators for a period of time, they can then be weaned off of them.

would she survive if tube feedings weren't being poured into her?

Would ANYBODY survive if they were denied food and nutrition?

assuming she has gotten multiple pneumonias and uti's would she be alive if they didn't pump iv antibiotics in to her?

Millions of people have infections that would kill them without antibiotics (because of the ongoing "war" between infection and antibiotics, many infections are often far more dangerous today than they were prior to penicillin) and then go on to live normal lives.

just because we "can" keep people "alive" on machines it doesn't mean its a wise or moral thing to do.

It is NEVER moral to kill someone.

it doesn't mean its the right thing, or the thing God intended.

Well, I'm not a Christian Scientist and that means I believe that God INTENDED for man to make medical advances and develop things like antibiotics and feeding tubes.

By YOUR criteria, you shouldn't take any medicine for any reason ever again -- not even aspirin, you must suffer as God intended.

it seems God intended for us to live and to die.

Of course He did, but Jahi IS NOT DEAD.

15 posted on 12/12/2014 12:00:45 PM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

Jeb Bush can settle this paradox.


16 posted on 12/12/2014 12:23:35 PM PST by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: freedomfiter2
Jeb Bush can settle this paradox.

Don't go knocking Jeb, it takes guts to read the New Testament and decide that Pontius Pilate is the person you would most like to pattern you life after.

17 posted on 12/12/2014 12:27:31 PM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
many infections are often far more dangerous today than they were prior to penicillin

Possibly a minor point.

This is simply not true. When bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, they simply return to being about as deadly as before antibiotics were available.

Which is plenty deadly. If not for antibiotics, I myself would have had my left arm amputated probably twice or quite possibly have died.

People forget how deadly bacteria used to be.

18 posted on 12/12/2014 12:33:46 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: wagglebee

Doctors and medical science do not know everything, although they put on a front that they do. They really don’t like being told they don’t.

In the 1950s and 60s doctors were in ads for cigarettes, talking about the health benefits of smoking. The entire history of so-called “vestigial” organs they labeled as unimportant/obsolete until it was learned they aren’t leftovers? Iatrogenic deaths in hospitals over 100,000 a year? Just recently they discovered that people under anesthesia may appear to be out, but instead are totally conscious and aware, but are paralyzed and can’t move. And feel pain of the operation but can’t move or tell anyone. They have recently found out people they’ve prior classified as brain dead, in some cases only appear to be brain dead, but with a monitoring cap, can see brain activity respond to words and sentences directed at them.


19 posted on 12/12/2014 12:38:06 PM PST by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: wagglebee

Neuroscience is awesome and there is no reason they cannot read her thoughts.

http://naturalsociety.com/scientists-create-computer-read-your-thoughts-put-into-words/


20 posted on 12/12/2014 12:38:54 PM PST by huldah1776
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