Jahi McMath’s father sues hospital for trying to kill his daughter

LifeSiteNews ^ | 12/17/15 | Father Mark Hodges

[wagglebee]

OAKLAND, California, December 17, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – 13-year-old Jahi McMath went into cardiac arrest after a routine tonsillectomy in 2013. Jahi was in oxygen-deprived cardiac arrest for two hours, causing brain damage. Though Jahi lived, her doctors said she was "brain-dead," and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and Alameda County officials issued a death certificate. 

Since Jahi has been declared "dead," insurance no longer covers her health care.

Jahi's mother, Nailah Winkfield, sued Jahi's doctor, Dr. Frederick Rosen, for failing to tell her that Jahi's surgery would be "complex and risky" due to Jahi's susceptibility to heavy bleeding and for failing to share that risk with nurses taking care of her recovery after surgery.

Jahi began coughing up blood the morning after the surgery; the nurses didn't know she had a risk of serious hemorrhage. The nurses told Nailah Winkfield that Jahi's bleeding was "normal." One nurse even used a suction device to clear the bleeding. Eventually, Jahi's heart stopped, causing brain damage.

Now, Jahi's biological father, Milton McMath, has sued as well. 

Jahi caught the attention of the media when her mother refused to take her off life support. The Winkfields removed Jahi from Oakland to New Jersey, where she continues to live and her vitals are strong.

The Winkfields note that Jahi's heart is beating on its own, and her organs are not failing, as would be the case if she were brain-dead. They have released several videos showing Jahi moving and reacting to stimuli.

In October, a judge ruled that Jahi's family could present evidence to determine if she is alive or dead. If dead, the suit would be for wrongful death, with a maximum of $250,000 for damages.

If Jahi is declared legally alive, the lawsuit could be for many millions of dollars.

[House Atreides]

It has no been two years since she “died”. Much more than “several months”.

Do you have a comment?
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The only comment I have is that if she is still “alive” and off the ventilator than the original assessments/dianoses of her doctors and the coroner were wrong and she was not brain dead.

Is she back in school now?

[ifinnegan]

“Do you have a comment?
********************************************************************************
The only comment I have is that if she is still “alive” and off the ventilator than the original assessments/dianoses of her doctors and the coroner were wrong and she was not brain dead.

Is she back in school now?”

Hi House,

I commend you for responding.

This is sarcasm and avoiding addressing your original comments (changing the rules and goalposts, as it were).

Is this how you really want to respond. In a flippant non-serious non-self-responsible manner?

[House Atreides]

My original comment was based upon reading the published diagnoses of her medical doctors and the coroner’s decision. If those diagnoses were wrong, my comment based upon those diagnoses was wrong.

I’m glad she has recovered and that those doctors were wrong.

[ifinnegan]

Hi Drew, thanks for your response

“I will say that it appears one of two things happened; either a miracle occurred or the doctors who declared her brain dead, of which there were several of them, were incorrect in this diagnosis. Recent photos show she clearly has not decomposed.”

Yes. I think we can all agree on that (although, I suspect there will be those who deny this).

My opinion is the latter (several doctors incorrect).

I’m more curious of what broader thoughts you have. Have any basic assumptions you’ve long held changed due to this?

In terms of the ability of Doctors to determine certain things or in term of the authority that a medical bureaucracy has and its potential for abuse?

Or any other thoughts beyond the obvious that you mentioned.

[ifinnegan]

Thanks for saying this.

If you don’t my my asking, why were you so dogmatic and assertive at the time?

What was your mindset to go to such extremes?

[caww]

She’s dead....the photos clearly show decomposition of her body that the mother cleverly tries to hide......I understand her body is kept in a very cold room in order to slow down the decomposition and mask some of the odor as well.

[House Atreides]

Thanks for saying this.

If you don’t my my asking, why were you so dogmatic and assertive at the time?

What was your mindset to go to such extremes?
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Well, you can call me dogmatic and assertive all you want, I believed the doctors when they made their diagnoses. I’m not going to continue going tit for tat with you on this subject. Like I said, I’m glad the girl was apparently not brain dead and that she has recovered. I’m sure her family will be happy to have her home again.

[caww]

These photos were some time ago....unfortunately recent ones do not seem to be available except that of concealing entirely her eyes....some things you cannot "fix" with makeup. This was exposed...Using a tool in Adobe Lightroom to spotlight an area and adjusting the sliders until the black spot under the glasses became more defined.... This black spot is the same as on her hand....which is continual decomposing of the body.

Another view shows the deformed fingers of a decomposing body, though her body is being fed fluids they are not reaching all extremities......

Here you have some cleverly applied makeup techniques to conceal the pits in her fingers from decomposition of her hand...Additionally you can see how 'the hand has contracted', but it is being forced open/posed... compare the tips of the nails....they are not hers but acrylic.. the index fingernail is an acrylic with the rounded tip, as the other acrylics are squared off...and note the awkward shapes of the fingers...this family is going to great lengths to present something other than a corpse.

Note the huge swelling of the feet as compared to the slender legs where she has lost muscle mass....this is a decomposing body being artificially maintained ...

[Yaelle]

I don’t think I was vehement but I, too, thought the poor girl must be dead. I herewith apologize. It’s sad to have her live like this but it is only up to Him Above to determine life or death, not doctors. It is how we care for the helpless that determines our value.

I have learned something in this example and my mind will be more open in the future.

[caww]

No sunglasses to hide the decomposition now...mother covers eyes with cut out hearts...very sad what they are doing to this body of their daughter...too late to pull out now...should it be charged they're abusing a corpse.

[LadyDoc]

I agree it wasn’t a routine tonsillectomy but nowadays, very few tonsillectomies are routine: They are done for peritonsillar abcesses,, or like this case, for huge tonsils obstructing breathing, or even causing sleep apnea

I agree treat the obesity, but you know, sleep apnea causes obesity...I’ve had patients lose weight simply because they feel well enough to exercize after we took their tonsils out.

Someone should have done an emergency tracheostomy, but the nurse didn’t recognize the problem...

can you say huge malpractice suit, children?

However, if you want a really controversial case, try reading about some of the cases thrown out of hospitals by Texas’ “futile care” bill...

[BykrBayb]

My husband had a stroke seven years ago. I’ve been caring for him, and taking him everywhere I go.

Just a couple weeks ago one of his doctors, upon consultation with two of his other doctors, and agreement by all three, ordered a vasopneumatic pump for home use, to help treat what they all agree is lymphedema. He has swelling like you wouldn’t believe. The swelling was so bad this past year, just a slight bump would cause open wounds that took months to heal.

My husband’s toes and fingers on his right side are atrophied, like Jahi’s. I’ve been stretching them out. His doctors say that’s the thing to do, even though his digits just curl back up when I’m done.

Yesterday, I took my husband to his cardiologist’s office. He uses a CPAP macihine to help him breathe while he’s sleeping, because he has sleep apnea, just like Jahi. The doctor wants to make adjustments to his CPAP. It seems his sleep apnea is getting worse as time goes by.

After the doctor appointment, I refreshed my husband’s bandages and topical medications. I reapplied the antifungal cream under his arm. See, his right arm is still paralyzed, and just hangs there. I try to lift it often, but it’s heavy. His underarm area is an ideal environment for a mushroom farm. I do my best to keep it aired out and clean, but when I fail, the odor is horrendous.

After freshening up, I took my husband out to eat, and to a few stores. We had a good time. At least, I did. I thought he did too.

Imagine my embarrassment when I saw your post, with the photos, and clinical explanation, and I realized I’ve been hauling around a corpse for seven years! Countless doctors keep humoring me, diagnosing various conditions, which apparently are actually rigor mortis and decomposition.

Thank you for educating me on the subject. Sometimes people point and stare, but no one ever tells me, face-to-face, that my husband is dead, and I should just bury him already. On the Internet, folks speak their minds freely, but in face-to-face meetings, they try to conceal their “better off dead” viewpoint, sometimes without much success. It gets old.

[ifinnegan]

God bless you Baker Babe.

This was a wonderful post to read first thing this beautiful Saturday morning, six days before Christmas.

[trisham]

What do you think of the video here?

https://www.facebook.com/keepJahiMcmathonlifesupport

[goodwithagun]

I almost lost my lunch from those pics. If those are real, the family needs intensive psychological intervention.

[BykrBayb]

Google edema fingers, and you'll see the same thing. Now google dead fingers, and see what turns up.

I can see where somebody with a weak stomach might be grossed out by pictures of edema, but this is not proof of death.

[goodwithagun]

Except the coloring and decomp spots. My stomach doesn’t handle things like that, but my firefighter husband’s does. He peaked over my shoulder when I gagged at the pics and asked me why I was looking at pics of a dead hand.

[BykrBayb]

Then your husband needs more training.

If you don’t have the stomach for it, have your husband look at the images of live people with edema.

If he still can’t tell the difference between edema and decomposition, he should find a job he’s more suited for.

[goodwithagun]

Lol! Don’t worry. His sense of duty is higher than the horse you’re currently sitting on. He’d still risk not coming home to me and our kids to rescue you.

[caww]

Those are not recent....which also noted is there aren’t any because she really isn’t “there” and her body IS decomposing. Even if another team of Dr.s were to examine her, the mother will find some reason why it’s not true......that she is dead.

The other, for what ever reasons, is the determining factor is this. Because even if she shows signs of brain activity ..her daughter is gone and will never recover fro the damage that’s there. But I sincerely believe the “evidence” is she’s dead...and the family has done nothing to offer “other” evidence to prove otherwise.