Judge extends 2-year-old's life support

[ERDoc]

Here in NY the law allows anyone that is declared brain dead to be declared legally dead and efforts to keep the body alive can be stopped without consent from the family. In my institution there is a lengthy process to declare someone brain dead. The person has to have an EEG and a perfusion MRI to show that the insult to the brain is catastrophic. The pt needs to undergo a full neurological exam by 2 seperate neurologists at least 24hrs apart. The pt needs to be off of all sedatives for 48 hours before these exams. The pt must be shown not to be able to breathe on their own (again, off of all sedating meds). It is a very thorough exam and leaves little room for debate. I saw it once when I was in the SICU. Most of our docs are not as harsh as the one in the story (even the surgeons, at least not in front of the family). It also allows the family time to get everyone together and have time to say goodbye. When looking at stories like this, we need to keep in mind that there is a difference between being in a coma, in a vegetative state and being brain dead.

[Burnzonemt]

Ah, ethics. I love to follow ethical arguments. Doesn't seem to be any real answer, only grey area. Definitely no black or white. I tried putting myself in the doctors shoes and I can see their point. All the tests and evidence available to them points to a brain dead child. What else can you do with this child that is going to change his outcome? Nothing obvious. Dr. Lindell Smith should have maybe been a little more compassionate with his statement. I just don't like something about his statement of "We don't treat dead patients, so there is no further care. If he is dead, I don't continue caring for him."

Now try standing in the parents shoes. More likely than not they are still in the grieving process and have memories of a happy little boy running around the house. Seems to me like they would rather not know the whole truth about what the child's brain status is. Miracles can and do happen, just pick up your nearest Reader's Digest to read all about the latest and greatest miracle to happen. Sure seems like they cover these kind of things a lot anyway. So a miracle, maybe. If the parents are willing to care for the child I say power to them.

In all honesty though, my vote goes to pull the plug. Even if it was my family. The Terry Schavio mess is still to fresh in my mind. There is NO quality of life left when someone lives in a vegetative state.

[Dsmittty911]

In all honesty though, my vote goes to pull the plug. Even if it was my family. The Terry Schavio mess is still to fresh in my mind. There is NO quality of life left when someone lives in a vegetative state.

I agree with Burn, There is no quality of life left in that state. I sympathize with the family and understand that new miracles happen but if pt is brain dead(not comatose) then life support should be stopped. It is not fair to the family to prolong the agony that they are facing because they have decided they are not ready to say goodbye to a loved one. I do believe in God but am smart enough to know that when God's ready for you you don't have a choice in the matter. Perhaps instead of taking the boy home and prolonging the inevitable let him be an organ donor so someone else that does have a chance to live gives the boy a chance to live on doing good for others so that perhaps the parents can prevent someone else from having to deal with the grief that they are feeling now. As far as the Terry Schavio incident she was actually considered brain dead several years ago. It is sad about the circus that that turned into with politicians and judges and everyone else getting involved. This is definately a hard topic and I'm sitting here teary eyed thinking about it. I was adopted at birth and while some people have heard me refer to my kids I really only have one blood relation. My son. He is the only blood kin I have in the world. The thought of not having him due to something like this is terrifying to me. I would hope that God would grant me the strength to make the right decisions.

[buckeyedoc]

On the 17th of this month, my son, Zach, would be 10 years old. He lived 4 days and then died. My ex-wife and I had to make the decision to have the ventilator unplugged. There may have been a very slim chance he would have survived, but what would his long-term life be like? Medically, the outcome didn't look good. I didn't leave his bedside in the hope that he would wake up. I was the only one to see his eyes open. I, in a way, know what this family is feeling. I would give anything for Zach to be alive today and seeing him go into the 5th grade. Instead, every St. Patrick's Day, I visit the grave of my son. My kids (6 1/2 and 5) visit his grave with me on his birthday to take him a present. Everytime we pass a cemetary, they wave and yell out, "Happy Birthday, bubby Zach". Unless you've had to make the decision to see your child die right in front of your eyes, then you don't have any idea what this family is going through. I know that God is protecting Brett Shively, Jr. To the parents, this is not about medical right or wrong, but giving their child a fighting chance.

:angel5: Zachariah Daniel Patrick Moore, 3/17/1996-3/20/1006 :angel5:

[xselerate]

It's time.... if something amazing is going to happen it will happen when they pull the plug. If not.... well everyone's maker calls out to them.... we need to be willing to accpet that sometimes.

[Guest]

I don't want to sound creul and insensitive, But this wreaks of the not so long ago Terry Schivo Court battles. This could be drawn out for yrs. It will become a burdon on the family and eventually the public in general. This will cause protests and debates. People who have no clue as to what anyone wants or needs will be voicing their opinions as gospel. All in the family or the victims name. Emotions are and will continue to run high until a final decision is make and the end result made clear.

I have two kids 8 and 3. it would kill me to have to be in the parents position at this point. My brother lost his entire family 3 kids all under 9 yrs old at one time. It was a car accident his Ex ran a stop sign while she was drunk. the oldest was reported to be alive on the scene only to be declared before reaching the hospital. it was pure hell for my brother and the rest of my family to have thought that she was fighting for life only to have been ignored in the end. That was not the case.

i agree with you Rid in spirit, but in the end what will the quality of life be? not only for the child but the rest of the family. Will he return to normal? will he be in a vegetative state? What kind of financial security does the family have now and will it hold out in the future? I hate to break it down to a matter of money, but in the end that will rip that family to shreds. They are young, and its been a month already. Kids crash all at once but in my experiance limited as it may be they also tend to recover quickly. I understand people have recovered from this. in fact a woman from hutchinson woke from a substancialy long coma a couple yrs ago.

We always get the warm fuzzys from the press. what about the families that thier child or father or whatever has woken only to be in a vegatative state and 2 yrs later the family divorces or someone commits suicide because they feel there is no way out. Are they prepared for this? Is their marrage strong enough to survive and care for him if this happens. I don't know and i pray i never have to find out.

I will make no direct call on how i feel you can judge from what i have rambled on about here. Thats what usually happens anyway. I just thought i would mention some things that during the 30 minutes that my niece was thought to be fighting for life, where brought to my brothers attention by social workers.

Race

It is a sticky subject

[brock8024]

I am going to put on my flame suit for this, but how did the child end up in the bath tub. I do not have kids, but I would think that it would be hard for a 2 year old to turn on the water in a bath tub and then climb in without someone knowing it. I am not blaming the parents but I would if some of this is not a guilt thing about wanting to keep him alive because on of them left him alone and that is how he drowned.

brock