Bioethics and when to pull the plug

Briva · **Posted:** Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:16 pm

I couldn't help but cry after reading this article. What exactly is brain-dead to the medical profession?
https://www.lifesitenews.com/all/date/2 ... ife-is-fre

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

Not even gonna read this. Such a difficult subject.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Just to clarify, the article in question is about a hospital attempting to FORCE a family to unplug - not a family making that decision on its own.

Also, it has a happy ending : ) (sorry for the "spoiler")

It really is a good article - especially interesting to me because the hospital tried to force my sister's life support to be cut off on the grounds she was "already dead anyway."

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

Is the one where the dad pulls a gun on the hospital?

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

LisaTX · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:19 pm

I'm really interested in this stuff, especially since I used to perform EEG's and look at brain waves all day. I'm following the baby on FB that was mentioned in that article about the boy asking santa to pray with him. He is 3 months old and almost died of SIDS. He was declared brain dead on the first test, but could not be declared brain dead after the second test because he was taking two breaths a minute on his own. I am really rooting for him to heal, though I know it's highly unlikely he will ever even progress to a vegetative state. It's so sad that it looks like he's peacefully sleeping, when in reality there's next to nothing going on in his brain. It brings back sad memories of when I performed EEGs on brain damaged babies, during clinicals. The parents have him home on a ventilator and are doing all of his care taking. I would probably do the same as them for awhile, but if there was no improvement after awhile, I would let him go. Living a life of unconsciousness is no way to live.

The tests for brain death are so thorough and extensive, that brain death is considered dead, period. When a person is declared brain dead, that is the time that is written on their death certificate. And it makes sense to me. Your brain is your control center and if it dies, you die. But in light of these very rare accounts of people coming back from brain death, I think they really need to revise things and give it a little more time before they declare someone brain dead. I wonder how many people have been taken off the ventilator, who would have healed if given more time. It's chilling.

That said, from what I've been reading online about what happens to the brain when there is trauma, lack of oxygen, etc, I don't see HOW your brain can come back from that, especially not to fully functioning. That is crazy!

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

To me, "brain death" is a modern invention of scientists who think they know more than they do. I remember when my Grandfather had several strokes. The doctor looked at the brain images and said, "Well according to these pictures, he cannot do x - but he's doing x right now!"

I am greatly disturbed by the idea that humans should hasten the death process between when the brain stops and the heart stops. I see it as not our place. And, when the doctors decide to make these decisions over the objections of the family - well, may God have mercy on them.

LisaTX · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:50 pm

Well, if the brain dies, if left to "nature" or God, everything else dies, too. So one could say it's not our place to intervene in the natural course things would take. If the brain truly is dead, there's no sense in oxygenating the tissue of a corpse, and it's cruel to keep that person potentially hanging in limbo of earth and heaven, though I suspect their soul would already be long gone by that point.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

But, as this article demonstrates - we don't always know when that is. This person was obviously still alive when the doctors considered him brain dead.

And, as Christians, we don't believe that the physical brain is all that makes a person alive - God didn't turn on Adam's brain, but he breathed into him the breath of life.

Life is a mystery too great for us to comprehend - when we start deciding this or that body part is what makes a person truly alive, we're on a slippery slope.

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

Anna1111 wrote:

Yup.

Dh told me about it. GOOD GRIEF!

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