My Photo
Name:

I am a Third Order Franciscan of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Update on Haleigh

I blogged about Haleigh awhile back who had been beaten by her stepmother and her stepmother's husband and put into a coma. Her fate had found its way into a court where the state was seeking permission to remove the ventilator and feeding tube on the grounds that she was in a persistant vegetative state. The stepmother's husband was arguing against that on the grounds that it was important to keep Haleigh alive - likely because he didn't want to be charged with her murder. Many questioned the state's position though, because they did not allow outside experts to look at her medical reports.

The day after the court sided with the state on the removal of the ventilator, doctors are now saying that Haleigh is breathing on her own and responding to various stimuli.

Once again, the diagnosis of "persistant vegitative state" seems to be somewhat premature. Indeed the article notes that some diagnosed as being in a PVS do partially recover. Therefore, if someone is in a PVS they cannot get better, if they do get better they were not in a PVS - get the difference?

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Therefore, if someone is in a PVS they cannot get better, if they do get better they were not in a PVS - get the difference?"


Yes, and if someone is starved to death, the doctors never need to know which it was. Sad that it happens to the incapacitated all the time.

11:06 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home