New Jahi McMath OP-ED from LA Times

<p>This is a good article [On</a> brain death and the Jahi McMath story | Christopher Johnson M.D. PICU Author](<a href=“On brain death and the Jahi McMath story | Christopher Johnson M.D. PICU Author”>On brain death and the Jahi McMath story | Christopher Johnson M.D. PICU Author)</p>

<p>And Dolan is now championing another case. Which is good. Maybe someone has moved on (though maybe his is to regain the spotlight?) [Woodside</a> coaches bounced over alleged player hazing - Matier And Ross](<a href=“SFGATE: San Francisco Bay Area News, Sports, Culture, Travel, Food and Drink - SFGATE”>SFGATE: San Francisco Bay Area News, Sports, Culture, Travel, Food and Drink - SFGATE)</p>

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<p>I don’t know for sure, but am thinking it was to be applied in instances of late pregnancy with an already viable infant.</p>

<p>I’ll try to find out more about this.</p>

<p>What I have found so far:</p>

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[quote]
FORT WORTH — An attorney who helped rewrite the state law being used to keep a pregnant Haltom City woman on life support said lawmakers never discussed it being applied to a brain-dead person.</p>

<p>Thomas Mayo, an associate law professor at Southern Methodist University who helped draft the latest version of the advance directive section of the Texas Health and Safety Code in 1999, said that he does not recall discussing that aspect of the law.</p>

<p>“It never would have occurred to us that anything in the statute applied to anyone who was dead,” Mayo said in an interview. “The statute was meant for making treatment decisions for patients with terminal or irreversible conditions.”</p>

<p>Read more here: [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/23/5509944/texas-law-didnt-anticipate-dead.html#storylink=cpy]Texas”&gt;http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/23/5509944/texas-law-didnt-anticipate-dead.html#storylink=cpy]Texas</a> law didn’t anticipate Mu</p>

<p>I think the Texas law was not meant to apply in this kind of case, with a mother who was already declared legally brain dead.</p>

<p>Crossposted with Nrdsb4</p>

<p>It was quite horrifying to read the description of that poor woman’s body deteriorating and of the non viable fetus being so deformed they can’t even tell its sex. The hospital is a disgrace.</p>

<p>I would think that law might force women to have an abortion in order to make certain decisions regarding their health care.</p>

<p>This is a very interesting thread. As I recall the previous thread was shut down when it veered into a discussion of abortion. </p>

<p>Is Dolan trying to redeem himself?</p>

<p>Jym, that is a very good article on brain death you posted.</p>

<p>Thank God the Texas case is coming to an end. People will not soon forget the horrors that family has endured, or the state’s treatment of women (alive or dead) in general.</p>

<p>I agree, BB. Thanks.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Jahi’s family has been awfully quiet. Is is the proverbial calm before the storm? It has been a few weeks since her body got taken out of the hospital.</p>

<p>God I hate that this new format doesn’t show what time people posted.</p>

<p><a href=“Jahi McMath: Could her case change how California determines death? – The Mercury News”>Jahi McMath: Could her case change how California determines death? – The Mercury News;

<p>^Me too. I hate the new format. Text got smaller, seems less prominent.</p>

<p>From Flossy’s linked article:

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<p>This could make a lot of sense in the courts. If Jahi’s mother did not believe brain death fell under her beliefs of dead, then why did she consent to so many physicians running further tests to determine whether Jahi was brain dead or not?</p>

<p>I could be wrong but I don’t recall any discussion at the time of religious beliefs. It is my impression that this was conjured up by Dolan as amunition to get the family what they wanted.</p>

<p>It was mentioned very briefly early on. In other words, it was one partial sentence in a screaming string of incompetent hospital charges centering primarily on how the doctors wanted to kill her because it would be better for business merged with they wanted to move her so they could kill another child. That and the nurses were on break and the doctor was slow in showing up and grandma had to suction. And, that’s also when the uncle mentioned that she was worth more alive than dead. There is video of all of this. Basically, it made no sense. Dolan brought focus.</p>

<p>This new format is giving me issues. And glare.</p>

<p>Just read that the hospital in Ft. Worth is going to abide by the judge’s ruling to remove the ventilator. </p>

<p>I’m very glad to hear that teriwtt. This has been so difficult for this family. I’m sure this has also been stressful for many of the doctors and nurses there as well , most of whom I would imagine wanted to follow the family’s wishes (but were concerned about the law). </p>

<p>The hospital complied with the court decision and the family’s wishes. RIP, Marlise. </p>