Pulling the Plug: Ethicists Debate Ramirez Case
I found an interesting story on ABC News.com yesterday, which profiles an Arizona man who suffered a sever traumatic brain injury which left him in a minimally-conscious state since a car accident May 30 of this year. Jesse Ramirez was in a coma and was being supported by water and feeding tubes for a little over a week before doctors told family members that Jesse would not recover.
Jesse’s wife made the decision to remove the tubes after hearing the advice from the medical team, however, other members of Jesse’s family were not ready to give up hope. The tubes were reconnected and in what some call a medical miracle, Jesse has regained consciousness and recovered to the extent that he can interact with visitors.
I find this story very interesting because more often than not people are unaware of the vast complexities of traumatic brain injuries. When the brain suffers from such a severe trauma it often times takes much longer to recover and regain normal functions that most think. It is stories like Jesse’s, and that of the 2005 case of Terri Shiavo, that bring the need for brain injury awareness to the forefront.
You can read Jesse’s full story here.