Family keeps vigil at brain-dead boy's side

[rocktivity]

Teron Francis would turn 14 on June 25...(He)...was taken to (a) Bronx (New York, hospital)...on Monday complaining of a severe headache and toothache...

...After...(Teron went)...into convulsions and became unconscious, he was hooked up to a respirator...(D)octors conducted a CAT-scan and told relatives that an infection had spread to his brain...On Wednesday, doctors told relatives he was brain dead...

New York State law empowers physicians to remove respirators from brain-dead patients after 24 hours...(A) State Supreme Court Justice...told about two dozen family members that the respirator would not be removed and that he had ordered an investigation into Teron's case. The relatives broke into applause...

link

I'd tell Teron's relatives the same thing I would have told Terri Schiavo's--get a second opinion as to whether he's brain dead, and if it concurs, have enough class to allow the hospital to pull the plug.

:(
rocknation

[VegasWolf]

1. Unfortunately, current Medical Science is limited. Best wishes to the

parents. They have some tough times ahead.

[aquart]

2. It hasn't been 15 years. They're still in shock.

It's going to take a leap to believe he won't wake up if they just give him some more time.

I remember being warned that an abcessed tooth could spread infection to the brain.

[Erika]

3. Who is paying for the bill?

Under Texas law, the hospital can end the life if the patient isn't viewed as viable and can't pay the bill.

Yes, God be with this family.

[alittlelark]

6. SUCH a good point.

I'll be watching this one (along w/ 1+ mill. like minded people).

[MADem]

7. Probably insurance, and I hate to say it

...but that investigation will probably be completed when the insurance money runs out.

[rocktivity]

9. You're talking about Baby Sun Hudson

And Texas Governor George W. Bush is the one who approved that law. Baby Sun was unplugged the week before Bush interrupted his vacation to approve "Terri's Law." Yes, Baby Sun had fatal health problems, but being brain dead was NOT one of them.

link



:headbang:
rocknation

[alittlelark]

4. In the boys' case 4-7 opinion should be sought.....

They may all be the same, but at least the parents will KNOW THEY DID THE RIGHT THING.

[Kool Kitty]

5. Gee, no word from DeLay on this particular case?

[MADem]

8. According to the article, they expect the kid to die, respirator or not

They just want him to go "naturally" though I cannot fathom how a respirator is natural.

[rocktivity]

10. If his cognitive brain is no longer functional

then his brain IS dead, and he's already "gone naturally." Keeping him on a respirator is the opposite, especially if his organs could be donated to save other lives. The relatives shouldn't turn their child into a pile of warmed-over protoplasm like Terri's parents did.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Erika]

11. Agreed

No one should be forced to be kept alive brain dead.

[MADem]

12. Quite right, but the parents aren't buying it nt

[KitSileya]

13. They can pul the plug after only 24 hours?

Isn't that a bit too soon? I mean, granted, if the patient is brain-dead, he's brain-dead, but I would think the family would need at least a couple of more days to say goodbye, especially if the condition was the result of sudden and unexpected injury.

I do realize that every day on a respirator is expensive, but still....

[Erika]

14. If he is brain dead, he is brain dead

The emotions of the family are set aside in this determination. The big factor seems to be who is paying for it. The precedence has been set by Bush types that if you don't have the $ and there is no hope for recovery, the hospital doesn't have to pay to keep the patient alive. Only the well insured and wealthy have the option.

[KitSileya]

25. Yeah, I figured as much.

I thank God daily that I live in a country with nationalized health care - I have to pay about 1/2 hour's salary as co payment for any doctor's visits*, and pay for dental work myself unless it's very expensive, but I wouldn't be turned away at an E.R. if I didn't have any money. To be tossed off respirator because of economy rather than medical issues is heinous. A culture of life indeed. They're sucha bunch of hypocrites.



* I find that comparing money in terms of salaries and how long you'd have to work to earn something is more useful than just converting currencies. It gives a better understanding of how expensive (or cheap, in this case) things are.

[rodeodance]

26. I see your point but just want to clarify something. A EKG will be done

and if flat (brain dead), then another is performed either 12-24 hours later to make sure. The 24 hour period starts after the 2nd EKG. Although hospitals will have the legal right (and this will vary from state to state), generally they waid a while. How long??--Depends on when the family is 'ready'--or as we see in the TX case--when the hospital is ready.

It seems to me that in this NY case--the hospital is waiting.

[KitSileya]

28. Well, I doubt the doctors and nurses are the first to pull the plug.

I'm sure they think more of the family and loved ones. However, increasingly the bottom line is getting to be the deciding factor in medical decisions - and hospitals won't be able to afford being humane much longer. Bush is pushing more and more people off health insurance, and so they won't be able to afford proper helth care - and hospitals will lose money, the families will go bankrupt , and the only one who will win are Bushie's fat cats.

[Rainscents]

15. I would at least give few weeks before unplugging.

Give it a chance, maybe boy will survie and coming around. It's way to soon to decide.

[rocktivity]

16. You CAN'T restart or regrow a dead brain

That's why it should be confirmed by other doctors that he's brain dead. Seven out of the eight doctors in the Terri Schiavo case did exactly that.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Erika]

18. Wonder when Terri's autopsy will be released

It should be soon.

[rodeodance]

27. generally takes a month for tissues to be in condition to be worked on-

then the procedure is done, then a report is written.

[Erika]

17. I guess it depends on his insurance

as to his family's choices. If he has no insurance, and he's not a poster boy for the right-wing, he's toast...no questions asked. No appeals available.

[Kool Kitty]

19. That's what I meant when I made the DeLay comment.

This was on our local news tonight. Very sad story.

[rodeodance]

23. a massive infection that spead to the brain--bad sign-The article dis not

mention the type of infection.

[NVMojo]

20. I wish them peace but are we going to have to know everyone's

fecking personal business like this forever while the fundies reign??? If this was my family, I wouldn't like it being broadcast ....this is a personal matter.

[Erika]

21. Until Terri, these were personal matters

The GOP changed it. Their nose, as big government, must be in everything.

[highnooner]

22. Unlike the Schiavo case,

The parents have the right to make the decision here. Big difference.

Remember, they are likely still in shock and are resisting the inevitable. Like someone said above, it hasn't been 15 years.

[rodeodance]

24. I agree--times vary as to what and when families will acknowledge that

their child is indeed gone. Maybe nature will take its course and the parents will not have to decide (to take respirator off). What a horrible decision that is for any parent.

[LizW]

30. I know a family who went through this

Their healty 18 month-old fell down some stairs and was terribly injured. Although he showed no sign of external injury, his brain suffered trauma and within a short time it was determined that he was brain dead.

It was a horrible shock for the family. One instant he was healthy, and the next he was gone.

I think they did three tests for brain activity 24 hours apart. This was 15 years ago and hospitals had standard procedures for determining brain death. Even after the third test showed no activity, it was the parents' decision to remove life support.

This is a terrible decision to have to make, especially when the family is in shock and denial about the injury. My heart goes out to anyone who has to go through this.

[mtnester]

29. Under the HIPAA laws, we only know about this child because the parents

ALLOWED the information out. HIPAA is pretty clear, the hospital cannot release details about this patients condition without the patient, or the patient's legal guardian(s), giving permission to do so.

So even though I agree with you on the privacy of this tragedy, the parents must have wanted it to be public. Maybe they have been told what hospital policy is on this, and are waiting for a Delay intervention.

Whatever the reason, this is horrible for any parent. Mercy would be to give the parents and family time to say goodbye.

[HuckleB]

37. Exactly. -eom-

[patricia92243]

31. What I want to know what kind of infetion he had - to me THAT is the real

news story on this article. He went from a headache to being brain dead in three days!!

What infection? How did he get it? Is it contagious?

[Enraged_Ape]

32. Almost sounds like meningococcal meningitis

Progresses horribly rapidly, is becoming ever more common (particularly among teens and young people), and is becoming ever more antibiotic-resistant.

But I didn't read the article. And I'm not a doctor. Nor do I play one on TV.

Edited: Sp

[CoffeeCat]

33. I see many, many potential train wrecks like Schiavo in our future...

I feel for these poor parents as they make these tough decisions.

This case reminds me that the Fundies will probably be using cases like this to make their insidious "We're the culture of life; they're the culture of death" demarcations.

Everyday, people are injured or suffer illnesses that render them brain dead.

All it will take for another Schiavo case is a Fundie family that is willing to exploit their family member for the purposes of propping up conservatives. If someone wants to pull the plug (hospital, other family member), but the Fundie portion of the brain-dead patient's would rather embroil themselves in a national farce---it can easily happen.

Republicans leaders, who want to position themselves as "culture of life" enthusiasts--will be salivating to use these families and their brain-dead family members to make their point.

It's frightening.

[davsand]

34. Poor kid.

I'm wondering how long he had pain in his tooth before it abscessed and then infected his brain. I do realize that some people don't really feel pain in teeth when they abscess, but usually it is quite painful and quite evident. Was that pain ignored?

I do see that the article mentions that he was one of several children. I also see that the article mentions that he was supposed to go to Jamaica this summer and see his father. That could possibly indicate that his mother is scrambling to provide for her kids as a solo parent. Dental care may not have been a possibility.

They are talking, however, about all the travel and fun that was planned for the child this summer (including a trip to Six Flags and a month in Jamaica) so there must have been enough cash for him to see a dentist at some point in all of this...

I dunno--it is a sad thing, but somehow it isn't clear to me if the kid was neglected, mistreated by a Doc or if it is just one of those fluke things that brings a huge amount of pain to all involved.

Poor kid.


Laura

[koopie57]

38. One time I was having terrible headaches for several months

the doctors thought I was a hypochondriac and finally one gave me a bottle of pain pills. I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning and when I got home that night I had a terrible toothache. My boyfriend called the dentist and we had an appointment for first thing in the morning. The pain was so great I drank brandy and took the pain pills and basically rolled back and forth on the living room floor. It turned out my symptoms of an abscess tooth was a headache. I guess that is the way things go sometimes.

[Horse with no Name]

35. Is this story legit?

I can see how he may be brain damaged from this infection. I can see how he can die from this infection. But I don't see an incidence where he was without oxygen for any length of time to actually kill off the brain cells.
You cannot confirm brain death with a CT scan. It takes a series of EEG's performed by several different physician's and usually over 2-3 days.
I am finding it a huge leap that on Monday he was admitted and Wednesday he was declared brain dead?
With that type of massive infection, one would expect several days of high powered antibiotics before they would even attempt doing EEG's so as not to get a false reading on the EEG's.
Something about this story doesn't set right with me.:shrug:

[davsand]

36. I wondered about THAT too.

Others have speculated on here about WHAT type of infection that child had that could do that much damage that quickly. I DO know, that some of these bugs can grow really FAST.

A couple of years ago hubby had a sore throat on Friday. He refused to cal the doc. By Saturday PM it was so bad that he was in terrible pain, but he refused to go to the ER. By Sunday PM he was in so much pain that we had no painkillers in the house that would even touch it. By Monday AM he could no longer swallow at all and his airway was beginning to close off.

I had him in the Doc's office early Monday AM and literally they refused to try and treat him. Instead, they made arrangements for him to go directly to the hospital ER and an ENT.

He had an abscess in his throat that they were forced to open up and drain to save his life. I SAW what they drained out of there and it was a huge volume and some of the most disgusting stuff I have EVER seen and smelled in my life.

They gave him massive doses of antibiotics and some heavy duty painkillers and sent him home with instructions on how to keep it open and draining. It was cultured out and found to be a couple of different kinds of infection--both aerobic and ANAEROBIC.

I would THINK that the kid's dental infection was most likely a similar combo of bacteria. Broad spectrum antibiotics should kill it, or even a combo of antibiotics should be useful. (I would expect that ANY kind of dental or mouth infection would be treatable in much the same way.) I would also think that it would take some TIME for that infection to kill off so much brain tissue that the child would be declared brain dead.

I agree that there is something we are not hearing here.

Just my two cents.


Laura

[Mnemosyne]

39. This is probably not related but...

10 year old Bronx girl dies of flesh-eating bacteria
http://www.wnbc.com/health/4392656/detail.html

[rocktivity]

40. Updates (Mon AM 4/25)

New York Daily News:
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon - who is slated to rule today on whether to keep 13-year-old Teron Francis on life support - brought his wife to the teen's hospital room when he came for an emergency hearing...

McKeon's wife then said a prayer over the teen at Montefiore Children's Hospital...a lawyer for Teron's family, said the boy's relatives were "touched" by the act.

New York Post
The stricken family of a brain-dead Bronx boy yesterday vowed to fight "until heart stops" — as a judge today weighs whether to pull the plug on the tragic 13-year-old.

..."We have no intention of taking the child off the respirator," said Montefiore spokesman Steven Osborne. "The case and what this lawyer is doing is atrocious and a disservice to this family."

The family's ordeal began April 6, when Teron complained of a toothache. Doctors at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital's pediatric dental clinic scheduled him for root canal April 15...When Teron arrived for his scheduled surgery, he was turned away because he was not accompanied by a guardian. Two days later, the toothache became a massive headache, and he was admitted to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and tested for meningitis. Teron was transferred to Montefiore, where doctors said he was brain dead...

:headbang:
rocknation