God bless you.". As a palliative care consultant, I have been in many rooms, behind closed doors, when discussing the attempts to explain brain death and have heard that although there are potentially ancillary studies to aid in diagnosis, they should not be offered because a whiff of blood flow on the scan would only introduce doubt that the diagnosis was correct. [14] Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that McMath bled from approximately 7:30p.m. to 12:35a.m.,[14] that a doctor said [expletive], her heart stopped when he arrived hours after the family said they requested a doctor,[60] and that the family was given conflicting information from nurses regarding how to care for McMath's bleeding. In response, I will present a case from my own practice. After the surgeries were performed, McMath was conscious and according to her mother, Latasha "Nailah" Winkfield, asked for a Popsicle while in the recovery room. We work to understand how parents and loved ones and their deep connection to their children can guide us in supporting them through what comes next: often the series of decisions or circumstances leading up to their childs death. My wish is that she will get some laws changed, Winkfield said about her daughter. The Case of Jahi McMath: A Neurologist's View. And now, would Jahi McMaths family have walked a different pathway with her had the team caring for her responded to their anger, grief, and denial and approached them differently? "Jahi's life IS worth the fight. Jahi McMath and the Ethics of the Brain D eath Standard . [3] Her family was informed that she was legally dead,[22] and that as a result, life support systems would be discontinued. In this case-based narrative discussion we consider the complexity of the family experience of brain death. She was not mourning. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It mirrored the calm and passive communication culture of our institution. Daffodil bouquets brightened the altar. The body of Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old California girl declared brain dead after suffering complications from routine tonsil surgery, has been released to her mother by coroners, the hospital . Doctors declared Jahi McMath officially dead after a sleep apnea surgery went awry in 2013. . Several specialists concurred after neurological tests. When the service ended at 1 p.m., an armada of cars headed off to Mount Eden Cemetery in Hayward, where Jahi was buried. [32][33], On December 24, 2013, Judge Grillo ruled that McMath was legally dead,[34] basing his decision on the medical evidence presented by physicians from Children's Hospital Oakland and from independent expert Paul Fisher, but ruled to require the hospital to continue mechanical ventilation until December 30, 2013,[32] later extending this order until January 7, 2014. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. The family's attorney stated in the media that families, rather than . sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Jonathans family described their sense that each new provider was coming in to take a swing at it and that we as an institution were playing God. Playing God meant that we could be the arbiters on Jonathans status as a living being, that our limited view as medical staff with a concrete and often unmovable definition of life prevented us from connecting to the voice she was listening to, their higher power. three days after a complex tonsillectomy surgery. According to her family, Jahi was in the intensive care unit when she started to bleed and went into cardiac arrest. 5. Id say no one is cashing in on a person still alive. We work to understand who families are in their world, who they are in our medical world, how they make decisions, and how their lifetimes of experiences guide them in that process. She was 13 when she underwent surgery to treat pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that made her stop breathing in her sleep and caused other medical problems. Thank you to Dr Aaron Wightman for his thoughtful mentorship. Born in Berkeley, she graduated from Cal with a degree in rhetoric and is now raising two daughters in El Cerrito. . Her case challenges the very nature of existence", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jahi_McMath_case&oldid=1142170688, Settlement conference rendered mutually accepted agreement, motion denied as moot, VACATED, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:22. She sold her house in Oakland and quit her job to care for Jahi, who she said could move her fingers in response to commands and even began menstruating. Four days later, at the very young age of . Naliah Winkfield - the mother of Jahi McMath, 13, has spoken exclusively to the MailOnline about the moment her daughter realized something was horribly wrong after her tonsil surgery Her parents considered these measures to constitute life support . Jahis case gained worldwide attention after her family refused to take her off life-support machines, declining to accept numerous doctors determinations that she was brain-dead. (Courtesy of the McMath Family). Sad, the girl was gone years ago but the parents wouldn't let go. Well, sort of. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The hospital protests in which supporters of the family chanted, Dont pull the plug! were long over, and relatives dabbed tears as they recalled Jahis cherubic smile, her love of manicures and her penchant for wearing hoodies and flip-flops during winter. 32, reveals she's undergone her NINTH breast reconstruction surgery to fix the 'botched' reduction she had at 19 When Jahi McMath was declared brain-dead by the hospital, her family disagreed. I also have experienced how deeply uncomfortable that is for clinicians and institutions where the once-firm criterion is being actively questioned by parents. CORRECTION (July 9, 2018, 5:03 p.m. Follow him at Twitter.com/mgafni. Subject: Jahi McMath, braindead girl, has died officially. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan. OAKLAND The biological father of Jahi McMath has sued an Oakland hospital and the doctor who performed surgery on the girl, who was declared brain-dead more than two years ago after post-surgical complications. Jahi died on June 18, 2018, from abdominal complications. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. As we talked about the joyful and Snapchat-filtered pictures papering the room, Jonathans family pointed to a photograph of a healthy-looking child, a church friend, and chimed in that she was pronounced brain-dead some time ago, but she miraculously survived. ", "McMath attorney: Jahi's family aren't fools; they deserve better than ignorant attacks", "A Tragedy Compounded: The Heart-Wrenching Case of Jahi McMath May Have Devastating Consequences to Organ Donation", "How an Outdated California Law Is Impacting the Jahi McMath Case", "Jahi McMath's family to get award from Terri Schiavo foundation", "Jahi McMath's Family to Be Honored by Terri Schiavo Network", "Jahi McMath being kept at New Jersey hospital", "13-Year-Old Jahi McMath Moved To New Jersey Hospital, Lawyer Says Condition Improving", "Why Jahi McMath's Mom Is Sure Her Daughter Isn't Brain Dead", "Doctor: No evidence of life in brain-dead girl", "Stanford doctor who examined Jahi McMath last year sticks by diagnosis that she is brain-dead", "Jahi McMath hearing postponed after doctor's determination", "Family seeks medical consensus for California girl declared brain dead", "New Documentation presented by Jahi's Attorney is not enough, says Dr. Paul Fisher", "Teen's case adds to debate over brain death", "Family of Jahi McMath sues doctor, Oakland hospital over brain damage", "Family of N.J. girl declared dead files malpractice suit claiming hospital pressured them for organs", "Judge weighs in on whether Jahi McMath is brain dead", "Jahi McMath death could have costly implications in civil case against hospital, doctors", Areas of persisting controversy in brain death, "What Does It Mean to Die? Potentially. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. My hope is that even in our frustration as providers with how Jahis McMath story played out and regardless of how you view brain death, we can step back and remember that Jahi McMath is not just a lesson learned but someones child. Winkfield and her lawyers had been trying to rescind the California death certificate as part of a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Childrens Hospital in Oakland. The place for news articles about current events in the United States and the rest of the world. Just after midnight, she had a code event, which, in its entirety, lasted >2 hours. For starters they allowed a 13-year old girl to get so fat that she developed sleep apnea, which is neglectful/abusive parenting on its own IMO. With these questions in mind, I return to the words of those closest to Jahi: her family. She can eat all the McDonald's she wants now! Jahis stepfather, Marvin Winkfield, originally was a plaintiff in the first lawsuit, but the judge ruled he had no legal standing. Jahi McMath: Biological father sues hospital, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, Jahi McMath: Biological father sues hospital claiming botched surgery. I am relieved for her. He goes on to say the death certificate, notes that Jahi had been suffering from an anoxic brain injury for 4 years. Neuropathologic findings in a young woman 4years following declaration of brain death: case analysis and literature review. Rumor has it that they smuggled a cheeseburger into the ICU and fed it to Jahi because she was hungry - this is of course absolutely contraindicated after such surgery. Exasperated? On December 12, 2013 she was declared brain-dead. 2022 Nov 26. [39] After receiving custody of McMath from Children's Hospital, the Coroner then released her to the custody of her mother, who was warned of and assumed all risk regarding cardiac arrest during the transfer. According to McMath's doctors at Children's Hospital Oakland, the loss of blood circulation caused whole brain death. Norman K. Swazo, Ph.D., M.H.S.A. She was a daughter who loved the color purple and dreamed of being a doctor and mothering twins. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies She silenced her music, and we followed her cues that it was time to leave. On Dec. 19, 2013, 10 days after Jahi's surgery, the case returned to an Alameda County court and McMath was ordered to start paying $388 a month in child support, according to court documents .