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OrganFacts.net

The truth behind
organ donation
& transplants

The truth behind organ donation & transplants


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… The truth behind organ donation & organ transplants

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Carina Melchior

Carina Melchior , a 19 year old student, suffered severe injuries after crashing her car. Doctors said she would soon be “brain dead” and convinced her family to consent to organ donation. But, as doctors gathered around her bed to prep her for organ donation, she suddenly opened her eyes and moved her legs. Now she is making a full recovery. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Steven Thorpe

Steven Thorpe , 17 year old Warwickshire youth, was declared “brain dead” by four doctors, but his parents did not give up on him, and insisted on another opinion from an independent GP and a neurosurgeon. Steven made an unexpected recovery and left hospital alive seven weeks later. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Zach Dunlap

Zach Dunlap , a 21 year old Oklahoma man, was “feeling pretty good” four months after he was diagnosed as “brain dead”. Ironically, Zach heard the doctors pronounce him dead, but was unable to do anything about it. A few days later, he revived and spoke to his family. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Sam Schmid

Sam Schmid , a 21 year old Arizona college student, was critically wounded in a five-car accident. Surgeons thought he had no hope of recovery and broached organ donation with his family. Sam was poised to ‘donate’ his vital organs, when he suddenly emerged from a coma. He has since had rehabilitation and walks with the aid of a walker. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Val Thomas

Val Thomas , 59 year old West Virginia woman, came back to life, after being clinically “brain dead” for 17 hours. Attempts to revive her after a heart attack had failed, and doctors diagnosed her as “brain dead”. Later “she moved her arm, coughed and asked for her son.” ... she was alive. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Gloria Cruz

Gloria Cruz , 56 year old Northern Territory woman, was declared “brain dead” and expected to ‘die’ within 48 hours. A doctor, a social worker and a ‘patient advocate’ urged her husband to remove the ventilator and let her ‘die’. But he refused and 3 days later, Gloria revived, awoke from her coma and was getting around hospital in a wheelchair. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Madeleine Gauron

Madeleine Gauron , a 76 year old Quebec woman, was diagnosed by medical staff as “brain dead”, with no hope of recovery. Doctors asked if the family would agree to organ donation, but the family asked for more medical tests. The next day, astonishingly, she awakened and sat up in bed and ate yogurt. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Rae Kupferschmidt

Rae Kupferschmidt , 65 year old Minnesota woman, suffered a massive cerebral haemorrhage and doctors diagnosed her as “brain dead”. She was taken home to die and her family began making funeral arrangements. When Rae spontaneously sucked an ice cube offered by her daughter, she was found to be alive. She later walked. [more]

WAS
NOT
DEAD

Suzanne Chin

Suzanne Chin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed into unconsciousness. Taken to hospital, she remained in a coma and the head of ICU, two neurologists & a cardiologist said she was brain-dead with no hope of recovery. But her husband refused to turn of her life support. 3 days later, Suzanne revived & is now well & very much ALIVE. [more]

Was Not Dead!

Sam Schmid

Poised to Donate Organs, 21-Year-Old Emerges From Coma.

Sam Schmid in wheelchair after being considered brain dead

Sam Schmid, an Arizona college student, was critically wounded in a five-car accident in Tucson, Arizona (Oct 19, 2011).

The 21-year-old’s brain injuries were so severe that the local hospital could not treat him. He was airlifted to the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Phoenix, where specialists performed surgery for a life-threatening aneurysm.

With no responsive signs, staff discussed taking Schmid off life support and broached the subject of organ donation with his family. This was done through subtle discussions “about Sam, his quality of life, what would Sam want if we had to come to a difficult decision”, according to his mother.

“It looked like all the odds were stacked against him,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler. ... “There was plenty wrong -- he had a hemorrhage, an aneurysm and a stroke from the part of the aneurysm,”. ...“I didn't want to give the family false hope.”

“At some point, I knew we had to make some sort of decision, and I kept praying,” said his mother, who asked for Sam to be given another week.Despite being considered “brain dead”, he was actually very much alive

On October 24 Sam Schmid began to respond, holding up two fingers on command. Despite being considered “brain dead”, he was actually very much alive.

Since then Sam has been in physical rehabilitation and walks with the aid of a walker. His speech, although slow, has improved. He spent Christmas Day at home with his family. Thankfully, Sam has a devoted family, who didn’t give up on him when he was most vulnerable to pressure for “organ donation”.

Sam says: “I see myself leaving the house, going to school, work, basic things like that... I just want my life to be what it used to be.”



(Based on “Poised to Donate Organs, 21-Year-Old Emerges From Coma” by Susan Donaldson James, ABCNews.com. Viewed Mar 16, 2012 at: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/arizona-accident-victim-emerges-coma-poised-donate-organs/story?id=15208351 )

(see also “Arizona coma patient now speaking, walking” by TERRY TANG, Associated Press. Viewed Mar 16, 2012 at: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Arizona-coma-patient-now-speaking-walking-2422244.php# )

(see also “Oklahoma man who was declared dead says he feels ‘pretty good’ ” by NYDailyNews.com. Viewed Apr 17, 2012 at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/oklahoma-man-declared-dead-feels-pretty-good-article-1.286113 )