Youth escaped HOTA woke up from BRAIN DEATH before X'mas

[hotabandit]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57347350-247/about-to-be-taken-off-life-support-man-wakes/

About to be taken off life support, man wakes
Elizabeth Armstrong Moore
by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore December 24, 2011 2:11 PM PST


A young man in a coma was unwittingly poised to give the ultimate this holiday season--his life, and with it, his organs. Instead, his mother became the recipient of the ultimate gift: his sudden recovery.

Sam Schmid just came out of a two-month coma.
(Credit: Barrow Neurological Institute)

"Nobody could ever give me a better Christmas present than this--ever, ever, ever," his mother, Susan Regan, told ABC News this week.

Sam Schmid, a junior at the University of Arizona, suffered severe brain damage and broken femurs in a five-car accident in October that killed his friend and roommate.

ABC reports that Schmid was airlifted to the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where renowned surgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler (who trained the doctor who operated on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in the head earlier this year) performed emergency surgery.

"There was plenty wrong--he had a hemorrhage, an aneurysm and a stroke from the part of the aneurysm," Spetzler told ABC. "But he didn't have a blood clot in the most vital part of his brain, which we know he can't recover from. And he didn't have a massive stroke that would predict no chance of a useful existence."

Spetzler says he clipped the balloonlike aneurysm "as if I were patching a tire," which ultimately worked. And even though Schmid didn't respond, Spetzler didn't see fatal injuries in the MRI scan and suggested continuing life support.

Two months and no apparent progress later, the doctors and family were getting ready to take Schmid off life support. Spetzler ordered one more MRI to look for signs that critical brain matter had died. There weren't any.

That evening, doctors told Schmid to raise two fingers. He did. And he is now speaking--if slowly and slurred--and has been cleared for a day's leave from the hospital to celebrate Christmas with his family.

"It was like fireworks all going off at the same time," Spetzler said. "In a way, his recover was truly miraculous. It's a great Christmas story."

 

[hotabandit]

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/耶誕奇蹟-腦死青年甦醒返家過節-113017949.html

耶誕奇蹟！　腦死青年甦醒返家過節
TVBSTVBS – 2011年12月24日 下午9:34
美國亞歷桑納州，一位21歲大學生之前因為嚴重車禍，被醫院宣判腦死，原本建議家屬拔掉呼吸器捐出器官，沒想到一個星期之後，就在耶誕節前夕，大學生竟然奇蹟似般醒了過來，還能說話走路，喜出望外的家人認為這是耶誕節最棒的禮物。

推著輔助輪一步一步地往前走，21歲的山姆才剛經歷過大劫難，從他頭上長長的傷痕就可以看得出來，這位亞歷桑納州的大學生之前出了一場嚴重車禍，經過手術急救，醫院一度宣布腦死，回天乏術，醫院建議家屬拔掉維生系統，讓山姆的器官遺愛人間，但幸好神經外科醫師從掃瞄照片研判腦部受損不算太嚴重，要求家屬再等一個禮拜。

神經外科醫師：「我們在醫學上看到(無法甦醒的)案例很多，不過也有例外，很幸運的他就是其中之一。」

這一等，果然救了山姆一命，他的手指突然動了起來，而且恢復神速，不用多久時間已經可以站起來走路。病患母親蘇珊：「當時我們只能期待明天，你知道抱著希望，醫生跟我說，蘇西，這需要一點時間，而他是對的。」

連醫院方面都嘖嘖稱奇，認為這是耶誕節的奇蹟。奇蹟甦醒病患山姆：「我想要盡快恢復正常，恢復到車禍之前的樣子。」

雖然話說得慢了一點，但山姆的表達相當清楚，對家人來說，山姆從被宣判腦死到甦醒，甚至還能回家跟大家團聚，絕對是今年耶誕節最完美的禮物。

 

[radon39]

Heng ah he there....if here, ht Quay chap lio

 

[hotabandit]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/arizon...s-coma-poised-donate-organs/story?id=15208351

Poised to Donate Organs, 21-Year-Old Emerges From Coma
By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
Dec.. 22, 2011
PHOTO: Sam Schmid, a 21-year-old college student from Arizona, astounded doctors by recovering from traumatic brain injuries just hours before being readied to be an organ donor.
Sam Schmid, a 21-year-old college student from Arizona, astounded doctors by recovering from traumatic brain injuries just hours before being readied to be an organ donor. (Barrow Neurological Institute)

Sam Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support.

Schmid, a junior and business major at the University of Arizona, was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tucson.

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.

As hospital officials began palliative care and broached the subject of organ donation with his family, Schmid began to respond, holding up two fingers on command. Today, he is walking with the aid of a walker, and his speech, although slow, has improved.

Doctors say he will likely have a complete recovery. He even hopes to get a day pass from the hospital to celebrate the holidays with his large extended family.

"Nobody could ever give me a better Christmas present than this -- ever, ever, ever," said his mother, Susan Regan, who is vice-president of the insurance company Lovitt-Touche.

"I tell everyone, if they want to call it a modern-day miracle, this is a miracle," said Regan, 59, and a Catholic. "I have friends who are atheists who have called me and said, 'I am going back to church.'"
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Schmid's doctor, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler, agreed that his recovery was miraculous.

"I am dumbfounded with his incredible recovery in such a short time," said Spetzler. "His recovery was really remarkable considering the extent of his lethal injuries."

Hospital officials are crediting Spetzler with having a "hunch" that despite an initially dire prognosis, the young man would make it. But he said it was "reasonable" for others to consider withdrawing the patient from life support.

"It looked like all the odds were stacked against him," said Spetzler, who has performed more than 6,000 such surgeries and trained the doctor who operated on Congressman Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot at the beginning of this year.

During surgery, Spetzler clipped the balloonlike aneurysm in the blood vessel -- "as if I were patching a tire," a procedure that eventually worked.

For days Schmid didn't seem to be responding, but what puzzled his doctor was that he did not see fatal injuries on the MRI scan. So he decided to keep Schmid on life support longer.

"There was plenty wrong -- he had a hemorrhage, an aneurysm and a stroke from the part of the aneurysm," Spetzler said. "But he didn't have a blood clot in the most vital part of his brain, which we know he can't recover from. And he didn't have a massive stroke that would predict no chance of a useful existence."

So while the family was given a realistic picture of Schmid's poor chances for survival, Spetzler ordered one more MRI to see if the critical areas of the brain had turned dark, indicating brain death.

"If not, we would hang on and keep him on support," he said. "But I didn't want to give the family false hope."

Schmid's mother said no one "specifically" asked if her son would be a donor, but they "subtly talk to you about quality of life."

"At some point, I knew we had to make some sort of decision, and I kept praying," said Regan.

The MRI came back with encouraging news during the day and by evening Schmid "inexplicably" followed the doctors' commands, holding up two fingers.

"It was like fireworks all going off at the same time," said Spetzler.

Today, Schmid -- his speech clear and sounding upbeat -- told ABCNews.com, "I feel fine. I'm in a wheelchair, but I am getting lots of help."

Sam Schmid Has No Memory of the Accident

He said he remembers nothing of the accident nor coming around after being in an induced coma. "It wasn't until I woke up in rehab," he said. "But they told me about afterwards."

Schmid was returning from coaching basketball at his former Catholic school when a van swerved into his lane. The Jeep in which he was riding went airborne, hit a light pole and landed on its side.

Schmid's left hand and both of his femurs broke and required surgery. But the worst were the traumatic head injuries, which were complex and nearly always fatal.

All those involved say the support that Schmid got from family and friends -- and especially the care at Barrow -- may have made the difference. His brother John, a 24-year-old IT specialist, took a leave of absence from his job in Chicago to be at his brother's bedside.

Family flew in from around the country, and Delta Chi fraternity brothers made regular visits, even creating a mural for their friend.
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"It seems like we were being led down a path to plan for the worst and that things were not going to work out," said John Schmid. "The miracle, to put it bluntly, was that in a matter of seven days, we went from organ donation to rehab. What a roller coaster it was."

He said his brother's speech is slow, but he understands what others are saying. Sam Schmid's athleticism -- as a basketball coach and snowboard instructor -- probably helped, he said.

"Honestly, I am at a loss for words," said John Schmid. "I am just so proud of Sam. He's got a strong constitution and he's very determined. But it's been quite an eye-opener for me -- a real learning curve. You can't take anything for granted."

Sam Schmid's surgeon agrees.

"You get incredible highs when you save someone facing neurological devastation or death," said Spetzler. "That is counter-pointed by the incredible lows when you fail to help someone."

"In a way, his recovery was truly miraculous," he said. "It's a great Christmas story."

Ever the scientist, Spetzler wasn't willing to speculate what a comatose patient hears. But he admits, "There are so many things we don't understand about the brain and what happens at the time someone is near death."

"The whole family was at his side during the day and at night hovering over him, then to see there was a chance after being ready to let go," he said. "But I am very much a big believer that positive thoughts and positive energy in a room can only help."

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Heng ah he there....if here, ht Quay chap lio

depends on the patient's background.......see white horse or not

 

[radon39]

depends on the patient's background.......see white horse or not

oh ya lor....if white horse, SIA contingent will be airbound aldy

 

[flkyflky]

oh ya lor....if white horse, SIA contingent will be airbound aldy

KGC got LEEthal strokes 3 X or more they preserved her in best condition they can until she rot.

 

[laksaboy]

If you haven't already opted out of HOTA, here is the application form:

http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/dam/moh_web/Forms/Pink_form(2).pdf

You'll get a cream-colored card mailed to you.

 

[theblackhole]

this reminds me of the HOTA case in singapore where the mother pleaded with the doctors to give them some more time for their son to wake up...but HOTA was performed!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Unrepented]

After they take your organs for free (I assume), where does the profit go

 

[laksaboy]

After they take your organs for free (I assume), where does the profit go

That is like Temasek Holdings' real wealth and portfolio: for them to know, for you to find out.

By the way, organs are worth quite a bit of money on the black market.

One kidney is worth about $30K to $40K USD.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/05/india_transplants_prices