Posted on 08/12/2004 8:05:06 AM PDT by MaryFromMichigan
480-Pound Woman Dies After Six Years On Couch POSTED: 3:48 pm EDT August 11, 2004 -- A 480-pound Martin County woman has died after emergency workers tried to remove her from the couch where she had remained for about six years. Laverne Grinds, 40, died Wednesday, after a failed six-hour effort to dislodge her from the couch in her home. Workers say the home was filthy, and Grinds was too large to get up from the couch to even use the bathroom.
A preliminary autopsy on the the four-foot, ten-inch woman lists the cause of death as "morbid obesity." But officials want to know more about the circumstances inside the home.
Investigators say Grinds lived with a man named Herman Thomas, who says he tried to take care of her the best he could. He has told them he tried repeatedly to get her up, but simply couldn't. No charges have been filed, but officials are looking into negligence issues. Emergency workers had to remove some sliding glass doors and lift the couch, with Grinds still on it, to a trailer behind a pickup truck. Removing her from the couch would be too painful, since her body was grafted to the fabric. After years of staying put, her skin had literally become one with the sofa and had to be surgically removed. She died at Martin Memorial Hospital South, still attached to the couch. Neighbors say they had no idea Grinds lived at the duplex, though they had seen Thomas and some children outside.
UPDATED: 10:33 am EDT August 12,
The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I'm sorry that your mother had to suffer with pressure ulcers. They're so painful. From what I remember, heel pressure ulcers were some of our toughest cases because most elderly and bedridden patients have poor circulation to their feet, which compounds the problem. I don't think I remember one case of a good result with heel pressure ulcers.
Great catch.
They never completely went away. I found a wonderful board and care facility for her close to the house. Her feet were treated, and they massaged her legs and feet. All the ladies there were well taken care of. Until I found this place, she was mainly bedridden despite the fact she was supposed to have physical therapy after her hip replacement. Some of these facilities are full of lazy, incompetent, jackasses. She did walk occasionally with a walker and assistance, but spent most of the time in a wheelchair.
DATELINE: Stuart Flordia. Unless she's already voted, that's clearly one less vote for Kerry in a key battleground state. OK, she'll vote anyway. Democrats do not believe in depriving necro-americans of their right to vote.
Feel good story of the month
I question the timing of the release of this story. Clearly the Dems want this in the news instead of the upcoming Repub convention.
:)
No comment necessary...just a bump!
Hey, where is the "we are now legal" pic???? Thanks for the update.
The least they could do is bury her with her beloved couch.
grafted to the couch!
So, the liberal answer is that it was NOT HER FAULT she weighted 500 pounds, but this man's fault for not getting her off her fat ass and up off the couch. At what point did this fat pig not get the fact that her fat ass could not move? Right, blame someone else. I have no pitty here. Sorry. Just ain't happening.
Thank you for saying that.
My cousin died a few weeks ago at age 45. She weighed over 400 lbs. She had a metabolic disorder which caused her to put on weight. She did not get that way by stuffing herself like a goose. She tried every diet: Weight Watchers, Atkins, even a hospital inpatient treatment of modified fasting, during which she was closely monitored. After 6 weeks of hospitalization, she lost 3 pounds.
Obese people do not choose to be that way. It is true that most overweight people can exercise and eat sensibly and bring their body weight to a normal range, but it is more difficult for some than for others.
Then there are poor souls like this woman.
Uh...I feel sorry for this poor woman but....WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT?????
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