She is not BRAIN DEAD. A brain dead person, cannot breathe on his own, can not open their eyes, cannot have any reflexes, cannot maintain their body temperature, etc. She is sitting in a chair, eyes wide open, making sounds, etc. If that is your criteria for brain dead, most people in nursing homes and in their own homes would be up for grabs. So would infants, and toddlers. If you don't believe me look at the Harvard Criteria of brain death.
Let's pull the plug on all Alzheimer's patients and the 100% mentally disabled throughout the country.
I unequivocably swear that I know it's what they desire for themselves if they were capable of expressing themselves verbally.
Leni
Sorry, but calex59 is right. Brain dead people can continue to have the minimum physical functions Terri does...these come from the brain STEM. she does have reflexes, but there has been 15 years of trials and appeals and medical assessments and those movements are not reproducible or "conscious" as we know conscious.