Posted on 07/05/2006 6:14:19 AM PDT by NYer
Mountain View, Arkansas, July 4, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Monday The Journal of Clinical Investigation published new research on the recovery of a brain damaged man from his 19 years in a minimally conscious state, adding to the growing evidence that those with “hopelessly” severe brain injuries may be able to recuperate with therapy or other kinds of assistance.
The Journal’s research focuses on the sudden recovery of Terry Wallis, who experienced a car wreck in 1984 when he was 19 years old. The accident sheared the nerve connections in his brain, putting him in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and rendering him a quadriplegic. Terry, a young husband with a newborn child, was considered a hopeless case, especially considering that his family could not pay the $120,000 needed to consult a neurologist about any possibility of recovery. However in 2003, during one of the regular visits of his mother, who had regularly visited him at the Rehabilitation Centre in Mountain View, Arkansas, he made what seemed a sudden recovery, and spoke “mom”, his first word in 19 years.
The research indicates that Terry’s brain grew new tiny nerve connections over time, creating a new nerve network to replace the old one that was severely damaged in the car accident. While doctors and neurologists are still baffled as to ‘why’ Terry recovered, the doctors at the rehabilitation centre have indicated that Terry’s recovery might be attributed to the visits of his family, who took him out on weekends and special occasions. This may have acted as a mental therapy to help his brain recover.
“He now seems exactly like his old self,” says Jerry Wallis, Terry’s father. Over the 19 years of Terry’s coma, both Jerry and his mother Angilee had doubts at some time or another about whether or not it was better for Terry to be alive. However, now both are glad they never caved into those doubts. Since then they have seen their son make strides in his recovery with the ambition of walking for his daughter. “He very often tells us how glad he is to be alive,” says Terry’s father.
Terry Wallis’ remarkable recovery after 19 years, however, stands in stark opposition to the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, who received no therapy from her philandering husband after her 1990 collapse. She was instead dehydrated to death by court order in March 2005. Although some doctors claim that Terri Schiavo could not have made Terry Wallis’ recovery since she was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS), witnesses such as former nurse Carla Iyer maintained that with therapy, Schiavo, who said words like “mommy, help me”, could have indeed recovered over time.
New research on the ability of the brain to recover over time questions the hastiness of many in the medical profession to condemn patients as irreversibly brain-dead or damaged. Back in May, South African researchers discovered a drug that helps PVS patients temporarily recover to a fully conscious state. In a BBC interview Dr. Ralf Clauss, a scientist in nuclear medicine and one of the drug researchers, stated that “For every damaged area of the brain, there is a dormant area, which seems to be a sort of protective mechanism. The damaged tissue is dead, there’s nothing you can do,” he explained. “But it’s the dormant areas which ‘wake up’.”
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Amen. You're absolutely right.
Amen!
You need to re-read my comments slowly as you obviously completely misunderstood what I wrote. I never stated that one's lack of recovery condones the mercy killing of someone who has no potential of recovery nor do I condone the court's order that allowed for Terri to die. I am stating that ONE miracle recovery doesn't mean that it will happen with everyone else. And to use this one guy's miracle to state that it could have happened with Terri is irresponsible. Hopefully you wil now understand my point.
She's dead Jim
I understand, and apologize if I misunderstood your comment.
But there are those who do seem to hold such a position, wouldn't you say?
YAWN!
Terri's only crime was marrying and abusive a-h who found a way to legally murder her. And that quote on her tombstone, "I kept my promise"? Gee what promise was that? Could it have been "I'm going to kill you"?
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Sadly, this news opens up the old wounds regarding Mrs. Schiavo. I really don't want to get into that again. But I would suggest to you and everyone, if you have not already done so, get your wishes in writing and in accordance with the laws of your state. Can't emphasize that strongly enough.
Yet Mr. Wallis' recovery suggests that for some, recovery is possible, and stimulation vis a vis his family's efforts, has helped. Considering her family's input, it would have aided in the analysis as to what therapies would be helpful, if nothing else, if she failed to recover.
What will always fill me with disgust is the eagerness of so many of our countrymen to have her die just to make life more convenient for her husband. No, they never cared about her in the first place. Good riddance.
So true. And they were so convinced that her slowly dehydrating and starving to death wouldn't cause her any pain and they were so concerned about the pain he might feel by watching her die, it was disgusting to watch. But not her parents and siblings, no concern for them, apparently, because they disagreed with Michael, their pain at watching her slow death was not valid.
I agree totally about getting a living will. I've had a will, and a living will for about 11 years now.
The brain's plasticity has long been known about, but the mechanism behind it is not understood. Why some people with traumatic brain injuries improve and others do not is something for future researchers to reveal.
I agree totally about getting a living will. I've had a will, and a living will for about 11 years now.
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Good job. But if you aren't doing so already, be sure to look over the documents from time to time as laws change, situations change, things like that.
Terri's brain was gone. Get over it.
Yeah, that's why she followed that balloon around with her eyes.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1660612/posts
Terri was murdered. It took a whole lot of people to kill one woman but they got er dun. Florida is the Starvation State.
By the time she was starved to death, it really was way too late -- most of her brain had degenerated into fluid -- and thus has nothing to do with the Wallis case. But I quite agree that more should have been tried much earlier, and I have a nasty suspicion that the reason it wasn't was because her "husband" didn't want medical experts looking her over too closely because it might have shed a little too much light on how her original collapse was brought about.
A cautionary tale to all who assert that a persistent vegetative state is hopeless.
On another note: it will be interesting getting Mr. Wallis caught up. Catching up with his loving and supportive family is paramount, but think about losing consciousness in 1987, and regaining it now.
<< .... those to say that this guy's miracle shows that (Terri) might not have recovered are just plain irresponsible. >>
And, least we not so note, just plain illogical.
As are those who supported the state oredering the death of a woman whose parents were willing to take care of her.
Lot of irresponsibility running around FR.
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