Posted on 10/10/2006 4:04:27 PM PDT by wagglebee
GRESHAM, Oregon October 10, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A young boy, who had previously been diagnosed as being in a “permanent vegetative state,” has awakened from a 22 month-long coma and is breathing on his own.
Devon Rivers collapsed in a seizure during a phys-ed class in 2004 and his condition was never explained, though some doctors suggested it was caused by an unknown viral infection. Doctors agreed, however, that he had little hope of recovery.
His mother, Carla Rivers, visited him regularly and, in addition to physical therapy by his paediatric nursing home to keep his limbs supple, she talked to him in the belief that coma patients can retain their hearing and some understanding.
"For two years the doctors said there was no hope," said Carla Rivers. "Everything that happens in Devon's life is a gain. There's no losses."
Despite the doctors’ gloomy prognosis, eleven year-old Devon is now being prepared for occupational therapy to help him re-learn motor skills and is able to play with his siblings. Doctors cannot explain the reason either for his unexpected awakening or for his steady recovery.
In August of this year his mother, Carla Rivers, noticed that he began turning his head to follow movement; instead of a blank stare, he was reacting to his environment. Days later Devon was breathing without a respirator.
Carla Rivers said, “Devon may make a full recovery or what we see today may be what we get…God's plan is greater than ours. There's nothing we can do to force it any sooner or hold it back,” she said.
Coma patients and others with severe cognitive disabilities have been labelled “hopeless” only to recover frequently enough that some doctors and ethicists are questioning the accuracy of the diagnosis of “persistent vegetative state” (PVS).
The diagnosis is ambiguous in that symptoms of patients can vary greatly and still be called “vegetative.” A 1996 study published in the British Medical Journal showed that 43% of patients diagnosed with PVS do not qualify for the diagnosis.
In 2003, Kate Adamson, a former coma patient who had been diagnosed PVS, appeared on the television talk show the O'Reilly Factor. She said that, like Terri Schiavo, the hospital had removed her feeding tube that was only reinserted after eight days when her lawyer-husband threatened to sue the hospital.
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Diagnosis of Persistent Vegetative State Questioned as Former Patient Speaks Out
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/nov/03111207.html
Pick one. It can't be both.
"Devon Rivers collapsed in a seizure during a phys-ed class in 2004 and his condition was never explained,
A seizure does not result in a permanent vegataive state. It doesn't even result in a vegetative state.
"though some doctors suggested it was caused by an unknown viral infection.
Then they could I'd the virus.
"Doctors agreed, however, that he had little hope of recovery.
Nonsense. The claims sofar is that no one knew, or they were contradictory claims. I think this story is made up and has little ground in reality.
I am sure the CT showed some damage, but they certainly didn't do one post-humously to compare them, and they never had the chance to visually examine it until she expired.
I am also sure that doctors told the young gunshot patient's parents he had no chance of surviving, let alone recovering fully, and may have showed them the same evidence. No one, no matter how educated, can really know what parts of the brain are required for survival. Some things are just a mystery, regardless of what doctors would like to believe.
My point is these were not in the same medical condition. To draw any comparison is, at best, intellectually dishonest. Even using simple logic, it makes no sense - one was in coma, other was not. One snapped out after 22 months, the other did not.
Try - my point is this article is very VERY short on facts, especially necessary to draw comparisons. Was the medical evidence the same? Well, this article doesn't say.
The Montessori education method that is such a great success was first used on children who really only had half a brain.
How many months must pass, in your opinion, in non-coma state of awareness before a husband might acquire a Judicial Order for "Cease Life" against his wife. Simple question. How many months?
Competent means having the skills of a normal doctor. As far as post 27 - I'd be curious on what most is and whether you have any links for reference. I am sure a case like that would at least make it to the medical journals.
When there is no chance for recovery.
Listen - this article above bears little relation to Terri Shiavo. If I was in her state, I'd want my wife to pull the plug years ago. My point is, these are not the same.
May I be the first to offer said diagnosis. Based on your total lack of respect for life, I declare that you are already in a persistent vegitative state. Furthermore, a significant portion of your brain (that which contains the natural human respect for all life) is clearly missing.
Based on your written documents, I strongly suggest that you heed your own advise. Take an aspirin, stop eating, stop drinking, and stop breathing.
What specifically does "most of his brains" mean?
"Doctors couldn't explain it, as the parts of the brain they KNEW were used for even the simplest tasks were missing,
Nonsense.
"and the boy was completely normal."
Notif he had most of his brains blown out.
What's Mr. Shiavo up to these days anyway? Don't hear much about him any more.
Christianity 101 has nothing in it about death beig in "God's plan at this point" (If I recall your original words correctly). When I read what you wrote, it appeared that you were saying that God wanted this boy dead - or perhaps you were speaking of Terri Schiavo?
If you are referring to the natural order being the eventual death of this human shell - you are correct. but the way it was stated led me to believe you were claiming to know the mind of God - which is decidedly unbiblical.
"What's Mr. Shiavo up to these days anyway? Don't hear much about him any more."
Last I heard, he married the woman with whom he was committing adultery. If I were she, I'd not go down a flight of stairs ahead of him.
Just stop for a second and read what you just wrote.
You are not reading what I am saying - I said there is no connection to be made. Terri had pretty significant damage - there are no facts in this incomplete article that show that this child had the same damage and was in a situation EXACTLY like Terri, medically speaking.
I fundamentally do not believe that believing in the right-to-die is being anti-life.
Good point.
No, it wasn't, and the autopsy report said so. The diagnosis of PVS must be made on a living patient. It was known that Terri had brain damage, of course, but the dehydration that killed her also damaged her brain that much more. Thus, there was no way even to guess what her mental status had been while she was alive.
Terri was living and breathing, sitting and even swallowing (according to some). Her rehab? Zilch. Her black angel of a husband disallowed it. Who knows what her chance of recovery was, back when the water hadn't crossed under the bridge of Judicial "Cease Life" orders. None know. Yet love did know hope, and by that we may measure her husband's show of no hope for her, measure for measure -- a heart empty of love.
Here's where I will leave it - as I don't think Terri has anything to do with this topic. And unless you have had your wife go through what Terri did - don't speak to me about the coldness of Michael. We don't know what he was feeling.
Another thing the autopsy did was remove Michael's only alibi. Terri did NOT "collapse" from bulimia. She never had a heart attack. Do you have a theory how Terri went from perfectly healthy to nearly dead on the floor shortly after Michael came home late one Saturday night?
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