If she was 'brain-dead', she would have been dead-dead a long time ago. A dead brain is necrotic tissue. By definition, someone who can breathe and is not on a respirator canNOT be 'brain-dead'--with the possible exception of some 'journalists' and 'news readers'.
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Yikes!!! it's been a while since I laughed so vigorously over a FReeper comment.
Caution: If you do that again there's a pretty god chance my ferocious laughter might trigger a seizure... then feeding tube insertion... merely to keep me alive !!! ;-))
UPI/AP/St. Pete Times/Tampa Trib./tons of others including national media come to mind in Terri's case.