The family of a woman whose husband won a court battle to remove her feeding tube so she would die will assist the family of Jahi McMath, CBS News reports.
13-year-old Jahi McMath was declared brain dead by 6 neurosurgeons and a judge following a routine tonsillectomy on Dec. 9 at Children’s Hospital Oakland in California.
The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network say they will help the McMath family locate a longterm facility willing to warehouse Jahi’s body.
“Together with our team of experts, Terri’s Network believes Jahi’s case is representative of a very deep problem within the U.S. healthcare system — particularly those issues surrounding the deaths of patients within the confines of hospital corporations, which have a vested financial interest in discontinuing life,” Terri’s Network said in an emailed statement to CBS News.
The difference between Terri Schiavo and Jahi McMath is Terri was in a “persistent vegetative state,” which means she suffered a severe brain injury but not brain death like Jahi.
Family members say Jahi was alert and talking immediately after the surgery. But she soon began bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth. Jahi went into cardiac arrest (from the sudden blood loss) and her brain cells began to die from lack of oxygen rich blood. Once the brain cells die it is irreversible. Brain cells do not regenerate.
Jahi’s mother has refused to accept the fact that the eighth grader has passed away. The ventilator keeps the corpse warm and gives death the appearance of a living and breathing human being.
The McMaths and their lawyer are locked in a legal battle with the hospital to keep Jahi’s body on a ventilator which pumps oxygen into her lungs and, in turn, keeps her heart pumping.
The hospital maintains that if Jahi is removed from the ventilator, her heart will stop pumping within minutes.
The family cites religious beliefs, parental rights, and the false hope that Jahi will eventually recover.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo initially declared Jahi dead and ordered the removal of the ventilator on Monday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. The same judge then pushed the date back to January 7.
Jahi’s mother, Latasha Nailah Winkfield, is accusing the hospital of starving Jahi. The girl has not received nutrition via an intravenous (IV) line or a feeding tube in 3 weeks.
The hospital refuses to create an artificial opening (stoma) in Jahi’s stomach for a feeding tube or to create an opening in her neck (tracheostomy) for a permanent breathing tube attached to the ventilator.
These surgical procedures are required to transfer Jahi to a longterm nursing facility that is willing to warehouse her body.
“Performing medical procedures on the body of a deceased human being is simply not something Children’s Hospital can do or ask its staff to assist in doing,” wrote the hospital’s lawyer Douglas Straus in a letter to Jahi’s family.
Jahi is currently hooked up to the vent via a temporary breathing tube through her nose or mouth. Longterm facilities will not accept a patient (much less a dead patient) with a breathing tube in her nose or mouth.
The only longterm facility willing to accept Jahi’s body is a questionable “outpatient rehab center” in New York that is run by a former hairstylist and her husband, a mortician.
More from Sandrarose.com:
a very sad story. i believe what’s killing the mom is that jahi insisted she would die if she had the surgery and she did. i’ve learned a lot about brain death from this story.
So sad. So sad. As a mother myself, I have no clue what my decision would be. You get a surgery to save her life and it ends up killing her.
I can’t with this one….this breaks my heart into pieces!
me when we get a 
free says:
a very sad story. i believe what’s killing the mom is that jahi insisted she would die if she had the surgery and she did. i’ve learned a lot about brain death from this story.
———
I didn’t know that
I remember years ago when my grandmother passed, my aunt had to sign the papers to take her off life support. No one else wanted to even touch the pen even though she was gone. Admitting it is so hard for everyone. I pray they find clarity and are able to deal with this.
Yeah, she td her sister she wasn’t going to wake up.
Bravo to Schiavo Family!!!
I had no idea the girl thought she would die having the surgery. I wouldn’t have let my child have it only because in my family people tend to know if something ain’t right.
such a sad story. i dont believe her mother would’ve known that the little girl’s prediction was right tho. no one knows gods plan. imo
I sincerly pray for peace and understanding for Jahi’s family. As a healthcare professional I wish they would just let this baby transition. And I think the Schiavo’s getting involved is giving them false hope. Jahi and Terri medical condition are very different.
This story truly breaks my heart
Sandra, is the fact this precious little girl is over weight possibly contribute to the complications? Sorry to sound in bad taste, but.. Just a question.
Either way. it’s sad. I hate this happen.
I guess because I’m a nurse I see it from the hospital’s perspective. In every hospital I have ever worked, if a patient is declared brain dead the family is urged to pay their last respects and the patient is removed from the ventilator. There are no lawyers involved because it never gets that far. Jahi’s family turned this child’s death into a circus by contacting the media. They probably think they will get more money (in a settlement) if the body is warehoused somewhere. This is shameful. Jahi’s heart will stop anyway if the body dies of starvation, and all of this drama will be for nothing.
@TheRealAshland, yes.
She had sleep apnea, that was the purpose of her healthcare team suggesting this surgery. Her sleep apnea was influenced by her weight.
@ Ashland, I thought about that too, but I’m pretty sure that would have cleared through pre-op prior to surgery. Sad all the way around.
would good does keeping a dead girl alive do? I am sorry I don’t have kids, I so I can’t speak on what this woman and her family are going through but,… I think they should just let nature take it’s course. and sue the hell out of the hospital, use that money to stop this from happening again. 20 years later,.. shes still on this thing what does it prove?
Sleep apnea can cause you to stop breathing in your sleep. The benefits outweighed the risks, but I wonder were any other methods tried before surgery. Maybe the doctor referring her to a nutritionist, I don’t believe in diets, but maybe a healthy lifestyle change? It breaks my heart.
@ashland From what I read she had the surgery due to sleep apnea so weight was a factor in having the surgery so it might have been why she had complications. Anything could have happened and I’m kinda surprised no one has brought up possible malpractice.
@ SouthernPrincess, I didnt know about the sleep apena. Shouldnt her doctor have declined to do the surgery until she lost weight and controlled her sleep apnea?
@southern princess and @caramel rain, it is sad all the way around. Obesity and depression are becoming the biggest killer in the black community. 2 things african american step over. sad. i thins
SouthernPrincess says:
@TheRealAshland, yes.
She had sleep apnea, that was the purpose of her healthcare team suggesting this surgery. Her sleep apnea was influenced by her weight.
_________________
My daughter had sleep Apnea. That can be serious for a child. Most of the time with that, the child can stop breathing at night causing so many other issues. My daughter is far from over weight though
This is so sad 
@sandra if your theory is true, i hope someone steps up and fights on the girls behave. no reason for her to be up on display like this. it is not benefiting anyone. and the state of California is going to end up footing the bill.
@caramel
There are several options for sleep apnea and I believe surgery is not a common option but I could be wrong. Cpap, bipap, dental appliances are all options for sleep apnea.
@ Ashland, I agree. We are the only race that thinks being fat is cute. THey call it “thick”. Type II diabetes is not cute, high blood pressure is not cute. Strokes are not cute. I hate seeing severely overweight kids. It breaks my heart that parents cannot buy healthy foods for their children.
SouthernPrincess says:
Her sleep apnea was influenced by her weight.
__________________
Exactly. And you know her doctor advised her to lose weight. But hospitals are in the business of making money, and they rake in the cash from elective surgeries like tonsillectomies, which are not recommended for sleep apnea due to the increased risk of post-op bleeding and other complications.
Npw I’m pissed her doctor. I dont think her surgeon clearly explained the risks to her mom.
CarmelRain…A good doctor would have encouraged a healthy lifestyle change before performing surgery. However, we cant say that didnt happen because her full medical history hasnt been disclosed and probably wont.
Jenie, I am not saying weight is the only factor in sleep apnea. I was only stating that was a likely factor in Jahi’s case. I hope my comment wasnt taken any other way.
Caramel Rain says:
@ SouthernPrincess, I didnt know about the sleep apena. Shouldnt her doctor have declined to do the surgery until she lost weight and controlled her sleep apnea?
__________________
When stop breathing like that at night, it can be very serious. I know adults with sleep apnea and they use a some type of breathing machine at night
maybe that could have been an option, but honestly at her age they usually suggest the surgery. For older adults they don’t recommend because of age. Anytime you have surgery there is a risk…
Just tragic, My heasrt goes out to jahi’a mother and Family. I sincerely understand where Jahi’s mother is coming from, especially not willing to let her go completely til she Gets answers.
Sandra ur right and I agree with you that her family has hopes because; “The ventilator keeps the corpse warm and gives death the appearance of a living and breathing human being”
when my mother passed away and ICU finally said she had to be taken off the ventilator and moved to Hospice.
I too felt she could wake up out that state. SAD
SAD
SAD
@Caramel it is sad all the way around. Look at Terrio there is no reason, why a boy that young is that big. and he is being glorified for being fat. I am seeing more and more kids are lazy they sit behind the computer and or watching tv. they aren’t active, they are LAZY. Hell i am seeing more and more young boys with big bellies and breast. Now when I was younger, I had a few chubby classmates, but now, damn near half of these kids are over weight. it’s sad. and when these bad habits start young, it is carried over into adulthood. there is no reason why these kids already weigh more than me. mind you last year I played pro ball and I am a boxer. why. It breaks my heart.
Also let me say there are MANY other options before surgery.
So, from a medical stand point this truly should have NEVER EVER happened.
I dont think her parents are trying to get money from the hospital. I think her mama wasnt clear what could have happened. I’m sure if her mama was informed to lose weight prior to the surgery due to her sleep apena, then they would have done that first.
lovezoe says:
Sleep apnea can cause you to stop breathing in your sleep. The benefits outweighed the risks,
_______________
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea as a child and my tonsils are enlarged. The doctor recommended surgery, but my mother nixed that because she knew the risks. There are other options for sleep apnea other than going under the knife. Options such as raising the head of the bed or using a sleep apnea machine, known as a CPAP machine.
@ashland
The food most of these kids are comsuming does not help the situation either. Mickey d’s and such…
and usually the healthy optoins at the school cafeteria go untouched
One of my best friends son has sleep apnea, you could here him breathing in the next room. He would stop breathing at night and she would have to damn near sleep with one eye open
scary stuff. One day it got so bad he almost didn’t wake up. One day he had to go the emergency room for another emergency (dog bite) and he had to stay over night.. the monitors kept going off because he would stop breathing…. it was bad…. they told my friend they had to do the surgery. By this time my daughter had already had the surgery a couple of months before. Well apparently he situation was pretty bad… all in all he had the surgery and he is much better now.
He wasn’t over weight either… Weight could have been a factor for this lil girl I’m sure, but parents please understand that your child does not have to be over weight to have sleep apnea… If your child snores like seven grown men, chances are they are having breathing issues when they sleep.
OMG. That just broke my heart..
Kweenie says:. Mickey d’s and such…
~~~~~~~~~~~
KweeniE is that ur baby girl.. :she’s a cutie PIE!
its not just the MickeyD’s and BK that are screwing these kids these days up.
They put so much chemicals, antibiotics, etc in fruits and veggies to grow them
and feed it to the cows ,pigs and chickens.
its everything.
@kweenie parents these days are to caught up with their own lives , working or going out to cook. Most of these kids are eating microwavable foods and fast foods. Though my diet was bad as a kid, I was active. Being inactive (lazy) with a bad diet is a recipe for being over weight
I
that the family finds peace and strength in the midst of this. I can’t imagine how difficult this all must be for them. My babies are my life, so I cannot say what I would and would not do without personnally going through this.
Medical issues aren’t always caused by obesity.
TheRealAshland says:
Sandra, is the fact this precious little girl is over weight possibly contribute to the complications?
_______________
From what I understand, the child woke up asking for food, and she was talking and laughing — all of which strained the sutures and caused them to rupture. Other than the heart and the torso, the head is the most vascular part of the body. Even a little cut will bleed profusely.
no, my niece. and thank you luv!
i was active as well as a child and we did eat everything under the sun. but i was also blessed with good genes….
@Kweenie, that little girl in your gravi is so cute
@Ashland, I just dont understand it. Take that popsicle away and give that kid some greek yogurt. Put the Nintendo DS down and go ride your bike or play freeze tag. You’re right, we didnt have these issues growing up. A few kids were overweight, but not many. I make sure I squeeze in time for the gym. Even if it’s only 30 mins.
@caramel thanx hun
Any operation is risky.. I guess because I’m in the medical field kinda sort of I just think this is too costly to carry on. CPap machines are cool but they aren’t a fix to everything. As an adult I would not recomend to get your tonsils or adnoids removed but also (not blaming the mother ) but before you have to do research you have to look at reviews on doctors and hospitals etc. Doctors are network friends so they recomend one another even if they know they are garbage. Scratch my back I will scratch yours. I’ve witness medicaid children just be tossed and treated like guinea pigs. (not indicating she was on medicaid) just sayin.. This was a very freak accident. But you have to move on.. The cost of keeping her on that ventilator is probably 20k a day
i would like a new post. this is depressing mane
TheRealAshland says:
think they should just let nature take it’s course. and sue the hell out of the hospital
__________________
Sue the hospital for what?
but i have learned alot from just sitting here reading you alls comments. i guess sandra isn’t the only medically informed women on this here site.
Most medical issues stem from obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. We got to do better folks. Back in the day, they didnt have access to healthy foods so they ate “soul food.” but now, that is nothing but a heart attack on a plate. Everything in moderation. Fresh fruits and veggies and exercise 3-5 days a week. you’ll look better and feel better and live longer
black girls rock! <–not ment to offend
Sandra Rose says:
TheRealAshland says:
Sandra, is the fact this precious little girl is over weight possibly contribute to the complications?
_______________
From what I understand, the child woke up asking for food, and she was talking and laughing —
_______________________
Chile talking and laughing ashid
Jordan wasn’t doing all that heck she barely wanted to sip the fluids and Popsicles 
and she damn sure wasn’t talking ….. she was in a lot of pain and only wanted to sleep
Kweenie says:
i was active as well as a child and we did eat everything under the sun. but i was also blessed with good genes….
********
I used to have good genes. Til I reached 25 and my metabolism stopped and everything I eat goes straight to my belly
jeniefrumdabloc says:
Sandra Rose says:
TheRealAshland says:
Sandra, is the fact this precious little girl is over weight possibly contribute to the complications?
_______________
From what I understand, the child woke up asking for food, and she was talking and laughing —
_______________________
Chile talking and laughing ashid Jordan wasn’t doing all that heck she barely wanted to sip the fluids and Popsicles and she damn sure wasn’t talking ….. she was in a lot of pain and only wanted to sleep
__________
How old was your daughter when she had the surgery?
and every time i refresh my page i see that darling lil faces smiling at me… so sad
@Caramel Exactly !
@sandrarose there is no way she should have been operated on if she was a high risk patient
rwilliams4782 says:
The cost of keeping her on that ventilator is probably 20k a day
_________________
And that ventilator is being used to circulate oxygen and blood around a dead body when it could benefit the living who really need it.
*face
Kweenie says:
but i have learned alot from just sitting here reading you alls comments. i guess sandra isn’t the only medically informed women on this here site.
_________________
I have always said my readers are more intellectual than other blogs.
You can’t sue the hospital. Doctors and nurses aren’t perfect. They followed all procedures. One of my fillings came out yesterday. I can’t sue my dentist. You can only sue if they did something that wasn’t medically necessary such as malpractice… like if they took her tonsils out and took out something else that was not necessary causing her to bleed.
Sandra always throws in a depressing post on Fridays…
Jenie, I am happy your daughter and you friends son is doing well. That is scary.
Caramel Rain says:
Kweenie says:
i was active as well as a child and we did eat everything under the sun. but i was also blessed with good genes….
********
I used to have good genes. Til I reached 25 and my metabolism stopped and everything I eat goes straight to my belly
______
This happened to me too at 25, I started gaining weight and even broke out with acne for a bit…then other health issues ensued…something about that age I guess!
Caramel Rain says:
Most medical issues stem from obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. We got to do better folks.
_________________
True dat.
a hospital, although they perform miracles on a daily basis, is a business. they have to keep on going and tend to other children that need their help. this will not turn out good for anyone. imagine the morale at the hospital since this all started…
Doctors are usually independent contractors so going after the hospital will not likely help. That is why doctor’s have malpractice insurance. We would need to see her complete medical chart to know if the surgeon acted negliently. Right Southern Princess? correct me if I’m wrong…
Kweenie says:
imagine the morale at the hospital since this all started…
_________________
Imagine the morale of nurses and respiratory therapists who have to monitor the vent for a dead person.
I know her mother wants to play the what if game but we can also say..What if she wasnt overweight would she need this surgery in the 1st…What if another child dies because she is occupying a bed?
Caramel Rain says:
We would need to see her complete medical chart to know if the surgeon acted negliently.
_________________
That, and an autopsy to see what (if anything) went wrong. But the autopsy is a moot point because the evidence is probably healed by now.
I think its selfish imo that she can’t crossover..rest in peace or reincarnate ..whatever her religious beliefs are bc she is just lying there. Not being funny but I can go in the morgue and hook someone up to a ventilator and they will have the same effect as her
jahi actually had three different surgical procedures done at the same time. this made it slightly more complicated than “routine”. she came out fine but the bleeding persisted and went untreated.
from my perspective, she never went home so she was still under hospital care. if a little girl her age is not supposed to do anything but sit there, they maybe should have sedated her a little. she felt fine so she probably did too much, causing the bleeding.
however, keeping her body going has ruined the coroner’s chance for a good autopsy. any evidence of wrongdoing is now being healed up.
@auntie
so even though she is considered dead, her body can still heal itself?
(seriuos question^)
@Matchsticks, yep. Exact same thing. My skin, my hair, everything was just.. wrong! I’m like who is this person? I started having anxiety/depression issues. I had to really take my life back and change my lifestyle. Crazy
Yes kweenie..even in death you still have living cells
rwilliams4782 says:
Not being funny but I can go in the morgue and hook someone up to a ventilator and they will have the same effect as her
_________________
Not if the heart has stopped for some time.
When u die nails and hair continues to grow…
Str8tUpMenace says:
jeniefrumdabloc says:
Sandra Rose says:
TheRealAshland says:
Sandra, is the fact this precious little girl is over weight possibly contribute to the complications?
_______________
From what I understand, the child woke up asking for food, and she was talking and laughing —
_______________________
Chile talking and laughing ashid Jordan wasn’t doing all that heck she barely wanted to sip the fluids and Popsicles and she damn sure wasn’t talking ….. she was in a lot of pain and only wanted to sleep
__________
How old was your daughter when she had the surgery?
________________________
She was 6
thanx @rwilliams
Kweenie says:
@auntie
so even though she is considered dead, her body can still heal itself?
(seriuos question^)
********************
her brain is dead; her body is still working because of the machines.
Kweenie says:
@auntie
so even though she is considered dead, her body can still heal itself?
(seriuos question^)
_________________
Yes. the brain is dead so it’s not telling the nerves and muscles what to do. But the heart, lungs, skin, blood cells, etc., don’t need the brain to tell them what to do.
Caramel Rain says:
Jenie, I am happy your daughter and you friends son is doing well. That is scary.
______________________
The surgery was worth it
she has hardly had any colds or anything since the surgery …. and chile she kept a sinus infection 
I know ppl say you’re not a parent so I wouldnt understand. .but I would have let her perish 3 weeks ago and started on my healing process
Sandra Rose says:
That, and an autopsy to see what (if anything) went wrong. But the autopsy is a moot point because the evidence is probably healed by now.
*********
Interesting… I wouldnt want an autopsy done. Just let that baby rest in peace.
@Jenie, awww poor baby. And she’s doing good now?
and thanx auntie and free
Caramel Rain says:
Interesting… I wouldnt want an autopsy done. Just let that baby rest in peace.
___________________
In most states an autopsy is mandatory, unless the person died of natural causes.
Can we get a
jeniefrumdabloc says:
Caramel Rain says:
Jenie, I am happy your daughter and you friends son is doing well. That is scary.
______________________
The surgery was worth it she has hardly had any colds or anything since the surgery …. and chile she kept a sinus infection
__________
I just asked how she was doing
Glad to hear she’s doing so much better. 
Rwilliams I say that I would have to do the same thing…. but when your in that situation I don’t know what I would have done
to be honest… I probably would have been in jail or some shyt 
that was very unexpected I don’t know how I would react 
I wouldn’t be any good as a mother, hell nawl! Lord please watch over my children, this is so sad for that family. I pray for her.
ndra Rose says:
Caramel Rain says:
Interesting… I wouldnt want an autopsy done. Just let that baby rest in peace.
___________________
In most states an autopsy is mandatory, unless the person died of natural causes.
***************
oh… I didnt know that. I thought they were optional?
I meant to say, I wouldn’t be any good after hearing that devastating news about my child, geesh! I’m so upset about this and kids are so innocent! I have two kids of my own and I would be so hurt like this family.
they’ll need the autopsy for a lawsuit, if that’s what they want to do. if nothing else, jahi’s situation has served to inform the public about the different types of death, what brain death really is, and perhaps give people greater clarity (and peace for decision-making purposes) should they find themselves in this situation.
Who is paying to keep this child hooked on the ventilators? I refuse to believe that the insurance is still paying. I saw that they were taking donations to assist them in moving her to the long-term facility. If you can’t afford to move her then you can’t afford to keep her “alive” (which she is not).
Caramel Rain says:
Interesting… I wouldnt want an autopsy done. Just let that baby rest in peace.
___________________
In most states an autopsy is mandatory, unless the person died of natural causes.
***************
Caramel Rain says:
oh… I didnt know that. I thought they were optional?
_____________
In Georgia autopsies are mandatory. The family can’t opt out or call the media or go to court to stop one.
talkingwithtami says:
I meant to say, I wouldn’t be any good after hearing that devastating news about my child
_________________
We know what you meant, hun. No need to clarify. You’re a good mom.
MsEducation says:
Who is paying to keep this child hooked on the ventilators?
________________
The good citizens of California.
“I hate it that they refer to her as ‘the body’ or the deceased because that’s my child,” Winkfield said Tuesday. “They don’t even use her hame. Her name is Jahi Mcmath and they don’t refer to her by name and I feel like that’s so disrespectful. “
As a mother, I would be trying to hold on to hope. It’s hard to say the mom should just let go. I wish somebody would tell me what to do with my child.
I think the hospital knows they screwed up and they don’t want to be stuck with long term medical bills. That’s why they want to pull the plug.
Caramel Rain says:
@ Ashland, I agree. We are the only race that thinks being fat is cute. THey call it “thick”. Type II diabetes is not cute, high blood pressure is not cute. Strokes are not cute. I hate seeing severely overweight kids. It breaks my heart that parents cannot buy healthy foods for their children.
___________________________
I have a thin, normal weight cousin who has high blood pressure and has had to be hospitalized once because she was threatening a stroke.
On the other hand, I have overweight family members with no health problems whatsoever.
Black people have great difficulty dealing with death. We are a very emotional group of people and we want GOD to fix everything. I bet they have people laying hands on the baby praying for a Lazarus miracle. It is sad. I have a living will. I would hate for routine surgery to lead to my death…but that is a risk. I have a living will on file and my cousin has been instructed on what to do if, GOD forbid, I am placed in such a predicament. I want to exit peacefully. Don’t hook up machines and electrobes to my body. Just let me go!
My 3rd son has Down Syndrome and was airlifted a month ago for a virus and breathing issues. The doctor at the Children’s Hospital wanted to perform some crazy procedure that I never heard of because he “kept getting sick”. First thing I did was call his pediatrician and do my research.To do this procedure he would have to be put to sleep. Come to find out the shady ass doctor never cleared it with his primary care physician. They knew nothing about it.
I refused and my son is fine. The moral? Ask questions. Know the risks. Get a second, third and fourth opinion. So glad I did.
I remember the Terri Schiavo case. Her parents fought against her husband when he wanted her feeding tube removed. The courts sided with her husband, the feeding tube was removed and she was starved to death. I can not imagine what Jahi’s family is going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them. They have received a lot of support from people around the country include Tameka Raymond.