lifenews.com
2025-01-18
We've run a bundle of fascinating stories over the years about people who suffered severe brain injuries, were thought to be unresponsive, but who prove to be aware of their surroundings. This diagnosis is particular sensitive when the patient is said to be in a "vegetative" or "minimally conscious" state.
The latest contribution to this ongoing discussion is Dr. Daniela J. Lamas. The very disturbing headline to her New York Times opinion piece is "The Terrifying Realization That an Unresponsive Patient Is Still in There."
Dr. Lamas begins by telling us she is sometimes called in to consult at a long-term-care hospital which houses patients with severe brain injuries.
"As I place my stethoscope on the patient's chest, often without a word, I reassure myself that at least the patient is unaware," she writes. "Her personhood is gone. She is not in there any longer."