Ellie G

I was an ICU nurse for 16 years and I've seen a lot of brain death and organ donation over the years. I have also seen what can only be described as miracles. Yes there was a lot of testing done on my nurse friend before her family was told this. She was back at work full time within 6 months, now right handed where she used to be left handed and it took a little while for her to be completely back to normal. She is now back completely to her nursing career. My sister in law had an aneurysm and my brother was told she would probably not survive it and then she started to look better. The medical team was amazed. She was responsive and was able to be extubated. She then had another bleed a few days later and the prognosis at that time was very poor. The family prepared for the worst. Today that woman is up and around. She has to struggle with some expressive aphasia but it is improving all the time and she has some issues with impulse control and memory but she has defied all the odds.

This was a case in my home state. Pronounced dead, man takes ‘miraculous’ turn - TODAY.com I have a nurse friend who suffered a stroke after a chiropractic visit. Her family was told there was "no flow to her brain" and that she would die. That girl is alive and well today, back at work as a nurse We are not God

There have been too many people who were not dead after being declared brain dead. Can you imagine hearing the doctors discuss donating your organs with your parents? Shiver "Brain Dead" means: "Not Dead"; Don't Trust that Diagnosis | KGOV.com

You are so right. Thank you for writing this. You expressed yourself very well and I would love to have you as my nurse or the nurse for any of my loved ones. In this day of upward mobility when "just a nurse" is seen as a detriment, it is wonderful to know that a nurse like you realizes just how important you really are. No hospital can function without staff nurses.