True miracle: ‘Brain dead’ boy revived after parents sign consent for organ donation
A miracle occurred as a 13-year-old boy in the US, believed to be brain dead following a traffic accident, was revived after his parents signed consent for organ donation.
The parents were told it would be nearly impossible for their son to recover from his injuries, and that he would most likely be a “vegetable” for the rest of his life. However, as soon as the doctors decided to withdraw life support, he defied all the grim predictions and regained consciousness.
The accident, which later resulted in seven skull fractures and severe brain injury, happened as the boy, Trenton McKinley, was riding in a small utility trailer pulled by a dune buggy along with a friend. After his friend suddenly pressed the breaks, Trenton hit the concrete as the trailer landed on top of his head. The boy said he couldn’t remember anything after that.
Following the accident he was taken to the hospital and operated on.
“He has had two craniotomy surgeries and died 4 times at one time for 15 min. The last time they brought him back he had no brain waves a damaged brain stem,” Trenton’s mother, Jennifer Reindl, wrote on Facebook.
Aware of the permanent damage the 15-minute death would inflict, Trenton’s doctors advised his parents to consider withdrawing life support and donating his organs to five other children who were waiting for a transplant.
Resuscitating Trenton over and over again would only damage his organs even more, so his parents made the decision to donate his organs to other children. However, only a day after the papers were signed and they were trying to deal with the loss of their son, Trenton’s parents received an unexpected call from the hospital.
The doctors, who said the day before that Trenton was brain dead, informed them of a sudden and miraculous improvement. The boy was moving his hand and then his feet, and was slowly beginning to recover.
Despite his miraculous improvement after three brain surgeries, Trenton still has a long way to go. Half of his skull is still frozen and is expected to be reattached in the course of the next surgery.
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