Condemned to Die: Ask me how. Tell me why.

As I grew up, I had a beloved older brother, Eldon Clark Blaxton. He gained the name Clark because Clark Gable was the hero of the midwife who helped bring him into the world on January 3, 1945, in Cherryvale, KS. Every girl needs a hero. Eldon was mine. As a little girl, I followed him every step he took. I learned to talk by mocking everything he said. When he went away to the Univ of AL, it broke my heart. I still have a letter he sent to tell his little sister how to act around boys. Eldon was an organizer. He could organize anything, even people. He was a problem solver. I always believed that when things went wrong in my life, I could turn to him. Sadly, the older brother I loved and admired passed away in December 2003. My husband of 28 years died a year later after suffering from heart problems for many years.
After the death of my husband, I told Brenna to focus on her education. She enrolled in college and obtained her Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice Administration in December 2008. I was so proud of her. She worked hard for the good grades she received. Believing a Masters would further her chances of working with children in the court system, she enrolled in her Master's program.
Brenna worked many hard hours on assignments. She had a personal integrity to give of her best, not just for herself, but for those who were assigned to her team projects.
When my daughter, my only child, became suddenly ill with an anoxic brain injury in May 2010, I longed for the men in my life, the men I admired, to be there to help me with the tragic journey through Brenna's brain injury. But, I wasn't alone.
Our God, our Lord and Savior walked beside us. No one tried harder to not only survive, but to recover, than Brenna did. She faced many challenges in life with grace and dignity. Our government deemed her unworthy of life...not the government of the past few years, the government as it has evolved over the last 30 years.
Our health care system is broken. The break did not happen in the last three years. When the health care system first began falling apart, I was the managing director of a children's medical trust fund in Idaho. Reagan was president. I just did not see the damage coming.
I did not realize the new ideas I saw happening were actually like cracks in a windshield. They start out slow, and, if not fixed properly and soon, the crack will spread until the window needs total replacement. I did not realize that "bio-ethics" committees were so damaging to the health and welfare of anyone with a brain injury. Now I know. You do not see them, but their illusive presence is felt in every ER, ICU, and CCU across the land.
Like millions of Americans, I assumed anyone serving on these committees actually knew something about brain injury rehabilition and their knowledge allowed them to give knowledgeable information to families making end of life decisions. That is a fallacy.
These committees are the fore-runner of the death panels that frighten so many people today as the talking heads on TV scare American citizens about the contents of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Plan Act. Before complaining about the Act, please download it and read it. You might be surprised at how beneficial many parts of the new law are.
After spending 6000 hours with my beloved Brenna in 4 hospitals and America's armpit nursing homes (2 of 3 she was in qualify for this definition), I realized soon just how un-informed these people are. They give end of life advice, based on out-dated medical school text book knowledge. Their qualifications? Pulmonologists, general surgeons, and palliative care doctors who may have no advanced training in brain injury rehabilitation. Some haven't seen med school in over 20 years. Some may not even SEE your loved one, EVER.

Families soon learn that there has been NO new, peer-reviewed, published studies on brain injury rehabilitation for anoxic/hypoxic (AKA Acquired Brain Injury, ABI) in the United States for over 25 years. Insurance companies base their determinations to treat or not treat on this lack of current peer-reviewed, published studies.
America, please wake up. What is happening, from my personal observation, to patients with anoxic brain injury is nothing short of legalized euthanasia. State and Federal governments turn a blind eye while families are pressured to end life before any tests are completed.  
Act now; the brain you save may be your own.
Pam,  Mom to my beloved Brenna Deshawn