MUD

People who suffer hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries are not MUDs. MUD means maintain until death.

People who suffer hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries are real live human beings who deserve a much better chance to live than many in the medical profession give them today.

Let me tell you about my friend, Mack. I spent Thanksgiving 2012 with Mack and his family. In April 2011, doctors mistakenly identified Mack as being in a "permanent vegetative state". Doctors gave the family no hope. They said he would never walk or talk again. He would just be a vegetable.

Kelly, Mack's wife, had to fight hard against a system that refused to offer him the best medical opportunities available to others. She was persistent. She never gave up. She still never gives up. Mack was not a MUD but the medical professionals seemed to treat him that way.

When God created man, he did not create man to look or be a vegetable. He created man in God's own image. Mack is a man of God. He is not a vegetable. He is not a MUD.

When I arrived at Mack's house in November, he welcomed me into his home. He assisted Kelly with lunch, even showing her that YES, he could slice tomatoes with a knife.  In the mornings, Mack fixed a wonderful breakfast, fit for a king. He made sure that his guest had plenty to eat. He made sure that my little companions for my journey, Tippy and Gibbs, ran and played in the back yard. He made sure I knew how welcome I was as a new member of their family.

I spoke with Mack about some of my dreams, dreams to make things better for people with hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries, dreams to make things easier for caregivers. As a trained welder, Mack, understood what I wanted and even suggested ideas of his own. Even though he can no longer work as a welder, he was able to think of ways to better my own ideas.

Mack is one of many patients who deserved a better chance than doctors were willing to give.

This country can and must do better. We cannot in good conscience continue to write off people with hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries as if they have no value and never will.

I wonder sometimes what God makes of all these decisions in hospitals that condemn people to death, people that have a chance to live and recover if only we gave them a better chance.

I wonder sometimes what God makes of these medical decisions that refuse to accept a patient as a human but instead delegates them to a vegetable garden as just another veggie.

Too many times, patients with hypoxic-anoxic brain injuries are treated as if they are only MUDs. Brenna was too often  treated as a MUD by uncaring staff who did not believe she deserved better.

Mack is recovering in spite of a dire prognosis of a skeptical medical profession. He is recovering by the loving hands of his wife Kelly who is like the energizer bunny. She never gives up. She keeps on plugging for Mack, knowing him for the wonderful, precious human being that he has always been.