Supreme Court To Decide Fate Of Girl In Coma

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Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 27 Dec 2007 - 11:00 PST

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The father of Javona Peters, a 16-year old girl who went into coma after an operation to relieve pressure on her brain, has gone to the Supreme Court (Bronx) for a decision on whether to take her off life support - the case is set for January 7th.

The father, Leonard Peters, was initially against the idea, but has said he is "85% changed my mind now, but I don't know the legality." He said that if nothing works for Javona he does not see the point now.

The father wants the courts to appoint their daughter's guardian. They also plan to sue the hospital.

Janet Joseph, Javona's mother, who wants to be the legal guardian, says she would prefer to let Javona go in peace - disconnect her feeding tube.

Until ten weeks ago Javona was a healthy 16-year old high school junior. Now she is in a coma, blind, deaf and completely immobile - her lungs work but she has a tube that facilitates breathing. Her parents say that hospital officials from Montefiore Medical Center, New York City, have not explained properly exactly what happened to their girl. They say it was not until three weeks after the failed operation that started to understand the full extent of the damage.

It appears, according to hospital officials, that Javona had a rare allergic reaction to anesthesia, which provoked oxygen deprivation. She was undergoing a ventriculostomy, during which a hole is bored into the brain to drain cerebral fluid (relieve excess fluid in the brain). A ventriculostomy usually takes about 90 minutes. She was operated on by James Goodrich, who led the surgical team that separated conjoined Filipino twins four years ago. He had first operated on Javona when she was 3 years old - Javona was born with a brain condition.

Montefiore Medical Center

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
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