British woman resuscitated after life support removed

Lorna Baillie with daughter and husband

The family of a 51-year-old British woman is suing the government for £5 billion after she was wrongly declared dead. Following her massive heart attack two years ago, the doctors of Lorna Baillie told her family she was “technically dead” and they switched off her life support system. However, once this had been done Baillie continued to breathe.  It was only after 45 minutes that her family persuaded the doctors to reconnect life-support.

Ballie’s family claim that this deprivation caused major brain damage. Lorna has recovered the ability to walk and talk, but has been left in a permanent child-like state, with little long-term memory.

“She now has to have constant two-on-one care for the rest of her life”, said Baillie’s eldest daughter, Leanne, 33. “That’s why we are suing, we have to be able to get care for her so we can bring her home.”

Dr David Farquharson of Edinburgh’s NHS trust said the health board was not able to comment on the case as a result of legal proceedings.

Xavier Symons
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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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