Alabama man lives in coma for 23 years
An Alabama man who has lived in a persistent vegetative state for 23 years recently turned 50. Doctors believe that he could survive to the age of 70 or 75. Joey Adkins went into a coma in 1981 following an operation on his vertebrae. After a lawsuit, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital agreed to care for him in perpetuity. According to an article in the Birmingham News, he has been superbly nursed — he has never had a bedsore, his teeth are cleaned and physiotherapy keeps his muscles from atrophying. Doctors maintain that he is unconscious but his 78-year-old father says that he detects signs of responsiveness. He visited daily until his own health failed, but he still phones regularly and gets a nurse to place the phone at his son’s ear. Joey’s siblings are less dedicated, but say that they would not agree to remove his feeding tube.
- Prescribe morning-after pills to young teenagers, say US pediatric group - November 30, 2012
- Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison - November 28, 2012
- Terry Pratchett assisted suicide documentary wins International Emmy - November 27, 2012
More Stories
A first in France: a trans mum and a trans dad
Trigger warning: if you are easily confused by gender pronouns, this story from France may cause heart palpitations. February 19...
Nigerian power couple convicted in London over organ trafficking plot
In May last year, a young Nigerian man stumbled into a police station into the English town of Staines, in...
Cease and desist: Dutch sperm donor who has fathered 550 children is being sued
A Dutch woman and a foundation for children of sperm donors are suing a Dutch man for fathering too many...
Should intractable mental illness make you eligible for euthanasia?
Canada is in the middle of a vigorous debate about whether incurable mental illness is grounds for Medical Assistance in...
Belgium to permit multiple gender ID changes
Belgium will permit people to change their gender identity as often as they want. The Minister of Justice, Vincent Van...
Nature’s foray into politics may have backfired
In the 2020 election, a swag of high-profile science journals, including Nature, Science, The Lancet, and the New England Journal...