Judge Orders to Keep Brain Dead Girl on Ventilator for a Week: UPDATE

The judge involved in the case of a 13-year old girl who is currently brain dead after undergoing tonsillectomy doctors orders to keep the girl on a ventilator for another week, the Daily Mail reports.

Alameda County Judge Evelio Grillo orders for 13-year old Jahi McMath to be independently examined by Paul Graham Fisher, the chief of child neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. The hospital was ordered to keep the girl on ventilator until December 30 or until further order from the court. Jahi suffered from complications following a tonsillectomy earlier this month at Children's Hospital in Oakland. She was declared brain dead on December 12.

Jahi's family, believing that she is still alive, obtained a temporary restraining order against the hospital in the hopes of keeping her hooked up to a respirator and eventually move her to another facility. "This fight is going to go until Jahi wakes up or we can get her to another facility. But we're not going to allow anyone to pull the plug on this girl," Omari Sealey, Jahi's uncle, said after the ruling.

The examination is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday and hospital staff, as well as Fisher will be conducting an electroencephalogram or EEG, and tests to see if blood is still flowing to Jahi's brain. "It's wrong for someone who made mistakes on your child to just call the coroner and not respect the family's feelings or rights," said Sandra Chatman, Jahi's grandmother. "I know Jahi suffered and it tears me up."

Jahi's family also asked Judge Grillo to allow a third evaluation by Paul Byrne, a pediatric professor at the University of Toledo and co-editor of the book "Beyond Brain Death". However, the hospital's attorney objected saying that Byrne is not a pediatric neurologist.

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