Brain Dead Boy Kept “Alive” to Preserve Organs

On Thursday (July 28, 2005), a lightning strike killed a Boy Scout troop leader instantly and left teenage Scout, Ryan Collins, brain dead.  The accident took place during an outing in the Sequoia National Park in California.

Although legally deceased, Ryan’s family kept him on a ventilator until Friday night to preserve Ryan’s organs for transplantation.

See Juliana Barbassa, Lightning Strike Kills Boy Scout, Leader, Associated Press (July 30, 2005).