Man Declared Brain Dead Now Feeling “Pretty Good”

Zach Dunlap was in a serious automobile accident.

On November 19, 2007, Zach was declared brain dead at a hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas.

His family then authorized the donation of his organs.

According to AP, Man declared dead, says he feels ‘pretty good,’ CNN.com, March 24, 2008:

As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand. He reacted to a pocketknife scraped across his foot and to pressure applied under a fingernail. After 48 days in the hospital, he was allowed to return home, where he continues to work on his recovery. * * *

Dunlap, 21, of Frederick, Oklahoma, said he has no recollection of the crash.

Dunlap said one thing he does remember is hearing the doctors pronounce him dead.  * * *

His father, Doug, said he saw the results of the brain scan.

“There was no activity at all, no blood flow at all.”

Events like this are one of the reasons individuals are leery of consenting to organ donations.  One might wonder if someone was waiting in the wings for Zach’s organs and whether the brain scan machine was properly connected.