Back From the Dead Just in Time

In 2009, Colleen Burns suffered from adrug overdose and was hospitalized at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center inNew York. She was pronounced dead about a week later. To everyone’s surpriseshe awoke just before doctors harvested her organs. Apparently, the doctors madea mistake when they pronounced her death. Recently, a report from the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services was released detailing the mistakes thedoctors made causing the incident.

The staff failed to follow through withhospital specialist recommendations, which left the drugs in her system andcaused seizures. The nurses reported progress stating that she could curl hertoes, move her tongue and mouth, and could breath on her own. However, doctorsclaimed that Burns had irreversable brain damage. As a result, the familybelieved it was time to take her off life support and donate her organs. Justbefore the doctors were going to cut Burns open, she awoke. 

Burns committed suicide two years later.No one has ever filed charges against the hospital. The hospital was fined$6,000.  

See Women Declared ‘Dead’ Awakens Just Before Doctors Harvest Her Organs, Fox News, Jul. 9, 2013.