ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a lady who collapsed in church with a subarachnoid haemorrhage followed by cardiac standstill. Resuscitation commenced between 5 and 7 minutes later, but she sustained extensive damage to her brain. A vegetative state was diagnosed. Some 6 weeks later, neither her level of consciousness nor degree of responsiveness had improved. She remained intubated although required minimal ventilation. Around this time, the hospital sought a court declaration that continued intubation was contrary to her best interests. On the 14th of February, less than 8 weeks after her bleed, the judgement was handed down. The court found that her family believed that she responded both to the people who were close to her and to their prayers. During his balance sheet exercise, the judge reasoned that removing the endotracheal tube would bring an end to a process that conferred no significant benefit to her and excluded all possibility of pain and indignity.
