[edible_eye]

eps -

stories like the one of your brother are what keep hope in the medical community alive. fuck, it's because of stories like those that the human spirit is able to derive hope. your brother's story is a miracle in action.

there are stark differences, though - the most glaring of which is the age of onset. another would be the gradual degree of improvement your brother was able to achieve with his intervention. obviously, enough of his brain survived for him to 'become'. it is not the same for everyone, as i'm sure you know.

to take this out of the realm of specifically terri schiavo and into the global implication - any single one of us will somehow be affected by the ruling in this case IF, god forbid, any one of us should have some terrible act of fate befall us. without an advance directive, living will or some written document stating your wishes regarding life sustaining measures, this is exactly what could be happening while you or i exist as an essentially non-functioning, warm body lying on a bed somewhere. it's important to understand that, i think.

the most important lesson you outlined, aside from the lesson of hope, is the need for a living will, or advance directive.