“Miracle or Moral Dilemma? The Pregnant Woman on Life Support Destined to Save Her Baby”
“I’m sure that, if the mother was alive, this is exactly what she would’ve wanted!” another replied.
A brain-dead 21-year-old mother is being kept alive by machines to give her unborn 6-month-old child a chance to survive
Image credits: g1
Her husband, 23-year-old João Matheus Silva, recounted the suddenness of the tragedy, which left their two daughters, aged 3 and 7, without a mother and with their brother’s life at risk.
“She started feeling very strong headaches after getting pregnant, but nothing that indicated an aneurysm. We never imagined this would happen,” he said, remembering how his wife’s condition suddenly worsened on December 20 while at their home in Jaciara.
Image credits: sousa_joy9890
As her brain expanded, doctors desperately tried to remove part of her skull to alleviate the swelling, but their efforts failed. Joyce was declared brain dead a few days later.
Despite the mother’s condition, doctors decided to continue artificial life support due to her advanced pregnancy.
The hospital has been monitoring both Joyce and her unborn child closely, aiming to deliver the baby boy as soon as it reaches 7 months of gestational age.
Experts have long debated the ethical considerations of cases such as Joyce’s, as well as the legal ramifications of the procedure
Image credits: sousa_joy9890
The story of Joyce has parallels to other cases around the world where pregnant women declared brain dead have been kept alive to support their unborn children.
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