Brain Death

This is an amazing story.

As Raleane (Rae) Kupferschmidt lay motionless in her hospital bed, family and friends said their final goodbyes and the funeral home was called.

But just as the grieving began in her Lake Elmo home, Kupferschmidt woke up from her coma.

"There's no medical explanation for what happened to my mother,'' said Kupferschmidt's daughter, Lisa Sturm, who is a surgical technician at Regions Hospital. "It's a miracle."

Just days earlier, doctors offered no hope that Kupferschmidt, 65, could survive a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

However, the exception won't make me change my pre-mortem plans. If I'm a vegetable, and common medical wisdom says that's not going to change, pull the plug.

I do like this part:

"It was inevitable that she was going to die,'' Sturm said. So she decided to bring her mother home. More than 250 people showed up with soup, hot dishes and memories. They said goodbye to Rae and wished the family well.

The family got to say good-bye in private, and she was going to be allowed to pass with dignity.