Judge Grants Injunction to Family of Brampton Woman on Life Support

Published September 29, 2017 at 5:03 pm

Recently, a woman was pronounced dead at Brampton Civic Hospital.

Recently, a woman was pronounced dead at Brampton Civic Hospital. Her family filed an injunction to keep her on life support, as they say her heart is still beating, and now, a judge has granted their wishes.

A representative of Bishop Wendell Brereton of the Glorious Church Breakthrough Temple reached out to inBrampton.com to discuss the ongoing case involving 27-year-old Brampton woman Taquisha McKitty, whose family has been granted a two-week injunction to keep her on life support, until their next court date, according to The Canadian Press.

Brereton says the Brampton hospital recently admitted McKitty for a drug overdose and “hastily” pronounced her dead “even though she has a pulse and her heart is beating on its own.” McKitty’s father, Stanley Stewart, got an emergency court injunction to prevent the hospital from taking her off life support. 

On September 20, six days after she was admitted, doctors at Brampton Civic signed McKitty’s death certficate. Her death was determined by two experienced physicians, according to the hospital. Her family has been fighting to keep her alive, saying that she has been responsive and her heart is beating.

“However even with documentation by nurses and doctors of response to stimuli the doctor served the parents her death certificate,” Brereton said in a statement. “Imagine your child holding on to dear life and the doctors serve you a death certificate even with a Superior Court judge’s order in hand.”

But while McKitty may have a pulse, doctors have declared her brain dead. In a recent CityNews article, bioethicist Kerry Bowman said that a person is generally considered deceased when his or her brain ceases to function. 

According to CityNews, McKitty’s family is hoping the hospital will rescind the death certificate, something that’s fairly unprecedented in Canada.

How the case will proceed remains to be seen after the two-week injunction.

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