A Boyle Heights mother is asking a Los Angeles judge to keep her 29-year-old daughter on life support after doctors declared the woman brain dead following a July 6 shooting. A temporary court order requires treatment to continue while the family seeks another hospital willing to take her.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, Rochelle Grant said doctors at Los Angeles General Medical Center told the family within 48 hours that Dejianna Lane was brain dead and encouraged them to consider organ donation. Grant said Lane has two children and that she believes her daughter has shown signs of improvement.
What California Law Says About Brain Death
California law defines death as the irreversible cessation of either circulatory and respiratory functions or all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, when determined under accepted medical standards. The California Health and Safety Code sets out that standard, while the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner says brain death is confirmed by two physicians.
State law also requires general acute-care hospitals to maintain previously ordered cardiopulmonary support for a reasonably brief period after a brain-death declaration so family members can gather at the bedside. The law does not require hospitals to provide other medical interventions during that accommodation period, and it does not resolve the specific medical dispute in Lane’s case.
Judge Orders Treatment To Continue Temporarily
Grant filed a court action against Los Angeles General Medical Center, and a judge temporarily ordered the hospital to continue life-sustaining care while allowing the family to pursue a transfer, FOX 11 reported. Grant said the transfer has not yet occurred, citing explanations involving insurance coverage and a lack of available beds, though she said the family offered to pay out of pocket.
Grant has also alleged that some treatments were stopped after doctors concluded Lane had no chance of recovery, including what she described as inconsistent IV care. Los Angeles General Medical Center declined to address the allegations, citing patient privacy laws, according to the report.
The next court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Until then, the temporary order leaves Lane’s treatment in place while her family continues trying to move her to another facility and challenge the hospital’s course of care.
