Jahi McMath to Stay on Life Support; Children's Hospital Oakland Releases Her to New Facility
Jahi McMath, a 13-year-old girl declared brain dead after sleep apnea surgery and whose mother believes God can make her better, was released from the Children's Hospital Oakland on Sunday, two days after an agreement was reached between the family and the California hospital.
"The body of Jahi McMath was released by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland to the coroner," David Durand, the hospital's chief of pediatrics, told CNN. "The coroner has released her body to the custody of her mother, Latasha Winkfield, as per court order, for a destination unknown."
Family attorney Christopher Dolan tweeted about the 13-year-old's release. "She is safely out of Children's," he wrote.
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The McMath family has been at odds with the hospital ever since Jahi was declared brain dead in early December. The hospital wanted to remove her life support to allow her to fully die, but the family insisted she should be kept alive with the belief that she can make a full recovery. The family wanted her to be transferred to a long-term care facility.
Both have insisted that they want what is in the best interest of the girl who suffered complications after a routine tonsillectomy.
Earlier this month, the McMath family and the hospital entered into mediation ordered by a federal judge.
The judge Friday allowed the mother to remove Jahi from the hospital saying she would assume full responsibility for the consequences, according to NBC. The hospital had been given permission to turn off life support on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
At the time of leaving the hospital, Jahi was accompanied by a critical care team, attached to a ventilator but without a feeding tube. However, her destination wasn't announced.
"We've had people make threats from around the country. It's sad that people act that way," Dolan was quoted as saying. "So for Jahi's safety and those around her, we will not be saying where she went or where she is."
Dolan earlier said Jahi has been accepted by New Beginnings Community Center in Medford, New York.
"At this time we're named as the potential facility that Jahi and her family will be coming to, but we will know more details in a couple of hours, and we'll certainly be happy to let you know as we know," Allyson Scerri, the facility's founder, was quoted as saying.
"I will always fight for Jahi until she is ready to go, her own self," San Francisco Chronicle quoted Jahi's mother, Winkfield, as saying Sunday. "I can't play God. She's going to get better or she's not, but I see her getting better."
New Beginnings said it is aware of Jahi's situation, "and we are willing to open our outpatient facility to provide 24-hour care as an inpatient, long-term facility for Jahi with the required and appropriate medical staff that she depends upon."
"I don't want her off life support because I really feel like she can wake up," Winkfield had earlier said. "I feel like it's just been a rough week for her and, if they just give her some more time, then she'll be able to wake up."
