Profiles

Here, you can find any of the interviews on this site.



Sonia

Sonia's mother had a devastating stroke in 2005 (when she was in her 60's) - she appeared initially to make some recovery but a few days later had major swelling of the brain. Clinicians rang her family telling them her life was in danger and a decision was made to do a craniotomy. An early bout of pneumonia was aggressively treated, but when pneumonia developed again the decision was made to keep Sonia's mother comfortable but not treat with antibiotics and her mother died in 2007.

  • Background

    Sonia is 45.

  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Cathy

    Cathy's 16 year old brother, Matty, was severely brain injured when he was hit by a car. Emergency interventions and surgery meant Matty survived, but he was left in a permanent vegetative state. He was eventually allowed to die eight years later after artificial nutrition and hydration was withdrawn.

  • Background

    Married, mother of one son, works in the Book industry.

  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Angela

    In 2011, at the age of 66, Angela's husband, a talented musician, had a cardiac arrest while in the recovery room after an operation. He was resuscitated. At first, the medical team were reassuring, but it turned out that he had suffered catastrophic hypoxic (oxygen deprivation) brain injury and he has remained in a minimally conscious state ever since. Has become progressively less responsive over time.

  • Background

    Angela works as a receptionist, and her husband was the night duty officer, for the same funeral parlour. They were also musicians together, and had been in a relationship for...

  • Age at interview 50
  • Sex/Gender Female

    • Professor Derick Wade

    Professor Derick Wade of the Oxford Centre for Enablement explains the meaning of the words such as coma, vegetative state and locked-in syndrome and answers questions such as 'how can you be sure that someone is not conscious?' and if they can feel pain. He also describes processes for best interests decision-making.

  • Background

    Professor Derick Wade of the Oxford Centre for Enablement

  • Sex/Gender Male