A Virginia family was shocked but relieved when their mother, Val Thomas, woke up after doctors said she was dead.
Mrs. Thomas, 59, while being kept breathing artificially, had no detectable brain waves for more than 17 hours.
The family was discussing organ donation options for their mother when she suddenly woke up and started speaking to nurses.
Ethicists have strongly criticised developments in organ donation criteria that would have made Mrs. Thomas a candidate for having her organs removed before she woke up.
[http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08052709.html Life Site News; ALL Pro-Life Today, 28May08]