Doctors want to pull the plug on my sister after a surgery went wrong – I know she’s still in there and I’m fighting

A FAMILY is fighting to keep their loved one alive after a hospital determined she was brain dead.

Amber Ebanks’ sister Kay believes there’s still hope despite her sibling suffering a massive stroke after having surgery .

ABC7 Chicago

ABC7 Chicago

ABC7 Chicago

Ebanks, 23, was suffering from an arteriovenous malformation rupture earlier this year and went in for a scheduled surgery at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York on July 30.

However, during surgery, Ebanks suffered a major stroke and was placed in a medically induced coma, according to the family’s GoFundMe .

Shortly after, the hospital declared her brain dead and attempted to pull the plug.

Her family, however, believes she still has a chance to pull through.

They are determined to keep her alive and are now fighting for more time and a chance at recovery.

“My sister came to this hospital driving a car,” said her sister, Kay Ebanks.

“She was perfectly fine and it’s unbelievable the condition she is in right now,” her sister told local WABC-TV .

Last week, her family won a temporary restraining order against the hospital to keep her on life support.

They want the hospital to continue caring for Ebanks long enough to get her to another facility in Long Island, New Beginnings, that has agreed to care for her.

The transfer process would take another week or two, and the family is now fighting in a Bronx court to have Montefiore keep her on life support until then.

“The brain is miraculous, it just needs time to heal,” Allyson Scerri, the founder of New Beginnings told the outlet.

On Monday, the court heard arguments from experts who said that in their “very strong opinion,” that her life is worth fighting for.

The arguments are over whether Montefiore must continue to provide life support, food, and nutrition to Ebanks during the transfer period.

“The question is, whether or not Montefiore is going to be directed to provide food, nutrition, and life support long enough for the new facility to make the necessary arrangments and accept her,” said the family’s attorney, Chauncey Henry.

“If there is a little hope that there is life, then it’s worth fighting for,” Henry said.

What is a stroke?

Key Facts You Need to Know:

What is a Stroke?
A stroke is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, causing brain cells to die or become damaged.

Types of Stroke:

• Ischaemic Stroke: The most common type (85% of cases), caused by a blockage in blood flow to the brain.
• Haemorrhagic Stroke: Caused by bleeding in or around the brain due to a burst blood vessel.

Symptoms: Use FAST to Identify a Stroke:

• F ace drooping: One side of the face may droop or be numb.
• A rm weakness: One arm may be weak or numb.
• S peech difficulty: Speech may be slurred or hard to understand.
• T ime to call 999: If you see these signs, seek emergency help immediately.

Prevention:
Managing risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and high cholesterol can help prevent strokes.

Treatment:
Early treatment is crucial to reduce long-term disability and improve survival rates. Options include clot-busting drugs, surgery, and innovative therapies like stem-cell treatment and virtual physiotherapy.

Before the judge makes a decision, the court has ordered an outside, independent doctor to visit Ebanks and evaluate her condition to ensure she could be transferred at all.

“Due to HIPAA and patient privacy rules, we are not able to provide any specifics regarding individual patients,” the hospital told the U.S. Sun.

“Montefiore’s decisions are guided by both government regulations and a commitment to upholding the highest standards of care for our patients.”

Ebanks’ sister, Kay, told WABC that the hospital is the workplace to “some of the cruelest people I have ever known.”

Ebanks’ father, who lives in Jamacia, is in the process of securing a Visa to come to New York and see her.

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