Colorado boy dies after 3 years without a brain

[Hum]

A family in Pueblo is remembering the life of a little boy was considered a medical miracle. Nickolas Coke has died. He's the three year old was born without a brain.

Nickolas had anencephaly, meaning he was only born with a brain stem. Most babies with that condition are still born or die shortly after birth. But Nicholas lived a remarkable life.

Some of the final images of Nickolas Coke show him smiling at a pumpkin patch. "He was laughing because he thought it was funny that we couldn't get him to stay still enough to roll off the pumpkins.," said Sherri Kohut, Nickolas' grandmother.

Kohut believes Nickolas recently caught a virus. Early this morning she sensed something was wrong. "He woke up this morning around six. He was breathing really really bad," said Kohut.

Nickolas eventually stopped breathing. They gave him C.P.R., but after the third try Nickolas was gone. "They told us no more, let him go. So he died at 12:40 today. Peacefully," said Kohut.

The doctors never expected Nickolas to live longer than a few hours. We last spoke to his mother Sheena in July. "I think the love and caring that everyone gives him is making him stronger and making him live longer," said Sheena Coke.

They never focused on when the end might come, rather cherished and celebrated each day.

"He was never hooked up to any machines, no tubes, no nothing," said Kohut. "He taught us everything, he taught the love, how to be family. He taught us everything," she added. :wub:

more & video

[Growled Member]

Nice story. R.I.P. little guy.

[Dot Matrix]

:|

[Hum]

Farewell little scarecrow -- better life to you in the future. :cry:

Let's all stop to count our blessings once in a while ...

[Shiranui]

It is amazing how well the body can adapt to make do with what it has got.

Their is a young girl in the UK with half a brain (actually, one side was malformed and has since been surgically "disconnected" from the other side) and she seems to be leading a pretty normal life now.

Warning to the squeamish: Use wikipedia with caution.

[Growled Member]

Let's all stop to count our blessings once in a while ...

Agreed. I doubt if any of us do that enough.

[ArialBlue]

I don't think I will be able to understand people like that.

I mean it is one thing raising a mentally deficient child.

But in this case, it is a brainless drooling bag of flesh.

So much money and effort wasted on nothing.

[Shiranui]

What the hell is wrong with people? Just look at all those ridiculous GOD comments on the koaa.com page.

[qdave]

What the hell is wrong with people? Just look at all those ridiculous GOD comments on the koaa.com page.

Mildly amusing!

However its an interesting case!

One does not need brain to survive.

[dead.cell]

Don't see what the big deal is. Many people go on living without a brain, and surprisingly are even elected into office! :ermm:

But seriously, would like to have known more about this story.

Edit: nevermind, found the video.

[The Rev]

_{I hate to be the naysayer here, but there's no way that boy could do some of the things he has done with ZERO cerebrum. He'd be a complete vegetable. Talking, which they say he could do.... impossible w/o at least SOME cerebral tissue. Laughing? Smiling? Higher brain functions as well... I'm just sayin, he may have been bad, but there's no way he didn't have sat least ome cerebral tissue, the way he lived.}

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

_{I hate to be the naysayer here, but there's no way that boy could do some of the things he has done with ZERO cerebrum. He'd be a complete vegetable. Talking, which they say he could do.... impossible w/o at least SOME cerebral tissue. Laughing? Smiling? Higher brain functions as well... I'm just sayin, he may have been bad, but there's no way he didn't have sat least ome cerebral tissue, the way he lived.}

I kind of agree, there's no way he could have been anything but dead with no brain at all.

[MikeChipshop Member]

_{I hate to be the naysayer here, but there's no way that boy could do some of the things he has done with ZERO cerebrum. He'd be a complete vegetable. Talking, which they say he could do.... impossible w/o at least SOME cerebral tissue. Laughing? Smiling? Higher brain functions as well... I'm just sayin, he may have been bad, but there's no way he didn't have sat least ome cerebral tissue, the way he lived.}

Exactly, zero brain = zero life. What he had was a malformed brain. Misleading story is misleading.

[moloko]

_{I hate to be the naysayer here, but there's no way that boy could do some of the things he has done with ZERO cerebrum. He'd be a complete vegetable. Talking, which they say he could do.... impossible w/o at least SOME cerebral tissue. Laughing? Smiling? Higher brain functions as well... I'm just sayin, he may have been bad, but there's no way he didn't have sat least ome cerebral tissue, the way he lived.}

I agree. He had to have some brain tissue to be able to move, emote, etc. That takes brain power. sorry to hear he is gone but the family I am sure have counted their blessing for this time.

[Xtreme2damax]

_{I hate to be the naysayer here, but there's no way that boy could do some of the things he has done with ZERO cerebrum. He'd be a complete vegetable. Talking, which they say he could do.... impossible w/o at least SOME cerebral tissue. Laughing? Smiling? Higher brain functions as well... I'm just sayin, he may have been bad, but there's no way he didn't have sat least ome cerebral tissue, the way he lived.}

Not exactly, it could be similar to this in a way: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken

Except for the fact he had/has a head without a brain.

[Xilo]

I can never understand why people would go through with the birth of a kid with such serious defects that end up being a drain on themselves and society.

[ahhell]

Inaccurate misleading story from Foxnews reposted by Hum?

NO WAY!

[Hum]

I can never understand why people would go through with the birth of a kid with such serious defects that end up being a drain on themselves and society.

You could say the same about all seniors with health problems -- want to sail grandpa and grandma off to the deep sea, and push them overboard ?

[Growled Member]

I can never understand why people would go through with the birth of a kid with such serious defects that end up being a drain on themselves and society.

Wait until you have one and then you'll understand.

[|Rapture|]

You could say the same about all seniors with health problems -- want to sail grandpa and grandma off to the deep sea, and push them overboard ?

At least grandpa and grandma know when they've **** themselves. Anencephaly is ****ing awful, I sympathise with any woman who finds out their unborn child has this birth defect. I find it much harder however, to sympathise with somebody who would choose to go full term, then trick themselves into thinking their literally brainless child is gift from some sort of god.

[TPreston]

You could say the same about all seniors with health problems -- want to sail grandpa and grandma off to the deep sea, and push them overboard ?

Worst Analogy Ever :rolleyes:

[ArialBlue]

Wait until you have one and then you'll understand.

It is a case of insanity overpowering simple logic.

There is no person here but bio waste and a good dissection experiment.

[TCA]

Atleast he got a shot at life for as long as he did! :)

[Detection]

You could say the same about all seniors with health problems -- want to sail grandpa and grandma off to the deep sea, and push them overboard ?

The elderly should be shot at birth :p

[Growled Member]

Atleast he got a shot at life for as long as he did! :)

I think everyone should be given that chance. Life is too important not to.