After showings signs of life after post-believed clinical brain death, a North Carolina pastor experiences a miracle.
While doctors were in the process of taking this North Carolina pastor’s organs for donation after he was declared clinically brain dead, he suddenly showed signs of life.
Ryan Marlow was hospitalized in August after he contracted Listeria, which is a foodborne bacterial disease often caused by consuming deli meats and unpasteurized milk products that were not properly processed. The bacteria invaded Maarlow’s brain, resulting in swelling and coma.
On August 27, Ryan Marlow’s wife, Megan Marlow, was given some devastating news by her husband’s treating doctors. According to the doctors, Ryan Marlow is brain-dead and clinically deceased.
North Carolina state law declares that brain-dead patients are considered legally dead.
Megan Marlow said, “[A nurse] said ‘Your husband has passed.’ Those were the words that were used.”
On August 29, Megan received a phone call from the hospital informing her that her husband had suffered damage to his brain. The next day he was scheduled to be taken off of life support and have his organs donated.
She said, “‘He’s still pretty much brain dead, right?’ and I was told ‘Yes.’”
The following morning, she went to the hospital to say her final goodbye to her husband. He will be taken into surgery soon for organ harvesting. Upon arrival, she was met with some surprising news.
When Ryan was at the hospital, his niece told her that Ryan’s feet moved in response to videos of his “children singing.”
Megan Marlow was hesitant because she didn’t want to experience “false hope” and it could be attributed to “spinal reflexes.” She stated, “I went into the hallway […] literally the OR team was ready to take him, and I told the nurse ‘I need tests done now to see if he’s brain dead.’ […] Long story short; he’s not brain dead, my friends.’”
On August 31, Megan Marlow took to Facebook with a live video entitled “Unexpected update” to share some news about her husband. The doctor told her that because Ryan’s condition was so “rare,” they had assembled a panel of experts.
The doctors confessed their major error- Ryan Marlow was not dead, and he did not have any “neurological death.”
A CT scan taken later showed that Ryan was not brain dead because blood flow to his brain had resumed. His heart rate reportedly “jumped up” when she kissed his arm and spoke to him. She stated, “My husband is still very critical.”
Megan still has hope. She stated, “God’s not done. I don’t know my husband still may go to glory with all of this. He may still be with Jesus at the end of all this. I don’t know, but I have to just trust God’s trying to do something, and whatever it is I’m just gonna trust Him and pray. That’s all I can do.”
Megan Marlow is continuing to believe…
