Arizona woman in vegetative state for 10 years gives birth: report
Posted January 5, 2019 9:51 am.
Last Updated January 5, 2019 10:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PHOENIX (NEWS 1130) – Police in Phoenix, Arizona are investigating after a patient who has been in a vegetative state at a care facility for over a decade reportedly gave birth last week.
According to a report from CBS 5, the alleged victim has been living at the Hacienda HealthCare facility, where she gave birth to a baby boy on Dec. 29.
A source told CBS that none of the staff were aware of the pregnancy until she was in labour.
The patient was apparently left in a vegetative state after a near-drowning accident over 10 years ago and required around-the-clock care, with many people having access to her room.
“[She was] not even able to communicate the fact that she was pregnant,” CBS quotes a source as saying.
On its website, Hacienda HealthCare says, “Our mission is to provide every person we are given the opportunity to serve, exceptional and compassionate care 24/7 in order to maximize their potential while continuing to address unmet health care needs throughout Arizona.”
The facility has reportedly changed its protocol, requiring a female staff member to be present if a male employee enters the room.
The woman who gave birth at the nursing home has not been identified.
