ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A vigil was held Thursday for a brain-dead Ash Township boy as news came that the hospital would wait another week before taking him off life support.
Bobby Reyes, 14, of Ash Township, was hospitalized at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor after a severe asthma attack in September. His mother, Sarah Jones, successfully fought to stop the hospital from taking her son off life support when doctors declared him brain-dead.
Reyes was supposed to be taken off life support Friday, but the hospital has agreed to give the family another week as they search for a facility he can be transferred to.
Allegiant Healthcare of Phoenix originally agreed to take Reyes in. The facility specializes in long-term post-acute, medically complex care services to patients who are recovering from serious illnesses or injuries and require additional critical care services for their conditions.
Jones had planned to move to Arizona to be close to her son during treatment, but at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the facility called after re-reviewing Reyes' case and would not accept him after all.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for medical bills. You can donate here.
Michigan Medicine released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
"Families facing situations involving determination of brain death face unfathomable heartbreak. All of us empathize with the extraordinarily emotional process that families facing such matters go through.
Our multi-disciplinary teams, including ethics experts, study every case individually. If extensive testing shows there is irreversible cessation of all brain functions, including the brain stem, continuing medical interventions is inappropriate and violates the professional standards of Michigan Medicine.
If another facility provides technology or services not available at Michigan Medicine -- and the facility will accept the patient -- our team will work diligently to facilitate a transfer."