Excerpt: Jacqueline Cherry heard the story of Titus Cromer, a 16-year-old Lathrup Village boy on life support at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, whose mother, LaShauna Lowry, is living a nightmare similar to one she experienced a little over a year ago.
Photo Credit: Elaine Cromie, Special to Free Press
Doctors said her daughter had no chance of recovery. Then, Lakeisha Cherry got better.
An Oakland County Circuit judge issued the first temporary restraining order in Titus’ case in late October, requiring Beaumont to continue providing life support to the teen. The case was later moved to U.S. District Court in Detroit, where a hearing was scheduled for Tuesday morning before Judge Mark Goldsmith.
But Goldsmith canceled the hearing Monday afternoon, ordering that Beaumont and Lowry’s attorney, James Rasor, try to negotiate with the help of a magistrate.
“The court decided it was appropriate to refer the matter to a magistrate judge so that the magistrate could meet with the parties and see if these was a way to reach resolution of the case,” Rasor said.
“That is happening this week, but a date has not been set. In the meantime, until there is a resolution, and until and unless Judge Goldsmith makes rulings on the pending motion, the restraining order will stay in effect.”
Other Detroit Free Press coverage: We Are Living A Nightmare
Outside Doctor Says Titus Cromer Not Brain-Dead
From the article: Dr. Richard Bonfiglio, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, visited Titus on Wednesday at the hospital, and concluded that he is showing signs of some brain activity. “It is my belief that he’s not brain-dead,” Bonfiglio told the Free Press. “Under the statute in Michigan, in order to be declared brain-dead, you can have absolutely no brain or brain stem function. He has functioning of his hypothalamus.
“I know that because he’s able to maintain his body temperature without any assistance. So in other words, if he was brain-dead, in order to stay warm you need to have a heating blanket. He has no such need. And he’s also maintaining his blood pressure and pulse without medications. He’s been taken off the ventilator at times for short periods of time and is able to tolerate that.
“What he needs is time. This has been about three weeks now that he has been in this situation, and I do not understand why the hospital is in such a rush.”
