Doctors said she was brain dead, but the 14-year-old girl let them know she wasn't:

KALAMAZOO, Mich --A 14-year-old girl was almost pronounced dead prematurely after being shot in a Kalamazoo, Michigan, Cracker Barrel parking lot.

Lieutenant Dale Hinz with the Michigan State Police tells ABC he spoke with the parents of the 14-year-old shooting victim, who was initially reported dead early Sunday morning after the Saturday evening rampage by alleged shooter Jason Dalton, 45.

Lt. Hinz says the girl was pronounced brain dead shortly after arriving at Bronson Methodist Hospital.

The family told Lt. Hinz that an hour or two after that, the hospital was in the process of preparing her organs to be donated. That's when the girl squeezed her mother's hand.

Hinz says the mother then asked her daughter to squeeze her hand again if she could hear her, and she did. The doctor asked the girl to give a thumbs up if she could hear him, and she gave two thumbs up.

According to Lt. Hinz, the hospital then immediately started prepping the 14-year-old for surgery.

As of 5 a.m. CT Monday, the girl is still hanging on, but there is no change in her condition.

(via ABC News: "KALAMAZOO SHOOTING: HOW A 14-YEAR-OLD MICHIGAN VICTIM CLUNG TO LIFE")

 

Facebook comments on the article include this explanation of the organ donor process:

Maryam Gol For people who are questioning being an organ donor, this is standard practice. 

Once you're determined to be "brain dead" the providers contact the local organ service center to let them know there is a patient who MAY be a candidate for donation.

This doesn't mean they just take out your organs prematurely. This simply means a file is created with your case. 

If something changes in your condition (like in this case) there will obviously be more tests and assessments. 

If nothing changes and you are still "brain dead", then transplant services will continue. 

This is an over simplified explanation of a long process. Please don't let this discourage you or your families from organ donations.

Another Facebook comment with a personal story on recovery after being pronounced brain dead:

Danielle Johnson Fry My son's best friend was hit by a train in April of last year. He died several times in the first 24 hours. I was in his hospital room when the Chaplin came in to pray with his mother while doctors came in to talk about donating organs. It was heartbreaking. His mother very politely told the doctors that her son wasn't going to die. To make a very long roller-coaster of a story short, the doctors told us that there was no way he would survive his injuries. Then they said he wouldn't wake up from the coma and wouldn't have any quality of life. No matter how many times the doctors told her he wasn't going to make it she told them that he was going to live and not die, and he would make a complete recovery. When he started to show signs of wanting to wake up, the doctors had her visit the area of the hospital for patients with Severe Trumatic Brain Injuries, she walked in and then immediately walked out because she knew he wasn't going to be that sick. The doctors told us that if he woke up he wouldn't know anyone or be able to communicate with anyone. When he woke up he knew everyone in the room, and when he got the tubes out of his throat he immediately asked for mash potatoes from Cattlemen's! I'm now convinced that the power of prayer and the strength of a Mothers L♡VE is real. I'm praying that god will give her mother strength while he is healing her daughter.