Standby and Stabilizations
An Alcor member in the New York area was placed on a ventilator following a recent serious medical event. Catherine Baldwin of Suspended Animation (SA) traveled to the area to establish a relationship with the medical facility and mortuary in the event stabilization was needed. Although the member’s health has temporarily improved it was decided that a full standby was not warranted, she continues to struggle with her illness and may eventually need our services.
Alcor received emergency notification that a member in the St. Petersburg, Florida area had been rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with a massive intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. Suspended Animation was sent to the hospital and began to prepare for a probable suspension. Through medical imaging, physicians determined the individual’s brain damage was so extensive they declared him brain-dead. After the family withdrew life support, SA performed field stabilization and the patient was shipped as an anatomical donation on dry ice to Alcor.
Two international emergency calls were received this past month from non-Alcor members to inquire about last-minute cryopreservation – one from Beijing, China and the other from Bucharest, Romania. Communication problems, due to language barriers and time zone differences, impeded our ability to effectively evaluate the legitimacy of the Chinese enquiry and the individual in question passed away before any serious consideration could be made. Communication surrounding the Romanian individual is being spearheaded by the country’s National TV and the motives of the agency have not been revealed. We are awaiting additional information before taking any further action.
