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Brain dead girl passes away
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Posted on Jan 20 2006
The three-year-old girl who was described as clinically brain dead passed away on Thursday late afternoon, the Saipan Tribune learned.
Maj. Edward Manalili, chief of the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, confirmed the report.
Manalili disclosed that Guam chief medical examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola would conduct the autopsy on the girl’s body, possibly today at the Commonwealth Health Center.
Manalili said they are looking at the incident as a “suspicious death” and that they are hoping the autopsy results would give them some leads as to the cause of the girl’s death.
The injuries to the back of the head were questionable, the major pointed out.
“We [are] making this a high priority case,” he said, adding that no arrest has been made and investigation is ongoing.
Detective George David earlier told the Saipan Tribune that the girl was brought to CHC on Tuesday. She was then taken to the intensive care unit where she was declared brain dead.
Brain death is defined as the irreversible loss of all functions of the brain.
David said that, according to the father, the girl was playing with her brother in the bedroom of their house in Garapan after lunch. The father stated that he was watching TV when the girl approached him and complained she could hardly breath.
The father told police that he massaged his daughter’s chest, but she suddenly lost consciousness.
The brother is only two years old.
