‘Brain dead’ teenager shocks family as he starts moving during his funeral

A 19-year-old youth from Nashik shocked his family after showing signs of life during his funeral preparations. Bhau Lachke was earlier declared “brain dead” by doctors at a private hospital after he had met with an accident in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Relatives said he started moving and coughing during the funeral. So, they rushed him to the district hospital, where he was kept on ventilator support in a serious condition. A family member, Gangaram Shinde, confirmed the incident.

"While we were preparing for his funeral, he started moving and coughing. We rushed him to the district hospital, where he is undergoing treatment at present. His condition is serious, and he has been put on ventilator support," Shinde told PTI.

Meanwhile, the private hospital clarified that Lachke had never been declared dead. It suggested that his relatives might have misunderstood medical terms.

What is ‘brain dead’?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), brain death is both a legal and medical concept, formally defined by the Uniform Determination of Death Act in 1981 in the United States.

Brain death means total and permanent loss of all brain and brainstem functions. In this state, no brain activity exists, and it cannot return.

Once confirmed through strict medical tests, the person is legally and clinically declared dead even if machines keep the heart beating. A person with brain death cannot breathe on their own or regain consciousness.

By contrast, heart or cardiopulmonary death occurs when both heartbeat and breathing stop permanently. This was the old standard before modern life support. Machines can keep the heart beating briefly. However, without brainstem function, the body cannot survive independently.

Brain dead vs coma

Brain death is permanent and cannot be reversed. A brain-dead patient may appear to breathe with machine support. But, eventually, both breathing and heart functions will stop.

It is different from coma or vegetative state, where brain activity still exists. Unlike media portrayals, brain death is a separate medical and legal diagnosis with no recovery possible.