A 20-year-old college student at the center of an end-of-life legal battle over her treatment at a Reno hospital died while still on life support Monday.
Aden Hailu passed away at around 4.30pm at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, where she never awoke from anesthesia after surgery April 1, 2015, said David O’Mara, the attorney representing Hailu’s father and family.
O’Mara said the family was told Hailu was pronounced dead after her heart stopped and efforts to revive her failed.
Aden’s father, Fanuel Gebreyes, was at the hospital and noticed Hailu had trouble breathing – even with a ventilator. But Gebreyes wasn’t in his daughter’s room when her heart stopped.
Hospital officials have declined to comment on Hailu’s death citing privacy laws.
Gebreyes lost a bid in court last week to delay brain electroencephalogram, or EEG, tests that the hospital said would show she was brain dead and would never recover.
Washoe County Family Court Judge Frances Doherty had given Saint Mary’s the green light to conduct brain wave tests, but indicated she wouldn’t rule until at least January 22 on the question of life or death.
O’Mara said Tuesday it didn’t appear the tests had been done. The family lawyer earlier accused the hospital of wanting to pull the plug on Aden to cut costs.
He said Gebreyes felt that that as long as there was a chance the 20-year-old woman was alive, the hospital should treat her or find a place that would.
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