Treasure Perry’s story: Teen taken off life support despite mother’s steadfast resistance
Before her daughter Treasure Perry was removed from life support, Angela Kosarue had claimed, “God can perform a miracle, but I know it’s down to the wire.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA:
The heartbroken mother of a young girl whose life support was recently removed asserts that her daughter was conscious at the time the procedure was stopped. After dying on July 23 from a deadly allergic reaction to shellfish and an asthma attack, Treasure Perry was receiving life-sustaining care. After being transported to Riley Hospital for Children in the heart of Indianapolis, Emma was declared brain dead on August 2.
The 17-year-old was reportedly taken off life support on Thursday, August 12, against the wishes of her family. According to reports, a judge first granted the family’s petitions after observing that “the plaintiff’s injury will be irreversible, in that if life-sustaining measures are terminated, the plaintiff will likely be dead.”” On Wednesday, August 11, however, the court refused to grant the family an extension to keep the daughter on life support, and the family was instructed to look for a hospital that would be willing to look after the child.
Finding another hospital, though, apparently reportedly failed because Treasure’s tracheostomy was skipped. According to the Mayo Clinic, a tracheostomy is “a surgical incision made through the front of the neck and into the windpipe” (trachea). For breathing, the opening is kept open with a tracheostomy tube.
Angela Kosarue, the child’s mother, had previously told NBC that “God can perform a miracle, but I know it’s down to the wire” before the teen was removed from the ventilator. I don’t want to give up, she added. Still, I don’t. I’ve run out of alternatives, but I’m going to keep fighting for her until the very end. I think that when your body closes down and your heart stops pumping, that’s when you’re dead.
One of seven siblings, Treasure was referred to by her aunt Skylee Nicole Kosarue as “an outstanding niece, sister, aunt, daughter, and grandchild” after she passed away. We never gave up on her because the doctors failed both her and us, Skylee said. The aunt posted on Facebook, “My baby!! She always wanted me to know how much she loved me, and she was very loving! My heart was lost when you left. Never again will life be the same. I just can’t say anything. Nobody is aware of how painful this is. Right now, nobody can feel my suffering.
“Riley’s Hospital for Children has given my sister, Treasure’s mom till 12pm today and they will be pulling her off life support,” Skylee had said in a previous post. My sister made numerous attempts to combat them. She made an effort to combat Treasure. Nobody would take her on. This world is so depressing and crazy.”
She adds, in the note: “Why are my kid and I being torn apart? because she’s attempting to live and breathe independently? I shouldn’t have to understand, and I’ll never be able to. I’m completely stumped. My broken heart will always hurt. The course of life will change. There will be changes in my family. Just say a quick prayer for us, please. We are currently in unspeakable pain.”
Trinity, Treasure’s sister, posted on Facebook about her feelings of sadness and anguish, writing, “I’m so upset bro. My sister was failed by so many people. I let my sister down. It hurt like shit. Sis My biggest fear absolutely came true, and I’m so devastated by this world that I don’t want to be here any longer, sis. I love you and I can’t believe I’ll never talk to you again. I want to be with you because you should be here; this is not right. This shit ain’t fair, dude. What should we do? What will mom do? Our family is torn apart, so why in earth would you do this to us, God? I won’t ever fr.