Chapter 1: The Call from the Neurology Unit

In 2018, while working in a palliative care unit, we received an unexpected call from a nearby emergency department. We were tasked with caring for a 42-year-old man who had been in a permanent vegetative state, a situation that left our team in disbelief. Having spent years supporting terminally ill patients, we were not accustomed to a case involving someone so young. We braced ourselves for what could potentially be a lengthy stay—possibly spanning three to four decades.

Let’s refer to this individual as Thomas.

Thomas sustained severe brain damage due to an intracranial hemorrhage, leading to his irreversible condition where nearly all brain functions ceased, except for those managed by the brainstem. His body was left with only basic automatic functions: breathing, heartbeats, nutrient absorption, and the faintest flicker of blinking.

Upon his arrival, Thomas's mother was by his side. She visited him daily, tending to his needs—wiping his face, bathing him, and occasionally