Case Of Brain Dead Boy Raises Questions About End-Of-Life Care, Report Says

Laureen LaVecchia is giving her son Michael every chance she can to keep him alive.

Michael, or “Mikey” as he’s known, was declared brain dead after a horrific car accident on Route 80 Saturday that killed his father and another boy. His mother and family kept vigil, praying. Mikey moved his head, foot, and shoulder and LaVecchia. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.

Related: Boy Pronounced Brain Dead In Route 80 Crash Moved Leg And Head

LaVecchia has vowed to give her son, whom she describes as a “good kid” who is “always smiling,” every chance to live, NorthJersey.com reported.

“This kid’s a strong kid, he deserves a good life,” LaVecchia told the website.

The family said they are taking it a day at a time, the report states.

LaVecchia is determined to get other professional opinions on her son’s case, rather than just trust the one’s given to her by St. Joseph’s staff, whom she said did not evaluate her son thoroughly enough and aggressively tried to persuade them to agree to organ donating, the report states.

A New Jersey law allows a family to reject a doctor’s pronouncement of brain death and insist on continued life support if the patient’s heart is still beating, the report states.