By Amos E. Williams
Retired Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Carole F. Youngblood, my beloved, was pronounced dead on Wednesday February 12, 2014 at 8:22 p.m. at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. Her life actually ended on Sunday February 9th at approximately noon when she suffered a massive hemorrhagic aneurysm in her brain. There was no prior indication of her having such a condition and there was no trauma preceding the event. She was conveyed by ambulance from our cottage in Lexington to Port Huron Hospital and from there airlifted to Royal Oak Beaumont.
It was Carole's express wish to be an organ donor and she had registered as a donor. Although her injury was massive, irreversible and fatal, statutory requirements mandated that she reach a certain medical state before her organs could be harvested. It was that requirement that caused the delay in pronouncing her legally dead.
She was kept on life support to protect the precious life-saving organs and tissues that she wished to donate but the effect was to delay the onset of legal death. So, for four days I sat a soul rending death vigil at her bedside, surrounded by family and close friends, determined to accomplish what she wanted. Ultimately, she reached her goal, as she has always done.
During this ordeal, messages of sorrow and support poured in from our friends, colleagues, neighbors and others. I have been unable to respond to them all through my unbearable grief but know that I truly appreciate your thoughts and concerns.
Carole will be cremated without a service. A celebration of her life will take place on March 29 from 5-8 p.m. at Detroit Institute of Arts. In lieu of flowers, we ask that a contribution be made to the Michigan Chapter of the ACLU, 2966 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI, 48201, or Heifer International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202.
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