On Feb. 20, 1996, Mariah was pronounced legally dead, but her parents refused to let doctors disconnect her from a respirator, citing their religious beliefs.

If she goes into a coma, at what point should a doctor disconnect the devices that are keeping her alive?

The doctor disconnected the tube.

The following day, the doctors disconnected him from the artificial respirator, and after a period of observation, he returned to his normal life.

The next day, she was pronounced legally dead, but her parents refused to let doctors disconnect her from a respirator, citing their beliefs as born-again Christians.

The trial court held that the moment of death occurred when the brain ceased to function, so she would have been long dead when the doctor disconnected the ventilator.

"She was made as comfortable as possible," Ms. Schultz said, before doctors disconnected the machine that had allowed her to breathe.

On the day his doctors disconnected his artificial heart, ending his life, James Quinn gave them one final scare.

The next day, she was pronounced legally dead, but her born-again-Christian parents did not let doctors disconnect her from a respirator.

In March, Nancy Gamble of Nashville got court permission to have her doctor disconnect her respirator.