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Report: Jeff Conaway brain dead, to be taken off life support by grieving family
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"Grease" and "Taxi" star Jeff Conaway is set to be taken off of life support, reports RadarOnline. The actor, who has long struggled with drug addiction, was found unconscious on May 11 as a result of pneumonia exacerbated by substance abuse. He was put into an induced coma, struggling with sepsis, and has been on a ventilator and a feeding tube since."Doctors advised the family that Jeff has had no brain function since he was brought into the hospital," says a source close to the family. "The feeding tube has already been removed. The ventilator which is breathing for Jeff, will be removed sometime this afternoon. No measures will be made to try and revive him once the breathing tube is removed."
Dr. Drew Pinsky, who treated Conaway on "Celebrity Rehab," visited Conaway in the hospital. While his initial reports were hopeful, saying that Conaway would likely recover, he posted on May 21, "yes,we all need to pray for him.Not doing well today suddenly."
Conaway, 60, is best known for his work as Kenickie in "Grease," and for his star turns on "Taxi" and "Babylon 5." He began his career on Broadway at just 2 years old, and endured physical and sexual abuse as a child before leaving New York to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts. He married "Grease" co-star Olivia's sister, Rona Newton-John in 1980, but the couple divorced five years later. In 1990, he married Keri Conaway, and though it is not known when the couple officially divorced, he is estranged from her.
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This is so, so sad. This man had a difficult life, and I pray for him a happier one beyond this world.
I'm so sad that this is the result, was hoping he would come out of this and be healthy again.
RIP Jeff.
I pray he is in heaven with God. Addiction is a terrible brain disease that I wish we as a nation would invest in to help people from this cancer like disease. It is so hard to get addictionto let go and the National institute of Drug Abuse is now learning the brain is virtually damaged by this disease. The sad part is this is one of the few diseases that comes with shame and misery. God has his son Jeff now and he is at peace. Please try to be compassionate and not ignorant . I lost my 22 yr old son to an addiction of his ADD medicine Ritalin. Stop giving out these addictive medicines and not even warning your patients.
Really... really....?
I'm very sorry for your loss of your son. There is nothing worse in the world than having to bury a child.
But... you can't blame the doctor for your son's addiction. There is only so much that a practitioner can do, but the bottom line rests with the addict. They have to want to stop, and find the strength within themselves to do it. End of story.
Aside from your story... Kenickie has been brain dead for years.
Ritalin is not addictive.
.
It is habituating.
.
The difference is that habituating drugs are nor physically necessary to the user, unlike addicting drugs that make actual physical changes in the body.
.
(Ritalin, BTW, is in fact a mild stimulant.)
Seriously???? People are gonna feel sorry for this guy and HE was the one who did this to HIMSELF...no one told you to take drugs Jeff...your body has given up for treating it like **** over the years. Nobody needs to revive him. Let him die.
His life is a sad situation. He had such a horrible one. I hope he will be happier in the life to come.
This is sad..and for those of you who are obviously unaware of the serious brain disease caused by drugs, please educate yourselves a bit more on this horrible situation. That's the problem, too many people just don't understand and think it's the addicts fault. There are SO many doctors who give meds just to give them, leaving their patients addicted. Dirty doctors everywhere. Yes, people have the choice to want to get well, and in Jeffs case, he lost the battle. But it really is a serious brain disease. I'm not at all saying this in a mean way, but please understand it's not that easy to stop once your addicted. I have a sister who is addicted to pills and I have seen first hand what it does to a person, and it's so sad. She had dirty doctors too. =(
FYI Jeff had a very serious accident following Greese many years ago. He nearly broke his back and began using pain meds. Following the many back surgeries he has had over the years he livd in excruciating pain for many of them. Sooooo he did'nt completely "do this to himself" as some ill informed person suggested!
Please, Jeff has gone to be with God. He has entered his new eternal life with past family members, friends. Let him go peacefully. His body needs rest. Upon entering Heaven, his spirit will go to the hospital where it will be healed. Once healed, then he will be taken to God and his loved ones. His life on this earth is over. Let him begin the fabulous journey he will experience!