600-Pound Woman Surgically Removed From Couch

[bzzboyz]

600-Pound Woman Dies After Being Surgically Removed From Couch
POSTED: 3:48 PM EDT August 11, 2004
UPDATED: 10:09 PM EDT August 11, 2004

STUART, Fla. -- A dramatic rescue ended tragically in Stuart, Florida, a rescue so difficult firefighters say they have never seen anything like it.

It happened late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning at the home of a 600-pound woman who was having trouble breathing. Rescuers went in not knowing how difficult it would be to get her out. 40-year-old Gail Grinds was literally stuck to her couch and had to be removed surgically at the hospital.

Authorities estimate she had been on the couch anywhere from two to five years.

Martin County Fire amd Rescue crews faced what seemed to be an impossible mission. Everyone going inside had to wear protective gear. The stench was so powerful they had to blast in fresh air.

They tried to cut out the front door, but at four-and-a-half feet wide, it wouldn't work. They had to cut plywood since a normal stretcher wouldn't do.

An ambulance was too small, so they brought in a trailer to get her out. While rescue crews came up with a back-door rescue plan, detectives secured what had become a crime scene, questioning family members about how it got so bad.

Using planks, they loaded the woman on to the trailer, still attached to the couch. Removing her would be too painful, since her body is grafted to the fabric. After years of staying put, her skin has literally become one with the sofa and it must be surgically removed.

Detectives are investigating whether they have a case of neglect, or if it is simply a very sad story.

Grinds was taken to the Martin Memorial hospital where doctors removed her from the couch, but she died in spite of all the attempts to save her life.

[larrysogla]

Food is an addiction just like any other. Tragic, very tragic.
larrysogla. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-ani.gif

[RSB]

Just saw the story on the local Fox station. Someone had to be taking care of her, how could they let it get that bad. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wow-eyes-yellow.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-rolleyes-green.gif

[shadow]

That&#39;s a shame! How could a family member let it get that bad. Being on the couch for that long some had to feed her. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif

What about the rest room or even bathing? http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-hair-raisin-blue.gif

The family or whoever was feeding her should be punished for such neglect.

[Welby]

Her skin was grafted to the couch?? Never heard of that before.

This story, if true, has to rank as one of the most unbelievable examples of human sorry-ness that I&#39;ve ever heard of.

[ESSposse]

They had to ventilate the house before they could even go in to get her. Bed sores must have been massive enough to close around the fabric of the couch. The smell must have been horrendous.

[Welby]

I don&#39;t care what the story is, there&#39;s no excuse for that. None at all.

[SierraExplorer]

I read this lastnight. Just Sad- for all parties........

How can someone keep comming in and give food/h2o and never seek help.

and how can a family never ask "where is Mom/Aunty/Neighbor- I have not seen or TALKED to her in some time"

And the lady herself- may you Rest In Peace and hopefully you knew that salvation came by Grace and not Works.

[paulc]

Some may think i am an A##hole, but, i dont have pity for this person or the people that allowed her to do it to herself.
Rather, i am angered that the money wasted on emergency personell to clean up these peoples mess.

Somebody brought her food. They could have stopped or brought only the proper amount and type of food that would have helped her to lose weight.

[Coondog]

paulc.. I agree with you to an extent. The only thing that would make me feel a little more pity for her is if she actually has some sort of disease(like in her thyroid or something) that caused her to gain all the weight. If that was the case, then the family or whoever should have been trying to get her some help of medical attention...

[SierraExplorer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
Some may think i am an A##hole[/b]

Never Here!!! I may be the biggest bunghole on the JHO server- But how can someone resign to feces and urinating on themselves and sofa for 2-5 years?

They needed mental/medical health ALONG time prior to the act. I am in no way a Democrat and in need of "More Sensativy Towards The War" be it Terrisom or Mental Instability. There was wrong from at least 30 people I can guarante that.

Now the question is- how many of the people involved in her and her sad slow death are "Girlie Men"? http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-idea-blu.gif


http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/two-cents.gif

[F350]

Paul,
I agree with you in the "Perfect world Scenario" but for all we know the woman could have been in a diminished mental capacity just as her family members may have also.

My bet is that the dysfunction started way before this poor woman ever sat down.
I think it&#39;s a crying shame that a probably sad and lonely woman lost her life to her own actions.

I&#39;ve seen situations where an entire family seems to have the same behavioral patterns and no one seems to know what to do.

Man, this is starting to get depressing.

[barel74]

Originally posted by SierraExplorer@Aug 12 2004, 07:41 AM
But how can someone resign to feces and urinating on themselves and sofa for 2-5 years?
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/afraid_face.gif geeeeeez http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/afraid_face.gif

[superduty]

SICK, SICK, SICK http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif

[bayedsolid]

I do believe that everyone&#39;s metabolism is different and some people might have a thyroid problem but there has got to be a point where you would think these folks would look in the mirror and say "Holy crap, I&#39;m 300, or I&#39;m 400, or I&#39;m 500 pounds, I think I should cut back" I can&#39;t imagine being 100 pounds overweight and saying to myself "I have a thyroid problem so it&#39;s okay" http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-rolleyes-green.gif If I was 20 pounds overweight and gaining fast, I&#39;d at least stop eating all the fat and sugar. I just took my son to the water park last week and the people, kids included, that were grossly overweight were the ones sitting at the picnic table eating a Costco size package of Oreo&#39;s by themselves. My son put on 26 to 28 miles running around that place and he doesn&#39;t have an ounce of fat on him but the 250 pound 10 year old next to us went down one slide and then ate more junk and sugar than my whole family eats in a year. It&#39;s really too bad. I can&#39;t imagine being a parent and looking at my young child at 200 pounds and not do something about it. I think someone needs to bump the girl on a bike traffic picture to the top so I can cheer up now. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-cool-shades-down.gif
By the way.....If anyone can figure out how I can use Sierra&#39;s avatar as a background for my desktop, please let me know. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-devil.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Coondog]

bayedsolid.. good post.. The thing you need to think about is that these thyroid problems are truly a disease. It does not matter what you eat, you gain weight. It really has to be dealt with in a medical manner.. I don&#39;t believe that you can just say I am going to stop eating certain foods or whatever.. You have to have a doctor&#39;s intervention to get the disease taken care of.. Now that being said, she should have been getting medical treatment, either willingly or forcibly...

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[bayedsolid]

Coondog--- I agree that some might have a disease but if they do then do something about it. If someone has cancer they don&#39;t just go lay on the couch and die like the 600 pound woman did. I really have a tough time sympathizing with these people. I know you shouldn&#39;t judge until you&#39;ve walked a mile in their shoes, but this has always been a hard one for me to swallow.

[Coondog]

I agree with you... Never understand how someone could get in that bad of shape....

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[F350]

It&#39;s really a lot like suicide.

The person literally cannot see beyond thier own pain.
This Woman was definately hurting and probably didn&#39;t think she was worthy of help. Food was more than likely her only comfort.

Man, I gotta stop on this one. Way too sad.

[tinner]

bzz even on a serious note you keep it sick http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-rock.gif

[codypernice11]

maybe her and that half ton guy should meet up on a blind date

[Welby]

It seems like every year, we hear of at least one person who had to be cut out of their own home because they got too big. Or had to be buried in a piano box. Remember the 800+ lb man from a year or two ago? The one they had to lift out with a crane?

My question is, how in the heck do they live? Who feeds them? Where does their money come from? Who could afford to feed them? Is eating all they do for a living?

I know people get depressed. I know people suppress their pain by turning to drugs, alcohol, and even eating. I know that. I&#39;ve done it myself. I&#39;ve also seen what a wayward thyroid can do to a person. But 600lbs?

Somebody would have to be awfully sorry to watch their wife/sister/daughter/aunt/cousin/yadda-yadda melt into their couch over a five year time span and not do anything about it. Seriously. That&#39;s beyond sorry.

Are we not humans anymore? As a nation, do we just not care anymore? If it feels good, then do it - is that what it&#39;s all about now?

Look, we&#39;re putting our danged dogs on low carb diets now - why couldn&#39;t one caring person roll that woman off her couch the first week she laid there and take some action? Did it not occur to anyone that it&#39;s not normal for a person to lay on a couch until they become one with it? Maybe they just thought it was cool...

Maybe she did have mental problems and couldn&#39;t help herself, but someone could&#39;ve done something. Obviously she wasn&#39;t getting up and wearing that couch to the grocery store by herself. Somebody was trucking in the groceries.

I just find it more difficult to understand people these days. I could be wrong, but I don&#39;t think we used to hear about this happening like we do now.

[bzzboyz]

UPDATE


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/con...cbody_0818.html (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/martin_stlucie/epaper/2004/08/18/s1a_mcbody_0818.html)

[Colusaduckhunter]

Chalk one up for a shallow gene pool in that neighborhood.

Really sad. She sounded like she really cared about others. If only one person stood up and took a stand for her. Sometimes that&#39;s all it takes is just one person.

[WinMag1]

Obesity is truly a sad state for many people to find themselves in. In many cases, excessive weight gain and the inability to shed pounds is predicated by one&#39;s own metabolic structure and can only be controled with the help of medical assistance. Obviously this poor lady received no help what so ever. What a shame her friends, family & loved ones let her down. Someone should be held accountable for this tragedy. No human being deserves to suffer like this! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shakehead-blue.gif

[Welby]

That is unbelievably sad.

Can you imagine laying on a couch for six years?