(Clinton Township, MI) A 74-year-old Macomb chiropractor suddenly awoke from a 10-day coma on Sunday just hours before doctors were to remove his feeding tube. “He sprung to life and is breathing. It’s unbelievable. It’s overwhelming,” his son, Steven Chism, said Monday.
Dr. Jim Chism, a well-known chiropractor with an office in Fraser, MI, was scheduled on Monday to have his feeding tube removed. His wife, Karen Chism, had instructed doctors to pull the tube after alleging that his mental and physical health had deteriorated since the onset of dementia beginning in November, followed by cardiac arrest on January 19th.
Removing the tube would have meant swift, certain death.
However, Chism's three adult children - his son Steven and two daughters - believing that their father's condition was not as bad as their step-mother claimed, and concerned that he had been defrauded out of his business, money and cars, questioned the need for the tube's removal. They sought a Probate Court hearing to remove her as their father's legal guardian, and asked the Court to appoint a neutral "guardian ad litem" to investigate.
They even picketed outside a mental health facility to draw attention to their father's plight.
Last Wednesday, Judge Antonio Viviano of Macomb County Probate Court appointed an attorney as the man’s new guardian. His report found various inconsistencies and unanswered questions, including a stunning conclusion: James Chism had seen patients at his chiropractic office just a few days before being admitted for treatment, and because he recognized and interacted with his children he appeared to be of "sound mind."
The children were amazed at what happened next. "It was a Lazarus-like recovery. A miracle. He's still groggy from all the drugs in his system. But he's recovering very well," said his son.
Karen Chism had sold her husband's business, and in the days leading up to the scheduled removal of the feeding tube she had also put a house, two condos, and cars in her name in order to apply for Medicaid benefits.
The court-appointed guardian wrote in his January 24th report to the court: "Most of the children's concerns are valid...and are the result of the deliberate conduct and actions of Karen Chism."
The children are now seeking a full accounting of what happened before and during the period of time when the step-mother was guardian, both financially and medically, and they are questioning what mysteriously led to the deterioration of their father's physical condition. They wondered aloud if he was being starved to death by his wife.
The Chisms have been married 27 years. Karen Chism was unavailable for comment, as were hospital doctors and officials.
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