In 2019, a woman from Chicago received a call from the hospital about her brother Alfonso. He was found lying in the street unconscious with a severe head injury.
Sadly, he passed away a few weeks later. Then, one day after his funeral, Alfonso showed up at his sister's house, and he looked perfectly healthy.
A Call From Her Brother
When Rosie saw his name on her phone, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Alfonso was never interested in keeping in touch with Rosie, so why did he suddenly decide to call?
They Didn't Have A Good Relationship
Rosie and her brother weren't on good terms. Sometimes they would go years without talking to eachother. She tried to repair their relationship many times, but nothing seemed to work.
So, you can imagine how broken she was when she found out that Alfonso was in critical condition.
At The Hospital
As soon as Rosie heard the news, she contacted her sister Brenda, and together they rushed to Chicago's Mercy Hospital.
The doctors managed to stabilize him, but his chances of survival were slim to none. After the verification process was complete, the two sisters were asked to make a mutual decision about their brother's future.
In Critical Condition
No one knew what exactly had happened to Alfonso. However, he was so injured and weak that the doctors had to put him on a feeding tube and ventilator.
With his condition not improving, the two sisters began losing hope. And after a few weeks, they were forced to make the most difficult decision of their lives.
They Pulled The Plug
Alfonso wasn't getting any better, and it was hard for Brenda and Rosie to watch him suffer. So, they made the decision to pull the plug.
Deep inside, they felt like they had failed their brother, but there was nothing else they could do for him. Little did they know what was about to happen next.
Preparing For His Funeral
Shortly after they took Alfonso off life support, Brenda and Rosie began planning his funeral. They contacted his friends and family, chose a burial ground, and picked out a casket.
While Brenda was on a call with her mother, she heard someone knock on her door. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor when she realized who was standing on her front porch.
It Was Alfonso
It was her brother Alfonso. The same man she had just taken off life support a few hours ago.
He was standing in front of her and smiling. How was that possible?
He Thought It Was A Joke
Alfonso looked perfectly healthy. He told them how surprised he was when he found out his family was planning his funeral.
He thought Rosie and Brenda had played a prank on him, but there was more to this strange story.
They Took The Wrong Person Off Life Support
"I'm looking at them like, 'Wow, I'm ready to like barbecue or something, and they're looking at me like I was a ghost," Alfonso recalled.
As it turned out, his sisters pulled the plug on the wrong man. So, how did this happen?
They Made A Mistake
It all started when a witness told the police that the man's name was Elisha Bennett. The police couldn't find that name in the system and entered him as Alfonso Bennett.
But then, the situation got even more complicated.
A Horrible Mistake
The medical staff didn't take the victim's fingerprints, as they were experiencing some budget cuts. So, they just relied on the old photos of the patient and testimony of the family members.
Rosie and Brenda were devastated when they realized they had taken the wrong man off life support. They wanted to know the identity of the stranger they cared for in the hospital.
Elisha Bittman
The police were able to identify the stranger. His name was Elisha Bittman.
The witness told the police the wrong last name, which is how the Bennett family got involved. But how did Elisha's family react to the devastating news?
Alfonso's Future
Elisha's loved ones were devastated, to say the least, but there was nothing they could do. Also, since Alfonso was pronounced dead, his disability and social security benefits were no longer valid.
He needed to go through a lengthy process to acquire them back. But, he wasn't the only one who was facing the consequences of someone else's mistake.
They Were Upset
Rosie and Brenda couldn't believe they had ended someone else's life.
They pulled the plug on a complete stranger, and there was no going back. But, at least, their brother is alive and well.