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Iranian woman dies in the US after husband’s beating Nurses stream her final hours to family in Tehran Her vital organs are used to save 7 lives
MARQUETTE A nurse in a Michigan hospital kissed the patient’s forehead. Over 9,650 km away, Sanaz Nezami’s family in Iran watched on a laptop and wept. Sanaz, a vibrant 27-year-old woman who could speak three languages, wanted to pursue an advanced degree in engineering at Michigan Technological University. Instead, she was brain dead just a few weeks after unpacking her bags, the victim of a fatal beating by her new husband. Technology allowed family in Iran to watch her final hours. The family’s faith in the hospital staff led to consent for an extraordinary donation: Nezami’s heart, lungs and other life-saving organs were transplanted to seven people in the US, a remarkable gift that occurs in less than 1 percent of all cases. “We wanted God to perform a miracle and bring Sanaz back to life,” her sister, Sara Nezami, said from Tehran. “But this is a miracle. Sanaz gave her life in order to give life.” A nurse who took care of Sanaz said the experience was “eye-opening” for hospital staff. “The family was willing to trust us to know she wasn’t coming back,” Kim Grutt said.
AMERICAN DREAM CRUSHED
In August, Nezami married Nima Nassiri in Turkey and lived with him temporarily in the Los Angeles area, where he was born and raised. The two had met over the Internet.
Sanaz, from Tehran, had a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s in French translation. She wanted a doctorate degree in environmental engineering. The newlyweds drove from California and found a rental home in Nov in Michigan. Sanaz stayed in touch with family through email, text message and video.
On Dec 7, she asked her sister to proofread some English-to-Persian translation she was doing on the side. “I was shocked,” Sara said. “Sanaz was a very precise girl, but she omitted some lines. I asked, ‘Are you OK?’ She told me there was no problem.”
The next day Sanaz was rushed to a hospital with severe head injuries and was transferred to Marquette General Hospital. Police believe she was assaulted by her husband, who has been charged with second-degree murder.
“Her brain was so swollen and so damaged, there was no longer any blood flow,” explained Gail Brandly, who supervises nurses at the hospital.
A GOOGLE SEARCH LED TO FAMILY
No one knew anything about Sanaz, so Brandly ran her name through Google. Suddenly, the stranger who couldn’t speak for herself came alive through a resume posted online. Sanaz was fluent in French, English and Persian. After 24 hours, the hospital reached relatives in Iran.Immediate travel to the US was impractical due to visa issues, so a laptop was set up so the family could see Sanaz on life support and talk to nurses over Yahoo Messenger.
“It’s not something we’ve done before,” said a hospital spokesman. At one point, Grutt was asked to stroke Sanaz’s head and kiss her forehead.“They wanted us to do things for Sanaz that they would have done,” Grutt said. “They said, ‘Let her know we love her. We’re here’.”
Sanaz died on Dec 9. With the family’s consent, her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver,pancreas and small intestine were transplanted to 7 people. “The family was very clear.They want Americans to know Sanaz loved America,”said an official of an organ donation agency.
MARQUETTE A nurse in a Michigan hospital kissed the patient’s forehead. Over 9,650 km away, Sanaz Nezami’s family in Iran watched on a laptop and wept. Sanaz, a vibrant 27-year-old woman who could speak three languages, wanted to pursue an advanced degree in engineering at Michigan Technological University. Instead, she was brain dead just a few weeks after unpacking her bags, the victim of a fatal beating by her new husband. Technology allowed family in Iran to watch her final hours. The family’s faith in the hospital staff led to consent for an extraordinary donation: Nezami’s heart, lungs and other life-saving organs were transplanted to seven people in the US, a remarkable gift that occurs in less than 1 percent of all cases. “We wanted God to perform a miracle and bring Sanaz back to life,” her sister, Sara Nezami, said from Tehran. “But this is a miracle. Sanaz gave her life in order to give life.” A nurse who took care of Sanaz said the experience was “eye-opening” for hospital staff. “The family was willing to trust us to know she wasn’t coming back,” Kim Grutt said.
AMERICAN DREAM CRUSHED
In August, Nezami married Nima Nassiri in Turkey and lived with him temporarily in the Los Angeles area, where he was born and raised. The two had met over the Internet.
Sanaz, from Tehran, had a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s in French translation. She wanted a doctorate degree in environmental engineering. The newlyweds drove from California and found a rental home in Nov in Michigan. Sanaz stayed in touch with family through email, text message and video.
On Dec 7, she asked her sister to proofread some English-to-Persian translation she was doing on the side. “I was shocked,” Sara said. “Sanaz was a very precise girl, but she omitted some lines. I asked, ‘Are you OK?’ She told me there was no problem.”
The next day Sanaz was rushed to a hospital with severe head injuries and was transferred to Marquette General Hospital. Police believe she was assaulted by her husband, who has been charged with second-degree murder.
“Her brain was so swollen and so damaged, there was no longer any blood flow,” explained Gail Brandly, who supervises nurses at the hospital.
A GOOGLE SEARCH LED TO FAMILY
No one knew anything about Sanaz, so Brandly ran her name through Google. Suddenly, the stranger who couldn’t speak for herself came alive through a resume posted online. Sanaz was fluent in French, English and Persian. After 24 hours, the hospital reached relatives in Iran.Immediate travel to the US was impractical due to visa issues, so a laptop was set up so the family could see Sanaz on life support and talk to nurses over Yahoo Messenger.
“It’s not something we’ve done before,” said a hospital spokesman. At one point, Grutt was asked to stroke Sanaz’s head and kiss her forehead.“They wanted us to do things for Sanaz that they would have done,” Grutt said. “They said, ‘Let her know we love her. We’re here’.”
Sanaz died on Dec 9. With the family’s consent, her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver,pancreas and small intestine were transplanted to 7 people. “The family was very clear.They want Americans to know Sanaz loved America,”said an official of an organ donation agency.
