RALEIGH, NC – On July 30, 2025, Dr. Paul A. Byrne, a neonatologist and pro-life advocate, delivered a presentation titled "What is the Difference Between 'Brain Death' and 'True Death': Who is Your Voice?" at Our Lady of Lourdes in Raleigh.
Dr. Byrne argued that brain death is a flawed medical construct, not a true indicator of death. He contrasted it with true death, defined by the irreversible cessation of heartbeat and respiration. Citing cases of recovery from brain death diagnoses, Dr. Byrne urged attendees to question medical protocols and advocate for life-preserving care.
"Dr. Byrne's work and witness have deepened my understanding of, and appreciation for, the dignity and infinite value of every human person, especially the chronically ill, the terminally ill and the actively dying,” said Father Tom Duggan, Minister to the Sick and Dying in the Raleigh Deanery of the Diocese of Raleigh. “No matter how close to actual death a person is, that person never ceases to be a person made in the image of God and must never become an object to be exploited for other motives."
The talk, hosted by Father Peter Devereux, LC, pastor of St. Joseph, can be found on the St. Joseph’s website.