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Then, just before surgery on Oct. 20, 2009, Burns' nostrils were seen flared as though she was breathing independent of her respirator. Her lips and tongue were seen moving as well.

Despite these signs, a nurse injected Burns with a sedative called Ativan just 20 minutes later, according to hospital records.

In contrast to these records, the doctor's notes show neither acknowledgement of Burns' movements nor the administration of Ativan.

Just when the surgery was to begin, Burns' eyes opened and gazed up at the bright lights hanging over her. It took that final sign to call it off.

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Burns ended up in St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center after a suicide attempt involving Xanax, a muscle relaxer and Benadryl. It was then that mistake after mistake led to her being declared brain dead. An investigation into the incident found that the hospital made several critical errors. According to Syracuse.com, some of those were:

   Staff skipped a recommended treatment to prevent the drugs the patient took from being absorbed by her stomach and intestines.

   Not enough testing was done to see if she was free of all drugs.

   Not enough brain scans were performed.

   Doctors ignored a nurse's observations indicating Burns was not dead and her condition was improving.