Born: 29 March 1954
Died: 11 June 1985 (pneumonia, age 31)
Birthplace: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Best known as:
Controversial coma patient of the 1970s

4 good links

In the Matter of Quinlan
Excerpts from the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision, including the basic case history
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice
Run by her family; see the "history" section for the family's take on her case
The Brain of Karen Ann Quinlan
Serious students can subscribe and read this medical article
Brain Death Resources
List of links to medical and ethical issues of severe brain injury

Karen Ann Quinlan Biography

Medical Patient

Karen Ann Quinlan was the first modern icon of the right-to-die debate. The 21-year-old Quinlan collapsed at a party after swallowing alcohol and the tranquilizer Valium on 14 April 1975. Doctors saved her life, but she suffered brain damage and lapsed into a "persistent vegetative state." Her family waged a much-publicized legal battle for the right to remove her life support machinery. They succeeded, but in a final twist, Quinlan kept breathing after the respirator was unplugged. She remained in a coma for almost 10 years in a New Jersey nursing home until her 1985 death.

Extra credit:

Karen Ann Quinlan's case is often compared to that of accident victim Nancy Cruzan and "Terri's Law" subject Terri Schiavo... The 1977 TV movie In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan was based on Quinlan's case.