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IMO it's been fairly evident that Jahi's mother shows her expression of love via food. There has seemed to almost be a mini "obsession" with the entire food aspect of this case.
The fact that Jahi was obese PRIOR to the surgery is the first indication. And I understand others don't want to be mean and call her that, but medically speaking I would tend to believe that obesity DOES play a factor in several facets of care - otherwise doctors wouldn't find it necessary to factor that in. Doctors don't call a child "thick" or "chubby" - they call it what it is because I believe obesity in and of itself requires extra attention.
THEN we have the fact that the mother giving her food because oh my gosh she's STARVING. No, she wasn't starving. Plain and simple - Jahi wasn't a breastfeeding infant - she was old enough to know that when doctors orders say NO FOOD you have NO FOOD. Let ALONE the fact that the mother blatantly ignored orders and so did the GM who KNEW BETTER. AGAIN, it's about providing FOOD as a source of comfort and express love towards her.
Then, the obsession has continued with the incessant requests that a feeding tube be inserted because they honestly believed that if she could just get her food and nutrients she'd be happy and pull out of this. She had to "rest" due to her lack of nutrition by the big bad wolf CHO and of course now that she's got her food back she's "improving" or "stable", etc.
Her mother seems to equate food as Jahi's "lifeline" of happiness and survival.
I would like to think they told her that the feeding tube isn't going to change the status of her brain - however she's not going to believe it. Jahi and her connection (even before she was born) was her supplying nutrients and food to her body - so that is how she associates with Jahi by showing her "love".