Brain Death vs. PVS?

I am always watching the news for stories of real life examples that can be applied in my elder law classes.  Three recent cases from Hawaii, California and Texas about tragic circumstances can be used as a platform to start a discussion with our students on a variety of topics.  Discussions could include the differences in medical diagnoses, how those diagnoses intersect with the law, how the laws work, futility statutes, ethics, bioethics, and surrogate decision-making.  In case you haven’t been following the California and Texas cases, a January 9, 2014 story in the NY Times gives a recap of them:   At Issue in 2 Wrenching Cases: What to Do After the Brain Dies.