Christa Pike suffers from a rare type of cancer: the early warning from her attorneys

Nine months before the failed execution attempt in Tennessee, Christa Pike's attorneys warned that a rare blood disorder could make the lethal injection particularly painful and dangerous. Pike survived two rounds of drugs and was hospitalized for 10 days.

Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, survived a failed execution attempt after receiving two rounds of drugs and being hospitalized for 10 days. Nine months before the event, her attorneys warned that she suffers from a rare type of blood cancer – a myeloproliferative disorder causing high platelet counts – that could make the lethal injection particularly painful and dangerous. In a complaint filed with the court on January 8, 2026, they argued that the injection could cause severe pulmonary edema, a sensation of choking or drowning, similar to 'waterboarding.' They also noted that Pike has a history of difficulty with needle insertion, and that the prison medical team uses a 'butterfly' needle for blood tests. The attorneys criticized the updated execution protocol, including the lack of immediate phone access. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended all remaining executions for 2026 and ordered an independent investigation. Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.