Posted on 06/16/2005 8:01:15 PM PDT by FairOpinion
In a press conference held at the National Right to Life convention, Thursday afternoon, the family of Terri Schiavo responded to an autopsy report released by a local medical examiner following the thirteen day starvation and dehydration death of Terri Schiavo. Terri's sister Suzanne Vitadamo read a statement on behalf of herself, Terri's parents Bob and Mary Schindler and Terri's brother Bobby.
Vitadamo said the Schindler family was "not challenging the findings" of the report, but she indicated they hoped to provide some perspective missing in the reporting on it.
She indicated the Schindler family knew of Terri's severe physical and mental conditions prior to the report and said that it confirms that Terri was "brutally dehydrated to death."
Vitadamo disputed the notion she said appears in media stories about Terri that her sister would not have wanted to live in her incapacitated condition or to be the victim of euthanasia.
"There is absolutely no evidence that Terri wanted to die of dehydration, or that she believed that that the level of one's disability gives anyone the moral and legal right to end another's life," Vitadamo said.
"Terri was dehydrated to death before our eyes. The moral shame of what happened is not erased because of Terri's level of disability," she added.
Vitadamo said that society has "lost our compassion for the disabled" by virtue of saying people who are blind or mentally disabled, like Terri, are better off dying.
Terri's sister pointed out some of the key findings of the report that she indicated corroborated some of the things the Schindler family asserted throughout the legal battle. They included:
* Terri had a strong heart and was likely capable of living for a decade or more had she not been starved. Terri's condition was not terminal.
* Terri had injuries to her brain, but she was not brain dead. "Many seem to not understand this absolutely critical distinction."
* The medical report ruled out bulimia and heart attack as a cause of Terri's condition, leaving potential physical abuse on the list of possibilities.
* Vitadamo said the report leaves a 70-minute gap between the time Teri collapsed and the time her estranged husband Michael called 911. "The major question for our family that now remains is what happened," she said. "When a person is without blood and oxygen to their brain, 70 minutes is a terribly long time when each second counts."
* Vitadamo questioned how Terri could have been found lying face down on the floor with her hands crossed and up high against her chest.
* Vitadamo said the underlying basis of the malpractice case has been disproved with the autopsy ruling out bulimia as the cause of the collapse. "Our family would encourage Michael Schiavo to do the right thing and return the funds that were paid by the innocent doctors who were sued for Terri's collapse," she said.
* Terri's sister also asked Michael to tell the Schindler family his plans for Terri's remains so they can give her a proper burial.
* She indicated that the report showed Terri would not be able to eat and drink on her own and said the Schindler family wasn't surprised because she had been denied therapy for twelve years.
* She pointed out that Dr. William Cheshire, a neurologist from the Mayo Clinic, agree with the Schindler family that Terri was awake and aware and at least somewhat cognitive.
* Vitadamo said they knew Terri was visually impaired, Terri clearly saw friends and family, and that Terri could have lost her eyesight during the starvation.
* She said that it appeared contradictory that Terri was given morphine and yet the autopsy claims Terri was unable to feel pain because of her mental condition.
Vitadamo closed and reaffirmed the Schindler family's commitment to fighting for the rights of disabled people.
"Our prayer at this time is that our Nation will remember the plight of persons with disabilities and commit within our hearts to defend their lives and their dignity for many generations to come," she said.
"Terri was dehydrated to death before our eyes. The moral shame of what happened is not erased because of Terri's level of disability," she added.
PING
Everything they say is with grace and decorum. They speak the truth plainly and with great respect and love towards their sister/daughter. My heart still grieves for them.
I don't think there's much to add to what they had to say. As I often say, it's just one more rung down to the depths from which this nation will not return. Killing people to get them out of your life is now legal.
If people didn't want to take care of Terry, they could have let her parents and extended family and friends do so. No, killing her was preferable.
It's in God's hands now. My concience is clear.
I hope we're still not talking about Terri next year, at least not in new threads. I think everyone has had adequate time to vent.
Well, if nothing else, the recent autopsy report took the wind out of a lot of sails.
How so?
I want it over with. I think the autopsy results should help end that fight, although gloating won't.
There are those at the extremes who will deny facts and continue the argument, but ignoring them entirely is probably the best strategy to make this all go away.
Gee whiz. Here I thought the Schindlers were going to apologize for insisting all these years that their daughter had a chance for recovery, could see, and could swallow, since the autopsy showed all these things to be false.
And therefore she deserved to be killed?
I'd like to discuss new methods that "they" might try beyond dehydration.
I posted some of the conclusions the autopsy revealed but that's as far as I'm going with it because I have no intention of being drawn into that battle. The report speaks for itself and those who can't see the truth in it never will and nothing I can say will convince them otherwise, so why bother?
It's time to move on.
I never said that and won't be dragged into that argument.
If you don't like talking about the Terri case then...why are you doing it?
Terri died a martyr and her memory needs to live on, to remind people that it is wrong to kill someone just because they have become inconvenient.
As I said before, a stray animal in an animal shelter has more rights, than Terri did: they are allowed to live, if someone comes along, who is willing to take care of them. Terri's family begged to be allowed to take care of her lovingly, and the US Courts condemned the innocent, defenseless woman to a brutal death. How can we possibly call ourselves civilized after this was done?
I think the point is that they want to keep OTHERS from talking about Terri and that she died of court ordered murder.
That sounds about right. I keep hearing that the autopsy should put it all to rest. HELLOOOO... they starved a disabled, but physically healthy woman to death! This will never go away.
Great post!
Oh, mischaracterizing the report will REALLY help, won't it?
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