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A few excerpts from the Gimon affidavit:

Mrs. Schiavo is clearly able to respond cognitively to environmental stimulii. She interacts verbally and motorically with her mother and with doctors giving verbal instructions. It is clear on its face that she has brain matter for these functions, but has been deprived of appropriate therapy and stimulation. This is documented in the following behaviors...

Dr. Gimon then discusses twelve non-reflexive actions by Terri that he observed, involving both sight and hearing. He concludes, "The above behaviors are all indicative of cognition and (with the exception of pupil dilation) are volitional in nature. They are completely inconsistent with a diagnosis of vegetative state."

Gimon was professionally optimistic that Terri could improve with new therapies and offered these observations.

-- "Terri demonstrates control of cognition and would, within a reasonable degree of clinical therapeutic certainty, respond to neuroaerobics."

-- "It is my opinion that Mrs. Schiavo is not in a persistent vegetative state. Terri exhibits extensive and varied purposeful reactions to her environment. These behaviors are particularly pronounced in interactions with her family. There is much research to affirm the fact that close family members typically perceive cognitive behaviors in brain-injured patients before other caregivers recognize them."

-- "Depriving brain-damaged patients of medical, physical, occupational, recreational and speech-language therapy is both neglect and abusive. By denying such patients the stimulation provided by enjoying a variety of visitors, such common comforts as cards and flowers in her room, and the opportunity to leave her room, their cognitive functioning is necessarily depressed from what it would otherwise be. Given the neglect which Terri has suffered and the number of years over which it has occurred, it is striking that her current cognitive functioning is as strong and varied in expression as it is. This indicates that sufficient brain structure exists for further cognitive and behavioral progress to be made. Terri is an excellent subject for a variety of cognitive treatment protocols designed to improve her neurological function, including neuroaerobics, physical therapy, recreational / occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy."

But do read it yourselves, FRiends.