Sean: ...and one of Terri's closest friends, Fran Kasler is with us, she also filed a affidavit in this case, Fran, let me just start with you... Sean: You were one of Terri's best friends... Fran: Yes Sean: You were with her the day before this 'collapse' Fran: [nodding yes] Sean: and one of the things you said in this affidavit is that, and this was KEY to this case but was IGNORED by the judge, as to what Terri's wishes were, and this idea that Michael knew... Sean: You testified that on hundreds of occasions, you heard Michael say, he didn't- ... when she first collapsed, he didn't KNOW what her wishes were. And it was only seven years into it, that he said, Oh by the way... Fran: He suddenly remembered... that he knew what Terri's wishes were, but when I was with him, after Terri's collapse, he REPEATEDLY said to me, and everyone else that was within earshot, that he didn't KNOW what Terri's wishes were. Sean: Does it make it hard on you, at this point, harder knowing that THAT became a critical point in the case, and you knew something VERY different? Fran: My heart is just BURSTING. I just want to tell the WORLD what a LIAR Michael Schiavo really is. Sean and Randall T. then discussed the memorial service just concluded. [Alan Colmes asked about conservative mailing lists.] Randall: ...when we get on these shows Alan, you go on these BIZARRE rabbit trails... You should just drink less 'Red Bull' or go see a psychiatrist, but just CALM DOWN, and stay focused on the issues. [Alan shows video of lawyer Felos claiming Bobby got involved in an argument with a law enforcement official, and had to be ejected from the room by a police officer.] Sean: What's your response to that... Charges that Bobby was disruptive and was asked to leave to have more peace in that room, during the final moments? Randall: My response is that George Felos is a LYING MONSTER. Alan: A lying monster? Randall: A lying monster, he's got a bizarre agenda, his book, that we heard read from earlier, is BIZARRE. And the family- ... Look, I think the most unconscionable thing that has happened in the last 48 hours, besides Terri's DEATH, is that the FAMILY was pushed out of the room. THAT woman wanted to be with her SIBLINGS, NOT with Michael! Sean: Thank you both for being with us... |
| Carla Iyer Sayers -R.N.: I took care of Terri for 18 months, I interacted with her EVERY day, even up to 16 hours per day. We would even have her at the, you know, nurses station, and she was interacting with the visitors, let alone the nursing staff. Carla: I heard her, and I'd seen her, saying words such as "mommy", "help me", and the word "pain". She would let you know when she was having pain, during her menstrual cycle. Alan: Judge Greer, in his response to these claims, said the claims were incredible, and he said neither in the testimony or in the medical records is there any support for these affidavits, including yours, as they purport to detailed activities and responses of Terri Schiavo. That's what the judge had to say. Carla: Well, in some of the hearings that I went to, Judge Greer would show dis-interest, contempt, for any POSITIVE evidence regarding Terri. He would even be making smalltalk with the attorney, about "what are we going to do this weekend?", instead of focusing on Terri's cognitave abilities. Sean: [pointing to Carla] You took care of Terri for 18 months, and you say she was conscious, alert and aware? Carla: Yes. Sean: [pointing to Trudy] You took care of her for how long Trudy? Trudy Capone -L.P.N.: About 2 and a half years. Sean: And she was conscious, alert and aware? Trudy: Yes. Sean: She was NOT in a persistent vegetative state? Trudy: [large head-shake NO] Sean: You two are both PROFESSIONAL nurses? Both nurses: [nodding] Yes, yes. Sean: NEITHER one of you had contact with the family, except you were taking care of their daughter? Carla: CORRECT. Sean: No AGENDAS? Carla: No. Trudy also shakes head no. Sean: Heidi Law said the same thing... Other doctors have said the same thing. So I guess you are all... to believe ONE person [meaning Michael Schiavo]... you're all liars? It's amazing to me how liberals work. [nurses smile in agreement] Sean: I want to play this tape for you, and this is Bob Schindler brought an audio tape in, and a LOT of people say this PROVES what both of you and other nurses and doctors have said. Lets roll the tape. [the TV screen shows a still photo of Bob Schindler next to the bed of Terri, while the audio plays. Bob is asking Terri where (if anywhere, does she hurt) Bob S. ask "does anything hurt you?", "does your arm hurt?" "does your toes hurt?" "does your mouth hurt?" "does your back hurt?" After most questions, Terri responds with varying unintelligible [to me] sounds. Some sound like "yea", some sound like "no".] Sean: Well the TIMING of her answers is somewhat suspicious. It CONFIRMS what ALL of you professionals have said. Trudy: [nodding] Yes. Sean: What happened here? How did that happen? And with SO MUCH conflicting testimony about her health, did we end up where we are today? Carla: Well I have facts and evidence, I don't have any opinions or judgements. I was there. I would hear Terri communicate. [Trudy nods in agreement] Not JUST with the nursing staff, but with the visitors. Sean: You know something Trudy, you ALSO say in your affidavit Trudy, that you heard Michael early on, say that he didn't know what Terri's wishes were? Trudy: ABSOLUTELY. Several times. I was very close to him. I was his confidant. We went places together. We went to choose clothes together. Sean: And he said it often? Trudy: [nodding yes] Often! He didn't know what to-... He asked me... He followed me to one of my jobs. He sent me flowers. He called me at my job. Over and over again. Sean: Ok, So you're... that's the SECOND person tonight who said, "He said early on..." Sean: [then pointing to Carla] You were the one that said in YOUR signed affidavit, at the risk of PURJURY, that he would say "Has the 'B' died yet?, has she died?" Carla: [nodding] Yes. "When is she gonna die?", "Can't you do ANYTHING to accellerate her death?" Sean: [to Trudy] Did YOU ever hear that? Trudy: I never heard that, but what I couldn't understand was that at a facility where I worked, I worked with Theresa at TWO facilities, he was SET on leaving her in a DARK ROOM, the shades COULDN'T be UP. and we WEREN'T permitted to turn the television set on, because he was concerned that "she would hear something that would upset her". Trudy: And HOW dis-ingenuous is THAT? He doesn't want the television on, Sean, because he's concerned that she might HEAR something! Alan: We're out of time for this segment. We thank you both for being on... |
| ABRAMS: We‘re joined now by Terri Schiavo‘s friend, Sheri Payne, who first visited with Terri last night. She saw her again two times today. Thanks very much for coming on the program. I know you met Terri just after she married Michael Schiavo, and you‘re really the only friend that‘s been allowed to visit her. So give us a sense from your perspective of what she looks like to you. SHERI PAYNE, TERRI SCHIAVO‘S FRIEND: I think Terri looks well. Each day, it, of course, is going to change, when we‘re going into our 11th day. Last night, I was in late with her. I spoke to her. She was very verbal. I talked to her about things we used to do, going dancing. Both of her arms came up several times when I mentioned the word dancing. When I talked to her about concerts, or just things we used to do together, she got very verbal, more verbal than I‘ve ever heard her of all the times I‘ve been to see her. ABRAMS: You can understand, when you use the term “very verbal,” that even the doctors who are being cited by the Schiavo parents wouldn‘t say in a minimally conscious state that you could be very verbal. PAYNE: Well, she doesn‘t speak, like I‘m speaking right now, of course, but she follows you. Her eyes follow you. If you go to one side of the bed, she follows you. But when I was speaking to her last night about all the good times we used to have together, she lifted her face up to me and she started trying to talk. Her mouth was going. Her eyes were fluttering. And very loud. She was very, very loud, to the point that the police officer came around to the bed and looked at her, and my friend, Fran, was with me, and Fran couldn‘t believe it, either. ABRAMS: And I assume, again—this is just to be fair—that you do not then accept the medical explanation for that, which is that this is just a reaction, that this is very typical of someone in a persistent vegetative state, that they do make noise at times, that they can give the appearance of being alert, but, in fact, that they really don‘t have a very good concept of what is going on around them? PAYNE: Right. I do not agree with it. If your foot were to hit Terri‘s bed, then that is when she really reacts. As far as when you speak to her, she looks at you. She follows you. She tries to speak to you. Last night was unbelievable to me. It was wonderful. I was glad to be able to be with her last night. ABRAMS: But you can understand why some people are very skeptical of hearing the idea because it seems with each day, Terri Schiavo is doing more and more, right? I mean, in 2000, parents were conceding that she was in a persistent vegetative state. And now, you know, your account, which is really remarkable, in conjunction with the Schiavo parents, are now saying that she‘s actually trying to have conversations. It would seem that she‘s come quite a long way, despite the injury remaining about the same, in three years. PAYNE: Well, she has. She has come a long way. And I‘ve been into see her lots of times, and she has always been verbal. I hate to repeat myself, but last night, she was more so. And whenever I spoke to her about dancing, both of her arms would come up, and then they went down. And then I mentioned it again, and both of her arms came up again. And that‘s when she kept trying to speak to me. ABRAMS: Yes. All right. Well, again, you know the doctors would say that‘s just a reaction. It has nothing do with what you‘re saying, that she‘s not responding. But look, you‘re seeing it differently. Very quickly—I don‘t want to forget about who Terri was back then. Very quickly, just tell me about Terri, the woman you knew. PAYNE: When I think of Terri, I think of a fun person. Terri and I had a lot of fun together. We‘d go to clubs. We‘d go to the beach. We‘d go to concerts on the beach. We had lots of dinners together. She was happy. Terri is a happy person. She was always laughing. She loves animals. Terri was a joy to be with and still is. ABRAMS: Well, I wanted an opportunity to show those pictures of Terri as a young woman because it drives me crazy that the only pictures that are out there of Terri are those ones of what she looked like in 2001. So I wanted an opportunity as you spoke to put up some beautiful pictures of Terri. So thank you very much, Sheri Payne, for coming on the program. I appreciate it. PAYNE: Thank you. Thank you. |
| KING: Let's go to Pinellas Park. Sheri Payne and Fran Casler are standing by. They are close friends of the Schindlers. Is it true, Sheri, did you see Terri yesterday? SHERI PAYNE, FRIEND OF THE SCHINDLERS: Yes, Larry, I saw her three times yesterday, the last time being 10:00 last night. KING: What did you observe? PAYNE: She looked very tired. Her cheeks were sunken. She seemed cold to me. But she still, when I spoke to her, she looked right at me, and I talked to her about different things that we used to do, even though she did not make the noise or trying to speak to me like she did the other night, she still looked me right in the eye, and I'm very thankful for it. KING: Fran, how are the Schindlers doing? Have you spoken to them since? FRAN CASLER, FRIEND OF THE SCHINDLERS: Oh, yes, Larry. The Schindlers are a remarkable family, and it's a privilege to have known them for 25 years. They're very strong, and they feel that Terri's gone to a better place, and she's got a higher purpose in life. KING: Where are they tonight, Fran? (CROSSTALK) CASLER: Well, I understand that Bob Schindler, the dad, was at the memorial service. I know that Mary is at home with family, and Bobby and Suzanne are, I believe, around here, or they just went home. KING: Do you think there's any chance, Sheri, of some sort of some reconciliation, where all these people could gather in a memorial service or a funeral? Sheri, do you think that's possible? PAYNE: Definitely not. Are you talking about with the Schiavo family, the Schindlers with the Schiavos? KING: Yeah. PAYNE: Never, never in a million years. KING: They all loved the same person. PAYNE: I realize that, but Michael stopped that love. That was his decision. It's over. I can't say anymore about what he did. He is not a friend of mine. KING: Fran, do you feel the same way, that this is irrevocable? CASLER: It is irrevocable. And we'll never -- they will never be reconciled. Michael Schiavo is a liar, and we can prove it, and I just hope that there's a criminal investigation on this. KING: Are you glad, Fran, there's going to be an autopsy? CASLER: Yes. PAYNE: Oh, yeah. CASLER: Oh, yeah. PAYNE: Definitely. I think the family has a right to know what happened to their daughter and why she has so many broken bones. It didn't happen with physical therapy or rehab. KING: And you're -- what if it shows that that -- what if it shows there were no violence? CASLER: Oh, it's already been proven that she had broken bones. PAYNE: Oh, it's been proven. PAYNE: It's on the record. There was a bone scan done, and it's in the records. KING: Thank you both very much. I'm sorry. Sheri Payne and Fran Casler, thank you very much. |
| KING: Dr. Jay Carpenter is the internist who observed Terri a number of years ago and concluded that she was able to swallow. Meaning what, Doctor? DR. JAY CARPENTER, INTERNIST: Well, just that. She was able to swallow. CARPENTER: I would like to just respond to what was just said, that the rules in this case were followed. That's exactly right. The rules of the law were followed. That does not mean that the right thing was done, however. The fact of the matter is that Terri was determined to be in a persistent vegetative state when the facts are very much in dispute. CARPENTER: At the first trial, Terri's parents did not have money enough to hire a lawyer that had -- she did not get any medical testimony. There was no medical testimony given at Terri's first trial about her medical condition. And Mr. Schiavo had this money, the $700,000 that he was supposed to spend on rehabilitating her. He had enough money to buy lawyers -- I'm sorry, physicians, that were pro-euthanasia, that said that she was in a persistent vegetative state. CARPENTER: I think what your viewers need to know, that the diagnosis of persistent vegetative state is very tenuous; 43 percent of the time, it is wrong. People that are given the diagnosis turn out to be wrong, 43 percent. In another study, it was 53 percent. KING: So, what are you saying the courts should have done? CARPENTER: Well, here's the -- yes, here's the problem. CARPENTER: The courts should have erred on the side of life. They should have looked further. What they looked at, they had -- they should -- basically, they should have examined her for a more prolonged period of time. |