Feeding Tube Removed From Comatose Woman

AP via The Las Vegas Sun ^ | October 16, 2003 | MITCH STACY

[Pan_Yans Wife]

One of the nation's longest and most bitter euthanasia battles approached an end with the removal of a feeding tube from a comatose woman, but her parents clung to hope for a legal reversal and Gov. Jeb Bush promised to help.

The tube was removed Wednesday from Terri Schiavo, 39, at the Tampa Bay-area hospice where she has lived for several years. She was expected to die within 10 days.

Schiavo's parents have been locked in a legal battle with her husband, Michael Schiavo, who says she would rather die than be kept alive artificially. She has been in a vegetative state since 1990, when her heart stopped because of what doctors said may have been a chemical imbalance.

Bob Schindler said he and his wife, Mary, went in to see their daughter shortly after the tube was removed and gave her a kiss and hugged her. He said his daughter was not as responsive as they claim she normally has been.

"She's OK for the next couple of days," said Suzanne Carr, Terri Schiavo's sister. "We are just going to try to work some magic."

"I have to believe that somebody is doing something, somewhere to stop this judicial homicide," she said.

Wednesday's removal came just hours after Bush told the Schindlers that he was instructing his legal staff to find some means to block a court order allowing Michael Schiavo to end his wife's life. But even the family's lawyer has said their legal remedies have been exhausted.

"I am not a doctor, I am not a lawyer. But I know that if a person can be able to sustain life without life support, that should be tried," the governor said, adding the "ultimate decision of this is in the courts."

Family members were heartened by the governor's last-minute effort.

"The family has not given up hope on Terri," the woman's brother, Bob Schindler Jr., said following a meeting with Bush. "We have spoken to the governor, and he hasn't given up hope either."

Michael Schiavo and his attorney George Felos were not immediately available for comment after the removal of the tube.

Several right-to-die cases across the nation have been fought in the courts in recent years, but few, if any, have been this drawn-out and bitter. The tangled case has already been handled by 19 separate judges and the tube has been ordered removed three times. At one point 2001, the tube was removed for two days before a judge ordered feeding to be resumed based on new evidence.

About 100 protesters stood outside the hospice Wednesday in what has become a 24-hour vigil staged by advocates for the disabled and anti-abortion activists.

Schiavo's family members believe she is capable of learning how to eat and drink on her own and say she has shown signs of trying to communicate and could be rehabilitated.

Doctors have testified that the noises and facial expressions Terri Schiavo makes are reflexes and do not indicate that she has enough mental capabilities to communicate with others.

The Florida Supreme Court has twice refused to hear the case, and it also has been rejected for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. On Tuesday, a Florida appeals court again refused to block removal of the tube.

The Schindlers first sought to remove Michael Schiavo as his wife's guardian in 1993 after a falling out over her medical care. They say he now has a conflict of interest because he is engaged to another woman and they have a child together.

The family has also leveled allegations that Michael Schiavo has abused Terri Schiavo, although the accusations have not been substantiated.

Michael Schiavo has refused to divorce his wife, saying that he fears her parents would ignore her desire to die if they became her guardians.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Why would they listen to us?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The tragedy is the Terri chose a terrible husband.

And that is why I believe the laws must be changed. To have one person have that much control over your demise is akin to them deciding on a daily basis whether or not you will live to see another day. That is frightening.

[grumple]

Well...this seems to be an issue they can get lot of publicity on, since they seem to take stands on other "important" women's issues as long as they are not being selective. And here we have a case that may seem to have some "abusive" nature to it. And is not the liberal standard to investigate "the seriousness of the charge" rather the facts? I just think they are strangely silent for now...but I wonder if they have something in mind for when it is over....as in Florida politics...

...just musing here...

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I think they are silent because they don't want to get into the argument about life.

How can they support continuing Terri's life, when they support abortion?

[oprahstheantichrist]

"...if Terri could be divorced from her husband, citing infidelity..."

Not enough time. She'll be dead in ten days. Graymatter had an excellent idea over on one of the other threads, but I think it would probably involve Jebbie getting W involved. W could revoke her citizenship. Then she would no longer be under the jurisdiction of the FL kangaroo courts. Family would of course have to move to Canada, but I don't think they'd mind that at this point.

[grumple]

Hey folks....get a load of this link on the NOW gangs website!!

http://www.now.org/nnt/fall-2003/disability.html

I'm smelling a Florida politics set up...

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Oct. 17-19! How convenient.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1002344/posts

UPDATE AT TERRISFIGHT.ORG

Read the thread.

[chiefqc]

Why would they care, they are the same ones who are supporting the murder of innocent babies by a method as bad as what is being done in this case. What is their justification for supporting a baby being ripped apart by the murder for money crowd.

If its such a benifit, lets put the procedure, in all its glory, on TV so that everyone can enjoy the show. It can show the poor innocent mother-to-be handing the money to the doctor (Murderer) prior to him performing his mercy treatment.

And in the closing minutes we could view this ripped apart little lifeless baby be thrown in the trash and the murders closing words "NEXT".

[chiefqc]

Why would they care, they are the same ones who are supporting the murder of innocent babies by a method as bad as what is being done in this case. What is their justification for supporting a baby being ripped apart by the murder for money crowd.

If its such a benifit, lets put the procedure, in all its glory, on TV so that everyone can enjoy the show. It can show the poor innocent mother-to-be handing the money to the doctor (Murderer) prior to him performing his mercy treatment.

And in the closing minutes we could view this ripped apart little lifeless baby be thrown in the trash and the murders closing words "NEXT".

[chiefqc]

Why would they care, they are the same ones who are supporting the murder of innocent babies by a method as bad as what is being done in this case. What is their justification for supporting a baby being ripped apart by the murder for money crowd.

If its such a benifit, lets put the procedure, in all its glory, on TV so that everyone can enjoy the show. It can show the poor innocent mother-to-be handing the money to the doctor (Murderer) prior to him performing his mercy treatment.

And in the closing minutes we could view this ripped apart little lifeless baby be thrown in the trash and the murders closing words "NEXT".

[CFW]

Go to Terri's site. There are new developments. Governor Bush has received opinions of law from several attorneys stating his legal authority (and legal obligation) to intervene.

[chiefqc]

Why would they care, they are the same ones who are supporting the murder of innocent babies by a method as bad as what is being done in this case. What is their justification for supporting a baby being ripped apart by the murder for money crowd.

If its such a benifit, lets put the procedure, in all its glory, on TV so that everyone can enjoy the show. It can show the poor innocent mother-to-be handing the money to the doctor (Murderer) prior to him performing his mercy treatment.

And in the closing minutes we could view this ripped apart little lifeless baby be thrown in the trash and the murders closing words "NEXT".

[MHGinTN]

We have a lot of Jason Blair wannabees. No bias in this comment, went to the sources, right, before writing this crap piece. NOT! One of the nation's longest and most bitter euthanasia battles approached an end with the removal of a feeding tube from a comatose woman ... This 'journalist' is so damn lazy he probably didn't read anything but AP crap in order to wrtie this garbage! Journalism is become a garbage can career (because of lazy, liberal/socialist editors) with pieces of detritus writing the copy.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Even FOX keeps saying that Terri is comatose!

The ONLY truth is found in the court records dredge up by people on FR.

[grumple]

Ref: post 27 - That was my first thought. It looks like they are staging an event to re-establish their relevance and go after Florida and Jeb Bush.

[palmer]

The speculation about her injuries seems to be recent. The archived article from the time of the settlement for her injuries stated that the injuries resulted from her bulimia. I also don't think it is wise to throw around speculations as if they are facts because I don't think it helps her case.

[Manic_Episode]

If Terri were my daughter I think I would be just about desperate enough to break her out of the hospital by force, or remove hubby from the picture.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Maybe someone will hire a mercenary.

[MHGinTN]

I e-mailed every major network and several of the program 'stars' (such as Shep and Sean and Dan and Petah) informing them of the gross error in identifying Terri as comatose, even explained the Glascow protocol to them. They continue to mischaracterize by choice, not out of ignorance!