Posted on 10/18/2003 5:15:50 PM PDT by summer
Note to FR: I am posting here an email conversation I had today with Gov Bush about Terri, and yes, he knows I am posting it here on FR.
In my reply #1, located below this post of Gov Bushs email, I have posted a message from me to Terris husband. And, no, I did not discuss with anyone my idea here to write to Terris husband. No one suggested it to me. Nor did I discuss it with anyone at all.
In my next reply, reply #2 below, I hope to post a message to my friends here on FR. And, while I would like to respond to each reply that may be posted on this thread, I can not. Due to a pressing personal matter, I will not be able to respond tonight.
However, my thoughts and prayers and hopes remain with each person involved in this matter.
God bless.
summer
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----- Original Message -----
From: [summer]
To: Jeb Bush
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:46 PM
Subject: Re:
question for you
Gov Bush,
Thank you, and I have no doubt you would move Heaven and Earth for her if you could.
Sincerely, [summer]
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeb Bush
To: [summer]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:42 PM
Subject:
question for you
I cannot offer much hope. I am sickened by this situtation and pray for her family. We have looked at every angle, every legal possibility and will continue to do so. It is clear that we need to make living wills the norm for families in our state. Too few people use them.
Jeb
-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:38 PM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject: Re:
question for you
Thank you for your response, Gov Bush. Before I post this, can you provide any measure of hope for a legal way to preserve this woman's life? To think that all her parents want to do is care for her and not see her starve to death, is, I think, not asking for a lot in this world. My own parents would feel the same way about me, I am sure[
]
[summer]
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeb Bush
To: [summer]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:07 PM
Subject:
question for you
this was tried in the courts I believe and was rejected.
jeb
-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:03 PM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject:
question for you
Is there a way you can utilize Family Law as it pertains to abandonment of a spouse -- on the grounds of lack of sexual contact -- so that the path can be cleared for him to be legally removed by the state or her family as a husband?
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeb Bush
Sent: Oct 18, 2003 1:47 PM
To: [summer]
Subject:
question for you
Unfortunately, I cannot issue an executive order when there is a court order upheld at every level in the judiciary. Mr. Shiavo is the legal guardian and I can't override that fact. I wish I could but I have no legal authority to do so.
Jeb
-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 11:02 AM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject:
question for you
Can you use your authority to issue an Executive Order, to place her in a different hospice that has no connection to her husband, as a temporary stop measure to [get] this woman back on feeding -- so that you have the time necessary to review whatever other options may exist for you? This current situation with her removed from the tubes will result in an irrevocable situation.
Yes, indeedy.
Indeed, it would explain that. Another very plausible theory is that Schiavo has not been managing Terri's trust funds legitimately. Only Terri's guardian or guardian ad litem would have standing to demand an audit. Since there is no guardian ad litem, and Michael would likely be complicit in any embezzlement, an audit can be avoided if and only if Michael remains guardian until Terri dies (at which point, as inheritor he would have the right to request an audit but of course wouldn't. Note that under this theory, Judge Greer becomes culpable because he has an affirmative duty to supervise the trust fund.
My condolences on the loss of your wife at such a young age. Were they able to find the cause of death?
Blood clot in the lung. Her doctor diagnosed as pneumonia what was probably the start of a progressive logjam; if I'd wanted to, I could probably have won a malpractice lawsuit, but I didn't feel the need to push up malpractice premiums. I don't know whether winning such a lawsuit would have made me feel any better about the loss of my wife, but my suspicion was that it wouldn't. BTW, have you clicked my home page?
Since Terri survived her cardiac arrest- and her bloodwork showed the critically low potassium level, the doctors treating her bulemia got nailed for malpractice. If it had been questionable, they would not all have lost.
I don't know about that. If the case was in Greer's courtroom...
I undertand Terri has been in a series of nursing homes, before coming to hospice. If she was denied therapy for all those years- why did the parents not prevail?
Because Judge Greer declared there was no possible conflict of interest involving Michael and his ward and thus there was no need for a guardian ad litem. Since a guardian ad litem would be the only person with standing to file suit against a guardian on behalf of the ward, there was nobody with standing file a suit regarding Terri's lack of care or the mismanagement of her finances.
Even comatose patients get therapy to prevent contractures. I don't know why the nurse attempting to wean Terri off the feeding tube was stopped....unless it resulted in aspiration or was against doctors orders-- or maybe it was a nurses aide? There are almost no RN's in nursing homes, they run on LPN's and aides.
IIRC, Terri was in a hospital at first. She was moved out of the hospital immediately following the Schiavo's discovery that someone was trying to feed Terri. And can you not think of any reason why Schiavo might insist that oral feeding be stopped, especially since it would render moot his claim that Terri didn't want to "live hooked up to tubes"?
About passing an emergency law to help Terri- I'm afraid there are too many lawyers in the Legislature- especially the Senate- to get anything like that passed. Wish it were different.
I would prefer Terri's life to Terri's martyrdom. But if Terri's 13 year struggle to survive Schiavo's torture helps roll back the Culture of Death, it will be worth it.
If there is new evidence of abuse- the parents should have raised that IMMEDIATELY. As far as I am aware, they made multiple attempts to get the old bone scan investigated, but nothing new. Are they working on that now? I read they have given up fighting.
The original trauma is more than ten years old. Unless it can be connected to Terri's actual death (murder has no statute of limitations, but attempted murder does) it will be legally irrelevant at this point.
About advance directives- in Florida, at least, written instructions from an individual pretty much trump the legal angle. They are carried out every day without this kind of controversy. Sometimes family members squabble about it- but if judges have your written instructions to go by- it is quickly settled.
Indeed. But Judge Greer declared that hearsay constituted "clear and compelling evidence".
Finding someone to take on that responsibility is another thing altogether. I chose a friend from nursing school- who understands the medical terms and disease processes and can make a rational decision on my behalf. It's an important decision- to give someone that much power- look what Michael has done with it. Good luck.
It is hard. Of course, finding the right person to marry is hard.
I think it's great!!!
And the petition to remove the feeding tube was in 1998.
Keep praying, people!!
Judge Greer made at least one big mistake, which will hopefully be his undoing. He has failed to appoint a guardian ad litem as required by law. This calls into question many of Felos/Schiavo's actions which have gone unchallenged. Had Greer been smarter, he would have found a "yes man" to serve as Terri's guardian ad lib. This would have masked the rank stench of impropriety which has permeated many of the actions of the Schiavo Triumvirate.
Terri did have a guardian as litem at one point. They reported that there was a conflict of interest where Michael was concerned and he should be removed. The guardian ad litem was dismissed instead.
I don't have a link handy and it could take awhile to go through all the threads..perhaps another poster will know where to find it.
Could be. It is the election season.
Pray that Terri stays strong enough.
This may be her only hope.
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