Posted on 10/20/2003 3:24:24 PM PDT by joesnuffy
STARVATION DAY 6 Flurry of activity to help save Terri Disabilities group seeks abuse probe, lawmakers consider bill but don't act
Posted: October 20, 2003 5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
Supporters of Robert and Mary Schindler's efforts to keep their daughter Terri Schindler-Schiavo alive are maintaining a frantic pace six days after the brain-disabled woman's feeding tube was removed by a judge's order.
The Tallahasse-based Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities has filed for an injunction to keep her alive in order to have time to investigate whether removal of her life-sustaining feeding tube was an act of abuse by her husband, Michael Schiavo, the Associated Press reported.
Schiavo -- who lives with another woman with whom he has a child and another on the way -- cut off all access to Terri's therapy and claims he only is fulfilling wishes expressed before she suffered a sudden collapse in 1990 under mysterious circumstances.
The Schindlers, who maintain a website on their daughter's case, say they have evidence Terri was physically attacked.
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday announced he will issue a decision on the Tallahassee group's request by the end of the day.
Gordon Scott, an attorney for the advocacy group, asked for a 10-day injunction to provide time for an investigation after he had conversations with the Schindlers and a neurologist. Scott said he is not convinced Terri is in a "persistent vegetative state" as claimed by Michael Schiavo and his advocates.
Pinellas County Circuit Judge George W. Greer agreed to that assessment, however, and ordered the feeding tube removed Oct. 15.
Scott also believes, contrary to Michael Schiavo's claims, Terri is feeling pain from the starvation and dehydration.
George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney, contended Merryday has no jurisdiction in the case.
The Schindler family said Terri appears to be in stable condition at the Pinellas Park, Fla., hospice where she resides.
"She seems to be alert,'' said her brother, Bob Schindler Jr., according to the Associated Press. "But every day that goes by, we're getting into a crucial time for her. She's got an incredible will to live."
Florida House of Representatives Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, said lawmakers were trying to put together a moratorium "on the removal of nutrition and hydration from those who do not have a written directive and where there's a contest among the family about how to deal with this."
However, no action was taken by the end of today's session.
Previous stories:
Will 'Terri's Bill' save her life now?
Terri Schiavo denied Last Rites
Jeb Bush 'fails' Terri
Abuse report filed for Terri Schiavo
Desperate parents plead to Jeb Bush
Lawyers: Bush can step in for Terri
Starvation begins for Terri Schiavo
Husband protests video showing alert Terri
Terri Schiavo wants to live
No intervention for Schiavo
Joni Eareckson Tada joins vigil for Terri Schiavo
"I did what I BELIEVE Terri would have wanted me to do."
God, please watch over Terri, and please make Your presence known in this house of reps this very evening. Have mercy on Your child.
By JACKIE HALLIFAX
Associated Press Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida lawmakers were moving Monday to consider intervening in the case of a severely brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed last week by her husband's order.
The Florida House scheduled a Monday night session to take up the issue. In the Senate, President Jim King said he will propose legislation that would give Gov. Jeb Bush the authority to order the feeding tube be reinserted to keep Terri Schiavo alive.
The tube was removed Wednesday following a decade-long court battle between Schiavo's parents and their son-in-law, who contends that he is carrying out her wishes not to be kept alive artificially.
"If we are to err - because time is of the essence - for goodness sake let us err on the side of caution," said King, a Republican.
Schiavo has been in what doctors call a vegetative state since her heart stopped in 1990 from a suspected potassium imbalance.
Bush told parents Bob and Mary Schindler last week that his staff would search for legal ways to save their daughter's life, but said Monday they haven't yet found a way.
"The legal ways, the remedies, don't exist," Bush said Monday, before the possible legislative moves became apparent.
Bush added, "I wish I could wave the magic wand and resolve this but every effort that we've had or every effort that has been proposed has either been thwarted by the courts or would be inappropriate."
Meanwhile, in a statement released through his lawyer, husband Michael Schiavo said Monday that he, too, is grieving, but "I did what I believe Terri would have wanted me to do."
You can't call her a fiance while he's still married to Terri. If he had any balls at all, he would have divorced Terri and let her family care for her. I haven't read every single piece on this but does anyone have his answer as to why he didn't do this? Aside from any obvious monetary aspects involved?
You think DINNER has delayed them?
It's his desire to kill and advance the death culture.
If you look at the wives of people like Hugh Finn, Michael Martin and others, they have gone completely waist deep into the culture and are now out there promoting things like organ harvesting from the brain damaged.
Once the spouse gets somewhat interested in killing off a disabled family member, they enter the world of darkness and it completely corrupts them. That's my belief.
The Florida House scheduled a Monday night session to take up the issue. In the Senate, President Jim King said he will propose legislation that would give Gov. Jeb Bush the authority to order the feeding tube be reinserted to keep Terri Schiavo alive.
In this update, it's a lot more clear why the session is being held. The last one wasn't clear at all.
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