Terri Schiavo was being rehydrated intravenously after the Legislature rushed to pass a bill designed to save her life, according to her parents' lawyer. Schiavo's parents have fought to keep her alive. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, says she would rather die.
An ambulance took Schiavo from a Pinellas Park hospice to Morton Plant Hospital after Bush issued his order to resume feeding her. A crowd cheered outside as she left.
''I'm ecstatic she's being fed again,'' said her brother, Bob Schindler Jr. ''I don't think I can describe the way I feel right now. It's been unreal.''
Hours earlier, the Senate voted 23-15 for legislation to save Schiavo. Within minutes, the House voted 73-24 to send the bill to Bush. The governor signed it into law and issued his order about an hour later.
''It's restored my belief in God,'' said Schiavo's father, Bob Schindler.
Michael Schiavo, meanwhile, was ''deeply troubled, angry and saddened that his wife's wishes have become a political pingpong,'' said his attorney, George Felos. ''He, as many others, is absolutely stunned at the course of events.''
Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed last Wednesday. Doctors said the 39-year-old woman would die within a week to 10 days without nutrition and water.
Suzanne Carr, the woman's sister, called lawmakers' action ''a miracle, an absolute miracle.''
Her mother, Mary Schindler, broke down and cried after the Senate vote.
Felos scrambled to try to stop Bush's order. He filed a request for an injunction, but Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer denied it on technical grounds. Felos refiled the request and State Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird also refused to grant it.
''We won. Terri won,'' her father said after the ruling.
Felos will have five days to file additional arguments with the judge and the state will have five days after that to respond. The judge will then hold another hearing.
''It is simply inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process,'' Felos said. ''Just because Terri Schiavo is not conscious doesn't mean she doesn't have dignity.''
Oh, now that's rich, George. Inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process.
I haven't had the heart to keep up on the threads but have kept up in prayer.
I read somewhere that she has been in this state about 13 years and that her problems may have started as a result of domestic violence (it was implied that he choked her and she suffered her stroke or heart attack as a result of that, that she showed signs of damage from a choking incident but that they didn't look for it until a year after the event.) Since then I've felt very strongly that the husband is simply trying to kill his wife so that his crime will be covered up. He fears her recovery more than her death.
Does that sound like a pretty accurate reading? It doesn't seem like a 'right to die' case as much as it seems like a premeditated long term murder attempt.