Terri Schiavo Begins Receiving Fluids and Hospital Care - (Current Status Alert!)

LifeNews ^ | October 22, 2003 | Steven Ertelt

[NYer]

-- Thanks to the executive order issued by Governor Jeb Bush, Terri Schiavo is receiving fluids and medical care at a local hospital to prepare for the reinsertion of the feeding tube that provides her with food and water.

Staff at Morton Plant Hospital began rehydrating Terri intravenously according to Pat Anderson, lead attorney for Terri's family.

As long as Terri did not have kidney failure, she should be able to return to the state of health she was in prior to the removal of the feeding tube, one pro-life doctor told LifeNews.com.

Terri was taken by ambulance from the hospice where she had been staying to the local hospital and a crowd of supporters cheered. Dozens of dedicated supporters have been holding a round-the-clock prayer vigil and protest in support of Terri and her family.

"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.''

However, Terri's family said she has had a noticeable change in condition during the 24 hours prior to her transfer to the hospital Tuesday evening.

Suzanne Carr, Terri's sister, said Terri looked "very, very gaunt.''

Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski, who was denied the opportunity to provide Terri a possible last communion, said her skin, when pinched Monday night, didn't retract -- a sign her condition had deteriorated.

Bob Schindler Jr., Terri's brother, said, "Every second here is an hour.''

Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials said that hospital workers faced arrest if they did not act on Bush's executive order and care for Terri.

Meanwhile, Michael Schiavo was "deeply troubled, angry and saddened that his wife's wishes have become a political pingpong,'' said Michael Schiavo's lead attorney George Felos, an assisted suicide advocate. "He, as many others, is absolutely stunned at the course of events.''

Felos, filed a motion with Circuit Court Judge George Greer asking for an injunction to overturn Bush's order.

Greer, who originally granted Michael's decision to remove Terri's feeding tube, denied Felos' motion, but only on technical grounds. Felos refiled the motion but State Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird also refused to grant his request.

"We won. Terri won,'' Terri's father Bob Schindler said after the ruling.

Felos has five days to file additional arguments in a revised petition to overturn Bush's order. Once he does that, the state has five days in which to respond -- potentially granting Terri as much as a 10 day reprieve from further action denying her right to live.

The Florida Supreme Court has twice refused to hear the case, as has the U.S. Supreme Court. However, either side could appeal decisions regarding the legislation and Bush's executive order to those courts.

[Velveeta]

Agreed on all points.

[nmh]

Yes, it is NOT typical of hospice care and neither is it typical of having a patient in hospice care for THREE years. This facility is unique with an less than honorable agenda.

[nmh]

I know ... . Truly it's almost true that the mainstream media is synomous with evil. I also noticed on FOX that this is being treated as "oh well". Their just mentioning it and NOT including the shocking facts about this situation.

I also had to turn the radio off today too. It shocks me how people WANT her dead and side with her husband based on incomplete facts. When someone calls in to give ALL the facts they get talked over and the call is ended. Next the host restates his feelings, not facts on what he wants to see going on. For example, Terri is hooked up to machines, comatose, never responds to anything, parents are meddling and her husband should be the one to decide for her. No mention of money etc.. It's sickening as well as a tad scarey.

[nmh]

It was hard not putting a feeding tube in her. Thankfully she had a living will so the decision was out of our hands. We were there EVERYDAY - on shifts to encourage her to eat or drink. Finally she did. We knew the pneumonia had knocked her for a loop. We also knew she wanted to live but NOT by artifical means. Thankfully she came around. We were estatic.

We love her and refuse to play God. God will determine when He wants her home; not us. We pray that when it is time that she goes peacefully in her sleep. At 100 we don't want her to suffer.

We are blessed. Did I say we love her? We DO!

[Samwise]

Make that Right to Kill.

[MarMema]

Before my father died, he lived for a time with brain damage. My brother would make a joke ( I have a very funny brother) and about 5 minutes later, after the rest of us had laughed and stopped, my father would break into guffaws.

It takes time for a message to travel across damaged neurons.

The point of the videos is not that she is like that 100% of the time, but that she is there and appropriately understands. Delayed responses mean nothing about her level of consciousness.

It is like when you have a physical injury and are slow to move your arm or leg.

With rehab, a lot of people with this kind of brain damage improve hugely. I have a son with serious brain damage and we have seen post-stimulation and training improvements. There are also medications which can bring people "to life" in some instances. Hugh Finn was able to speak on one medication, but when they took it away he lost a great deal of his responsiveness.

Terri could be an entirely different person after one year of being treated. If I had not been treated for my almost complete loss of thyroid gland I would be either dead now or extremely unresponsive.

Hope this helps you to understand.

[MarMema]

Here in the northwest on the conservative talk radio, the phone-in response was almost completely unanimous in support of Jeb's action and Terri's chance at life. This morning.

[nmh]

I forgot to add that we have her on video. We asked her to tell us about her life. She did. She came here from Germany in the 20's onto Ellis Island. The plan was tomake money and go back to Germany. Not stay here. Their family business is still in place. They started it in 1927 and times were hard. Now they do about 70 million a year and going strong.

I treasure that video. Her fasce just lights up when she talks about her children and grandchildren. She could care less about money. What's most important toher is her family.

It's funny the things they say. When you talked about a first kiss it reminded me of when I asked her about marrying her husband - my grandfather who is in heaven - she said he was a "dandy dancer". That was hard to imagine since on the surface he was a stern guy but as I think back it was jest a fascade. He was a proud, hard working man who loved his family.

Thanks for the advice. Someday when she is gone and my mom is gone - it will be one of the saddest days of my life so I try to cherish them while they are still here too. No one can replace them.

[nmh]

I beleive Greer knew about the conflict and sought to conceal it.

[185JHP]

Thanks. Some of this "we've decided that you've lived long enough, and you're too much of a burden" stuff is about money. But mostly it's about evil - an unusually venomous distillate of evil.

[MHGinTN]

Well turned phrase, JHP "... an unusually venomous distillate of evil." Indeed!

[185JHP]

Thanks for your unstinting work. We're gonna win!

[cpforlife.org]

Thanks for another great post Marvin.


RE: "Still a few copies at abebooks.com of William Brennan's excellent book: "Dehumanizing the Vulnerable ... When Word Games Take Lives"

VERY important book!

I got it 3 years ago. Excellent reference. I saw the author on Fransiscan Univerity's TV program, awesome.

It's published by & always available at
http://www.lifecyclebooks.com/index.htm
A 30 year old dedicated Pro-Life outlet.
Marvin, I just remembered they take manuscripts.

While I'm at it - "Abortion: The Silent Holocaust" is one of the most important I've read. IMO-Mandatory for Everyone involved in LIFE. Also available at above.

[Deo volente]

What bothers me is that you suddenly signed up on FR just last Saturday, the 18th.

Classic troll syndrome.

[Deo volente]

Did you ever stop to think that the video was edited to enable someone to DOWNLOAD onto their computer?

14 hour videos don't work too well on RealPlayer application, even with DSL!

[CDHart]

Thank you!

Carolyn

[PGalt]

Thanks for your post(s).

[ODDITHER]

Oh yea of little faith. Who are ye to give or take life?

Your imagines, tell me that deep down inside, you do not think that Terri is in a vegetative state that she is just physically impaired. Otherwise, how can you assume she feels the pain of bed sores - or even is aware enough to feel pain at all. Wouldn't she be crying or thrashing if she felt pain? Oh.... I see....

Imagine being Terri and understanding everything that is said to you. You just have trouble making your body do what you want it to do. Imagine having doctors come in and say to your husband that you are a vegetable and there is no hope. You want to scream and cry out - no I am not a vegetable I am Terri, I hear you and see you, I can look into your soul and I know that no good lies within you pertaining to my life and my care. I want to live. I just need a little help, which you refuse to give me. Please move my legs, and help me to learn to eat and drink on my own. Please read and sing to me, and give me something to look at. Please give me hope not death.

I believe, that we are alive for the very reason that we have something yet to learn before we go on - or something left to teach. are too ignorant to be able to communicate with her.

[Zavien Doombringer]

Since when did the quality of life dictate the right to life? If Terri could speak, would she say kill me?

[Zavien Doombringer]

Oh, by the way...Welcome to FreeRepublic