Posted on 10/23/2003 12:02:06 AM PDT by kattracks
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - A brain-damaged woman was receiving nourishment through a new feeding tube Wednesday, a week after her husband had tried to have such treatment ended but was blocked by the Florida Legislature.Terri Schiavo, 39, was being fed through a tube inserted into her abdomen when family members, fighting an epic battle to keep her alive, visited late Wednesday, said their attorney, Pat Anderson.
Terri Schiavo looked gaunt, with red-ringed eyes, Anderson said, adding: "I think what we're looking at is the price of moving her."
The feeding tube was reinserted during a short stay at Morton Plant Hospital, where the woman was taken after Gov. Jeb Bush, heeding the Legislature's wishes, intervened in the bitter right-to-die case and ordered her kept alive.
Earlier Wednesday evening, she was taken back to the hospice that cared for her several years. The family visited her there, in a Clearwater suburb.
Terri Schiavo's brother, Bob Schindler Jr., said his sister was "alert and responsive" to family members who hugged and kissed her during their visit.
The woman's father, Bob Schindler, said he hoped his daughter would recover from being without food or water for six days.
"Terri is so resilient," he said. "Tomorrow she could be back the same way she was before she left here. Maybe she needs sleep."
Husband Michael Schiavo's attorney angrily complained the woman was being mistreated by attempts to keep her alive, and legal scholars predicted that Bush's intervention would be ruled unconstitutional.
"It is so repugnant to so many provisions of Florida's constitution, we are all certain that it will be overturned," lawyer George Felos said.
The case is one of the nation's longest and most contentious right-to-die cases, pitting members of the same family against one another.
Terri Schiavo has been in a what doctors call a "persistent vegetative state" and on a feeding tube since 1990, when her heart stopped because of a chemical imbalance. Her eyes are open, but doctors say she has no consciousness.
The feeding tube was removed by court order last Wednesday at the insistence of her husband, who has custody.
Bob Schindler and his wife, Mary, say she still could recover. Michael Schiavo contends that she told him she would rather die than be kept alive artificially, but family members said they never heard her say anything like that.
On Tuesday, the Legislature rushed through a bill designed to save Schiavo's life, and Bush quickly invoked the law and ordered the feeding tube reinserted.
A judge later rejected a request by Michael Schiavo to block Bush's order but said he would consider it again after both sides file briefs.
Felos said earlier that the woman was quietly dying after the tube was removed, that her heartbeat had become irregular and her kidneys were shutting down, and that it was "simply inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process."
"The hysterical opposition to his case says so much more about us as a society," he said. "I think it says so much more about our fear of death than the sanctity of life."
Outside the hospice later, Pat Anderson again called for Michael Schiavo to remove himself from the case and let the Schindlers take care of their daughter, as they have offered to do.
"He's already moved on with his life," she said. "Just leave her alone."
A message left on an answering machine at Felos' office seeking a response was not immediately returned.
The bill sent to Bush was designed to be as narrow as possible. It is limited to cases in which the patient left no living will, is in a persistent vegetative state, has had nutrition and hydration tubes removed, and where a family member has challenged the removal.
Legal experts widely agreed that the governor and Legislature went too far.
"This particular administration has not yet understood why we have separation of powers," said former Florida Supreme Court Justice Gerald Kogan. "They seem to believe that the governor and the Legislature can do whatever they want and the courts should not interfere and that's not right."
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe said: "I've never seen a case in which the state legislature treats someone's life as a political football in quite the way this is being done."
Bush and the Republican-led Legislature have a reputation for being at odds with the courts. They have clashed over abortion and the death penalty.
Bush and lawmakers who supported the legislation said they had a legitimate reason to intervene in the case to save Schiavo's life.
"Let us err on the part of not condemning this woman to a painful death that she can feel," said GOP Sen. Anna Cowin.
During the years she has been in a vegetative state, her parents reported their daughter laughed, cried, smiled and responded to their voices. But the court-appointed doctor said the noises and facial expressions she made were reflexes.
Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan is on record as saying there is no difference between physician assisted death and refusing to undergo medical care.
He received an award from the ACLU (at a 1999 banquet----oh the irony) for his "bravery" in dissenting from other Fl St. Su Ct justices in a "right-to-be-killed-by-a-doctor" case.
Kogan currently heads the Alliance for Ethical Government, in Miami and has offices at his alma mater, the University of Miami. He is well-situated to influence the thinking of future lawyers.
He is against the death penalty, because someone who is incorrectly executed can not be brought back out of the grave.
I'm bookmarking this thread.
Thanks for all the work.
LOL
We know for sure that he is not using his brain, if he has one.
Felos said earlier that the woman was quietly dying after the tube was removed, that her heartbeat had become irregular and her kidneys were shutting down, and that it was "simply inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process."
I am willing to bet that this death process is continuing, and will be complete before we know it if there is no intervention.
September 5, 2003, 10:55 a.m.
Schiavo’s Date with Death
A Florida woman needs non-dehydration intervention.
By Wesley J. Smith
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-smith090503.asp
"...Dr. William Hammesfahr, a world-renowned expert in cases such as Terri's — and a Nobel Prize nominee — testified that Terri is not in a PVS. He also testified that he believes he could help her improve her circumstances through proper medical treatment. Ten other physicians have testified or given statements that Terri is not unconscious. Judge Greer instead chose to believe contrary testimony by a doctor who rarely sees Terri and another doctor, who makes an avocation of testifying in cases such as Terri's throughout the country, always on the side of dehydration.
Despite the clear financial and personal conflicts of interest, Judge Greer repeatedly sides with Michael and against Terri's father, mother, and siblings, who want to care for her for the rest of her life. This means that the man who might benefit financially from his wife's death and who has clear personal reasons for wanting Terri to die continues to have almost sole say over how she is treated and cared for — or denied care — on a daily basis...."
"...On August 26, reacting to the political heat, and no doubt genuinely concerned with Terri's plight, Bush wrote a letter to Judge Greer requesting that he postpone the dehydration and appoint a guardian ad litem to look into Terri's case. In this regard, it is worth noting that Terri once had a guardian ad litem who recommended against the requested dehydration. Perhaps this is why Judge Greer respectfully told Gov. Bush that he would put the governor's letter in the file with no action taken.
Bush's letter was a nice first step but was clearly insufficient. The time has come for the State of Florida to attempt to formally intervene in the case. Indeed, there are enough substantial questions about the propriety of what is transpiring in Terri's case, that Bush should take whatever legal action is necessary to make the state Terri's official guardian. [ The Governor is to SEE THAT THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE FAITHFULLY EXECUTED. If no one can visit Terri or get news of her health without Michael's permission (so-called patient 'privacy' laws are complicit with this ongoing crime), than how can the Governor SEE anything? He needs to have a guard and a lawyer there protecting Terri's interests 24/7. Waiting 4 more days is unacceptable, and will most likely prove fatal to Terri. Is that the plan?? ]
Taking such action would prevent a husband with too many conflicts of interest from continuing to be in charge of Terri's care. It would permit an objective, professional guardian with no intimate ties to Terri to bring order to this emotionally devastating case and determine:...."
Because if she recovers and can SAY that she was STRANGLED, BEATEN and GIVEN INSULIN SHOTS to cause INSULIN SHOCK---ALL designed to KILL her---then "LOVING" Michael would be CONVICVTED of ATTEMPTED MURDER and get LIFE IN PRISON or the DEATH PENALTY!!!
"LOVING" husband Michael MUST have Terri DEAD!
Apparently Terri's only one of many victims in this scheme. Sad.
No wonder Terri is so jealously kept....$$$$$
Pray for the Jeb's administrative skill...he's gonna need it to battle these turds in the judiciary, the attorneys, and the medical service providers. They're sharks. Vipers. Evil. Rich and despirate and mean and connected.
I also hope Ashcroft can devote some resources...they are afoul of Federal Law if the allegations are true. At least there's enough to initiate an investigation.
I'm not optimistic about justice. Seen too many of these types of cases quietly disappear. This is making me ill.
But I know these kinds of thieves:
I had a dentist all through my life who drilled and filled my teeth with aplomb...he said it was my bad eating and brushing habits.
As an adult, I visited after a seven year hiatus to have a filling examined. He told me that I had ten cavities that had to be attended to...thousands of dollars of work. He made an appointment for me. I got suspicious , got a second opinion (no cavities) , and made a trip to Boston to report him to the Licensing Board and submit to official examination.
He got away with a censure...his assistant had signed the diagnostic....a violation of state law....but he could not be held accountable for the plot.
When I told my mum about this, she told me she stopped going to see him years earlier 'cause he groped her.
I also found out later that his assistant...the former wife of a new friend...had divorced my bud to marry the good doc, and that she described to being part of a regular enterprise of filling good teeth.
The good doc practiced several more years and retired to Florida. He's got a big boat. Big house. No conscience.
When I did that I saw the name schiavomarjory, which is hidden and does not show up on the web page.
The name Marjory Schiavo, shows up as a secretary (and hidden name) in many other corporations listed at sunbiz.org.
If I do a search on "schiavomarjory" at sunbiz.org on the corporate officer/registered agent search page I get
Isn't it odd that schiavomarjory is involved in a lot of other companies and is the hidden name on the webpage for Jerger and Centonze "Insurnace" Agency, which was the Agency Michael was a director for?
Is it possible that Michael has a hidden connection with some of those corporations?
*The name Marjour appears on the web page, but if you look at the image of the actual papers you can see the name of the secretary is really "Marjory."
I AM RESPONDING: "That is just pure Barbra Streisand!!!" You don't KNOW what SHE wanted! You just know what "LOVING" husband Michael wants!"
I AM ADDING: "Did you know I am the sole heir of Howard Hughes' Estate! How do you KNOW? Because I just TOLD you so! [Surely someone wouldn't LIE to obtain BILLIONS of Dollars, would they?]
I AM ADDING: "Do I have ANY proof?...Do I have ANY written, notarized documentation? Not a SHRED of EVIDENCE!...But I AM...I MUST be!...Just because I TOLD you so! (NOT!)
I AM ADDING: "I cannot believe the COURTS have been HOODWINKED by "LOVING" husband Michael! They are KILLING a disabled woman by the WORD of a person who stands to GAIN AT LEAST $1.2 MILLION (Plus a BOOK DEAL)---but ONLY if the disabled woman DIES and cannot speak before she dies to CONFIRM FIRST HAND if he is LYING---and then they let the person who MOST LIKELY is the CAUSE of the injury be the GUARDIAN!!!!! It is INSANE!!!
I AM ADDING: "What other cases do you know of where the courts so easily award the DEATH PENALTY of a 100% INNOCENT VICTIM based on the HEARSAY of someone who stands to GAIN MILLIONS of Dollars and may avoid being CONVICTED of ATTEMPTED MURDER if they can keep the 100% INNOCENT VICTIM from EVER speaking up?????"
I AM ADDING: "When somebody has something BIG to GAIN by LYING and they have NO WRITTEN, NOTARIZED, DOCUMENTATED EVIDENCE, it OUGHT to TELL you something!...IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!!!
I AM ADDING: "If Terri had WANTED to be KILLED by her "LOVING" husband Michael, she would have put it in WRITING via a LIVING WILL!!!"
I AM ADDING: "LOVING" husband Michael WANTS---and NEEDS---Terri DEAD!!!
Or, for that matter, suppose there's other criminal malfeasance on the part of Michael, Felos, and Greer would could only be buried with Terri dead. Seems to me that if shown that could be enough for attempted murder right there (though that case would drag trough appeals courts for milenia).
I AM RESPONDING: "I agreed with EVERYTHING you said until you got to the part about his motives being "ENTIRELY financial." I believe that they were ORIGINALLY financial, but are no longer "ENTIRELY" financial."
I AM ADDING: "The Schindlers have offered "LOVING" Hitleresque-husband Michael something like $500,000 to let THEM be Terri's Guardian and let "LOVING" Hitleresque-husband Michael bow out. "LOVING" Hitleresque-husband Michael has REFUSED to allow them to take over."
I AM ADDING: "That tells me "LOVING" Hitleresque-husband Michael NEEDS Terri DEAD! He also wants NO AUTOPSY and CREMATION. The only reason I can think of that that would be the case is if HE NEEDS TO COVER UP ONE OR MORE CRIMES---the BEST of which is MISAPPLICATION OF FIDUCIARY PROPERTY."
I AM ADDING: "Based on "LOVING" Hitleresque-husband Michael's continued NON-DOCUMENTED, NON-NOTARIZED, NON-WRITTEN claim that Terri "wouldn't have" wanted to "live this way," I am 100% CONVINCED that he is guilty of ATTEMPTED MURDER, not only in the very beginning, but also with apparently REPEATED INSULIN INJECTIONS and REPEATED DEMANDS for FOOD and WATER REMOVAL."
He probably felt remorse at first, along with a strong desire to turn back time. But guilt has a way of making people angry and resentful of the person who "makes" them feel guilty, and soon he wished she would just die already. I suspect he's already mentally spent the life insurance money so many times, he feels like the agrieved party because she's keeping him from what's rightfully his.
As for the malpractice money : I hope that gets thoroughly investigated. That was pure evil. The money was meant for Terri's therapy, and he has denied her any therapy and spent the money on his lawyer, himself, and that female with whom he cohabits.
Although I said 'sheerest conjecture', I base my opinions on the signed affadavits of Terri's nurses. I don't think they'd come forward and lie, endangering their current employment. I hope the nurse's testimony gets more attention.
Another thing : The media is looking more and more at MS, the allegations of abuse (in the marriage and through medical neglect afterwards), and of the financial mismanagemnt (at best) of the malpractice money. If worse comes to worse and Terri dies and MS collects the life insurance money-his reputation has been thoroughly blackened. I predict he will leave the country. He should fit in quite nicely in, say, Holland.
Are there any people who have worked with life insurance claims? Are there any grounds from what's been reported re: terri's case and MS's mistreatment of her, where a life insurance company could refuse to pay him out?
"The Schindlers and Schiavo have been feuding since 1993 when a fight almost broke out in Mrs. Schiavo's nursing home between her husband and father. Schiavo threw books, pushed a table and starting coming after Schindler until his wife intervened, Schindler said."
I posted something else from this article on another thread.
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