If she had a living will, we most likely would not be talking
about her now and likely no-one would have heard of her.
Although.... her quite affluent parents might have contested
her very own words contained in her very own living will,
since they do appear to be very strong willed regarding
Terri's state [or lack of] and refuse to listen to the more
obvious arguments from quite well renown physicians.
In Florida, any device that is used to provide a life sustaining
condition, is the same. That is: a respirator is no different
than "a feeding tube", if the patient will die without it's use.
The test [of course] is if the patient can ever live without the
device. Sort term and temporary use of any device does not
lend itself to legally declare the user as "terminal".
The ranting you read on FR regarding "a feeding tube is not
the same as _________", is not founded on fact; not founded
in Florida law and not an assumption to be taken as valid in
any court; any state.
A "good lawyer" doesn't convince anyone of anything.
In a life or death situation as this, the judge weighs heavily on
medical facts and physician's opinions. In Terri's case, both
were conclusive. Terri's cerebral cortex is gone and the cavity
filled with spinal fluid. It can not be repaired and Terri will not
ever be any different than she is today. That was noted 13 years
ago; not one thing has changed.
Terri's parents would like her to live forever and do not accept
her death. To sit for hours waiting for what will look like a response
to their beckoning, when her "response" is nothing more than
a movement she's made countless times during those hours without
their beckoning... To consider that movement as a response and
proof as a reason to continue with her life support system.... To
provide an excerpted home movie for the court, and think the
court should take it seriously, is ludicrous.
It's been over 13 years. Terri's husband, degenerated slob or not,
was not able to withhold the truth of Terri's condition if it were
any different than it is now.
She is in a vegetated state and will remain in that state, as long
as she is forcibly kept alive.
Please allow me to say that again:
She is in a vegetated state and will remain in that state,
as long as she is forcibly kept alive.
Isn't it time to stop using her as a political football and
give her poor spirit a rest?