Michael Schiavo on 'Nightline' (Includes Transcript)

ABC News ^ | Mar. 15, 2005

[DJ MacWoW]

Allowing her teeth to be brushed or to go outside do not seem like decisions that he would be asked to make. This is all very odd.

In this PDF, it's all listed. Broken personal wheelchair for 3 years, 11 years of no dental care etc.

New Petition to Judge Greer to Remove Michael Schiavo as Guardian (Guardianship - January 11, 2005)

[PFKEY]

He claims that she had a potassium imbalance....that's why she collapsed.

There must have been strong evidence that this imbalance was either directly caused by a medical doctor or due to gross negligence was not treated.

You just can't make these things up and get awarded $2 million.

How is it that the damage to her neck which can only be caused by strangulation and all the other broken bones were not noticed when she was in the hospital after her collapse?

Obviously there is way too much to this story that I am unaware of.

[nicmarlo]

Things were "noticed" but they got "forgotten" and twisted around into more "convenient" explanations, or ignored altogether.

[UCANSEE2]

Welcome to the threads. It is good to see someone with an open attitude about the case, especially if the details are new or as yet unknown to them.

Don't let the sharks scare ya. The touchy subject is the PVS.

You said, "Not an MD, so I cannot answer that question."

Well, apparently, it is a subject of some debate between the doctors as well, so welcome to the club.

There is PVS- the doctor's hired by the guardian (Judge Greer) definition

Then the definition given in the Florida Statutes

Then the one accepted by those who think Terri is BRAINDEAD.

Then the one accepted by those who think she is NOT. Actually they cross a lot.

And none of that has anything to do with the Judge's latest decisions.

[Sun]

QUOTE from MICHAEL SCHIAVO on Nightline: ...... This is not right, and I'm telling everybody you better call you congressman, because they're going to run your life.

HEAR THAT FOLKS? So we better call and e-mail our congresspersons and ask them to vote for HR 1151 and call our senators and ask them to vote for S. 539.
If these bills are passed it will help Terri and ALL OF US to not have to die a painful death of starvation, unless we put it in writing. Which reminds me, it would be nuts to put in writing such a horrible death.

I don't know if it's too late for snail mail for Congresspersons. If anyone know, please let me know.

HERE'S THE INFORMATION (provided by PC93):

Re: HR 1151 / US S 539

Please contact your US Congressman and Senator and urge support of US HR 1151 = House Resolution 1151 and US S 539 - US Senate Bill 539 'The Incapacitated Persons Protection Act'

Sample message:

House Rep / Senator XXXXX,

With regards to representative Weldon's proposed bill 1151 (see above for correct designations) titled the Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act, I encourage you to give this favorable consideration.

Clearly, state Circuit Courts are not applying the law appropriately in a number of cases throughout the United States as it relates to vulnerable and incapacitated persons and their retained rights. A measure like bill 1151 would give these innocent people a Federal avenue of review that we consider a retained right of criminals. I believe the rights of the disabled amongst us should be no less vigorously defended than the rights of those who have broken the law.

I also believe that without such Federal protection, cases such as these will grow more complicated and burdensome on the state courts and innocent lives will be lost.

Please do the right thing for America's disabled and give your unwavering favorable consideration to this act.


U.S. Senators and Congressmembers, etc.


http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

New toll free numbers to call US Senators and Congressmembers:
(888) 355-3588 OR (877) 762-8762

Here's the skinny:

*If a legislator receives an email, it represents 10 of his/her constituents.

*If he or she receives a phone call, it represents 50 of his/her constituents.

*If he or she receives a letter, it represents 100 constituents.

*If he or she receives a visit, it represents 1,000 of his/her constituents.

Also: They can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 if you can't get through on the toll free numbers.

If you have there numbers in the local office, it might be easier to get through, too.

[PFKEY]

In this PDF, it's all listed.

Wow, I guess as someones guardian you get to play God.

He certainly does not come out looking very good.

But in his defense if he believes as he has been told by the medical community that she is PVS then those things wouldn't matter. Having said that there is no reason for him not to allow or provide for such things unless he is just a mean and hateful person.

He won't get my vote for nice guy of the year.

[Raycpa]

Must have been a pretty convincing claim if he was awarded $2 million.

Yep, she spilled hot coffee on her lap. /s

[supercat]

He's a disgusting, lying puke. By this point he has NOTHING to gain. There isn't any money left and no insurance company is going to pay off at this point. His FAKE emotion disgust me.

That doesn't mean he doesn't have much to lose if Terri recovers. If she and her records receive honest examinations, I think it will become obvious that Michael et al. were deliberately sandbagging her condition. A creative prosecutor would be able to find enough wrongdoing to keep Michael locked up until the next millenium and if Terri recovers and tells a jury the things Michael has done to her, I don't think a jury would have trouble recommending maximum sentences for all his crimes.

[Pegita]

Those funds are virtually gone, and Mr. Schiavo is not going to inherit or gain one penny by the result of Terri's death.

Perhaps he won't, but who's to say Jodi Centzone, or her children, won't benefit? From memory, but is not Miss Jodi running an insurance business out of their home address? Michael listed as Director?

[nicmarlo]

There is a law in place that protects disabled people, like Terri. Even if she were in a pvs state, which she is not, he is not supposed to, by law under guardianship, cease providing therapy, rehabilitation, and other basic necessities, like food and water. Those are criminal acts under the guardianship laws and criminal statutes.

[PFKEY]

Don't let the sharks scare ya.

I won't, thanks for the comments.

[Lovergirl]

A year later, in therapy, Terri voiced, in some manner, that she was in pain. An orthopedic doctor then had x-rays taken of her and discovered she had broken bones all over her body.

The radiologist wrote it looks like "someone worked her over real good." Michael hid those reports for 10 years from Terri's parents.



Oh, How I would love to be face to face with Mr. Schiavo, so i could ask what the media doesn't. " HEY MICHAEL, HOW DID TERRIS BONES GET BROKEN"?

[Future Useless Eater]

>> this judge been the same judge throughout the whole 15 years of legal proceedings?

No, just since 1998 I believe. It 'appears' like Felos 'shopped' for Greer to take this case and Greer has been tenacious not to let any other judge 'decide' any 'facts' of it. (you can draw your own inferrences WHY that might be)

>>How long has Michael been wanting to have her feeding tube removed?

ONLY since 1998 I believe, and thats the same year I believe that he hired Felos, and suddenly 'remembered' Terri's wishes. Interesting to note he moved in with Jodi Centonze supposedly in 1995, and Michael's family in Pennsylvania announced Jodi was his fiancee in 1997. One newspaper in FL reported in 1997 that they have been engaged for a year at that point.

[PFKEY]

Those are criminal acts under the guardianship laws and criminal statutes.

It would seem that this is a minority opinion. I don't see where he is being prosecuted or even at the very least where someone is attempting to bring these charges against him.

Are there other legal prceedings that I am unaware of?

[supercat]

It might be that he does not want her to talk and tell what happened the night of her collapse.

I doubt he did anything the night of her collapse that would net her more than 10-20 years. The stuff he's done since is another story. If the truth were told before a jury, Michael would find himself looking at many maximum sentences.

[Judith Anne]

As I recall, Judge Greer has a financial stake in the hospice where Terri is and has been. Nurses who charted Terri's responses were fired. Affidavits exist to that effect. Felos and Greer have been the only attorney and judge throughout the entire 15 years. Testimony has been given by a friend of Terri's in court that Terri was going to leave Michael, and a record of that testimony still exists.

Michael has refused to allow independent physical and neurological examination and evaluation of Terri's present condition and potential for rehabilitation. New techniques and therapies exist that would likely enable her to eat solid food again. Michael has refused attempts to give her solid food. Michael has refused to allow her parents to visit her, refused to allow a priest to visit her, refused her any stimulation or therapy whatsoever.

For those reasons alone, I think she needs a new judge, a new evaluation, a new guardian, and a chance at home with her parents. If he ever loved her at all, he owes her a chance of life and whatever recovery she can make. He refused her treatment for a kidney infection, he refused her dental care, at the very least she deserves medication and an ordinary level of care.

In a nursing home, she would not be left in a barren room alone, locked in without even a television, without even a chance to taste, without the offering of spiritual consolation, without her family and friends...at her parents' home, she would be able to live what she has of life in comfort, instead of in prison.

Even on death row, they let you out for an hour of exercise a day--Terri isn't even allowed that...

[supercat]

Must have been a pretty convincing claim if he was awarded $2 million.

Not really. If he convinced the jurors that Terri was in bad but treatable shape, and would get better with therapy but the therapy cost money, that would probably be enough to eke out a significant award even if the jurors didn't really find the doctor did anything wrong. After all, who's going to benefit more from the money--some insurance company fatcats, or this poor woman whose loving husband needs money to help her?

[CalRepublican]

BURY: You did receive something of a malpractice settlement north of $1 million at one point, is that correct?

SCHIAVO: Yes.

FELOS: Well, no.


Uh, I'll take Schiavo's word for it on this one, but thanks Felos.

[styky]

This Michael is one sick puppy...

As a person with severe disabilities this send shivers down my spine. If it is deemed A.O.K. to end Terri's life how much longer will it then be for the rest of us in the disabled community to have to worry about someone deciding that we are of no value.

This is a slippery slope and so far they are running for the edge of the cliff.

God please save Terri

[DJ MacWoW]

But in his defense if he believes as he has been told by the medical community that she is PVS then those things wouldn't matter.

One doctor, Ronald Cranford said she had no cortex. NO other doctor stated that. Cranford is a "professional witness" that testifies on the side of euthanasia.

NASJVP Expert Witness Directory

From this link: "Some admitted there are some things beyond any doctor's ken. There are no tests to confirm a person's "inner awareness," said Dr. Peter Bambakidis, a neurologist from Cleveland". Keep in mind this statement was made by one of Schiavos doctors.

Further, this from the same link: Dr. Maxfield testified that he thought Terri once tried to sing along to the music being played, that she recognized her mother, that she focused on moving objects and reacted to lights.