Terri's husband isn't the enemy, guardian says

Orlando Sentinel ^ | February 25, 2005 | Mike Thomas

[EveningStar]

Wolfson's report is based on court files, depositions, medical records and interviews with everyone involved.

That said, I begin with the most explosive allegation:

Did Michael try to kill Terri?

Wolfson laughs. "No!"

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Wolfson's report states that in the four years after her collapse, Michael "had insistently held to the premise that Theresa could recover and the evidence is incontrovertible that he gave his heart and soul to her treatment and care . . . In late autumn of 1990, following months of therapy and testing and formal diagnoses of persistent vegetative state with no evidence of improvement, Michael took Theresa to California, where she received an experimental thalamic stimulator implant in her brain. Michael remained in California caring for Theresa during a period of several months."

Says Wolfson now: "Michael was adoring of her. One nursing home complained he was hostile and abusive of the staff in championing her care. She was immaculately kept. In 13 years, she never had one bedsore."

[EveningStar]

Fixing Pixies something to eat.

Pixies? Your kids? How many do you have? :)

[Hildy]

Most living wills, I believe, have a DNR clause built into them. Have you looked at yours?

[Neets]

Not mine, my brothers'

Mine are grown, two.

[lakey]

What you say is true. Judge Greer allowed Felos & Co. something like $400,000 to be taken from Terri's fund, which when depleted, allowed Michael to put her on Medicaid.

The first time I think I ever saw Felos on t.v., he said there was plenty of money for her care. The next time, not long after the first interview, he stated the money was down - substantially?, I don't recall.

Third time, all of the money was gone.

[the Deejay]

Have you looked at yours?

Just did a minute ago. It's there!

House is in session for Terri.

[EveningStar]

Auntie Neets. :)

[llama hunter]

if you are still out there, I understand your position completely and rather than dissing Hildy, present facts and logic kids....

I am willing to concede myself after another Freeper patiently laid out the course of events and the law that the judge in this case may not have considered all the evidence or options fairly or thoroughly, given that in a case of an incapacitated person, the evidence should be held to an even higher standard IMO or certainly more care should be taken in coming to these kinds of decisions, even though I still believe government interference with judicial decisions is wrong, wrong, wrong, so I am not sure now what to think about this case and this judge, I arrived at this point by patient persuasion, not name calling, OK

most of us don't have every single fact in front of us, vis a vis the medical situation and history of this woman and her husband and family - we have snippets of facts as presented by the filter of both sides - if you believe the parents, you may think one way, if you believe the husband you may think another way and not being privy to ALL THE FACTS in this case, we need to keep that in mind,

and I'll be honest, having seen the parents a few times on TV, I'm not inclined to give either party more credibility points than the other, I think the parents, like many parents, just don't want to let go of their daughter, even if it were the right thing to do, even it were indeed Terry's wish or indeed God's will, some people just cannot let go...which I find somewhat odd if you are a truly religious person, wouldn't you want your loved one to go to heaven and end their suffering, that was the position of the Terry Quinlan family, they finally accepted the fact that Terry wasn't going to recover after about 5 years and that she should be released from earth, to end her suffering and to meet her maker in heaven, they truly believed that and they were very hurt by the people calling THEM murderers

on the same token I don't trust the husband either, for example I am told that the deal is this woman is to be cremated without an autopsy, why? If I were the husband and people accused me of being the reason my wife was in a vegetative state to begin with, I'd have no problem in fact I'd be the one insisting on the autopsy to clear my name and proving everyone wrong....

living wills people, we all need to have them, esp if we think our family members won't respect our wishes, and let's face it, ignoring a loved one's wishes happens all the time, for a variety of reasons

[Taft in '52]

So the guardian is on Michael's side?

This sound like something out of a George Orwell novel.

[Annie03]

SOP. Apparently no amount of documents and facts will matter.

[Hildy]

Surprise, surprise...send in the clowns...

[the Deejay]

Hospice & hospitals EAT $$$
like ya can't believe!!

[Trinity_Tx]

Good post. Just hitting the tip of the iceburg, too. lol

re: Terri's sister stated on CNN last night that they don't even know if Terri had a heart attack. Court documentation by numerous doctors provides evidence that Terri did have a heart attack.


The confusion lay in the fact that there is a difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest. The doctors knew, and only ever said, she had cardiac arrest, and they've always known it.

But, that confusion over terminology gets exploited by them to create an atmosphere of suspicion about things.

First time I saw it was a few years ago, when the Schindlers' atty Anderson, said "we now know she did not have a 'heart attack' as we were lead to believe." Hammesfahr was doing the same rhetorical trick.


I'm just like you about the ultimate question at hand, but like you, I too find the tactics shameful. I've been told, and I've seen posted that the truth doesn't matter. Just "anything to save Terri".

I think it just kills credibility and clouds the important issue at hand.

[llama hunter]

another thing though, if this guy is just about money, why wouldn't he have taken all the offers to walk away, the rumour was he was offered as much as $10 million dollars, could it be he really believes he is fulfilling his wife's wishes?

[the Deejay]

send in the clowns.

Let the circus begin!

[Neets]

;-)

[UCANSEE2]

I don't think that's right. That lawsuit resulted in a $700,000 award. I wish my memory was better, but I've never read what you just said.

Felos gave a statement saying there was about $60,000 left. There is documentation (I can get it for you if you would like) giving the exact amounts PAYED OUT and the FULL AMOUNT RECEIVED IN TRUST.

GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND.

[lakey]

As I said, I haven't read the entire court transcript. Also, that the amount of the award wasn't nearly enough to care for a 26-year-old. Therapy costs mucho bucks. And her life span was at least another 40, 50, maybe 60 years.

Arbitration is usually an alternative to court. An insurance company will settle (yes, for somewhat less, but the plantiff's attorney costs are less, too) rather than go to court in a clear-cut case. And I think this would be true even if Terri did have bulimea.

[lastchance]

There are some facts that you forget. It is a fact that Judge Greer discounted testimoney that showed that Terri opposed euthanasia- statements she had made to her friend about a Karen Quinlan. Because of the Judge's mistake in when the remark was made this testimoney was not allowed. Fact 17 neurologists have signed affidavits stating that they believe that further testing is warranted to determine Terri's prognosis. Fact recent medical findings about PVS through into doubt just how correct any diagnosis of PVS can be. Fact the Guardian ad Litem by trying to paint the Schindler's willingness to accept life saving measures such as amputation in the case of gangrene or open heart surgery if cardiac failure happens as grotesque efforts at life at any cost, forgets these procedures are quite acceptable medical practices. It also shows that the Schindler's are aware of future health complications which Terri might have and which they will have to deal with. Fact the agreement Michael offered of giving up monies was if the Schindler's agreed to allow Terri to be killed. Fact - Terri is not terminal. Removing her food tube is not being done because it is overly burdensome to someone who's body is shutting down ( as is the case in many endstage of a terminal illness)- but in order to cause her death. Fact- Dr. Cranford the neurologist is strongly pro-euthanasia- expecting him to give a disinterested/ impartial medical opinion about someone in Terri's state is like flipping a two headed coin- you know what the results will be. Fact - The accusation that Terri's parents stand to gain financially by her continued life is cruel and unfounded. She is their child- they believe that her life is worthwhile despite what the Culture of Death dictates.

[UCANSEE2]

I'll give you one.

Tell me how Dr. Wolfson is qualified to make a medical evaluation in Terri's case when he is not a neurospecialist of any kind. He is a LAWYERING DOCTOR. His specialty is bargaining health costs between clinics and the government and private insurance.

[the Deejay]

And her life span was at least another 40, 50, maybe 60 years.

Also, if her parents took care of her, who's going to take care of her AFTER they're gone OR can no longer take care of her?

The siblings? I don't think so.

They are young and have their lives still ahead of them. They won't want to give up their livelihoods w/childern to care for Terri 24/7.