Posted on 03/23/2005 7:27:11 AM PST by queenkathy
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 11:52 p.m. EST
Second, Third Nurse Accuse Michael Schiavo
Two additional nurses have filed affidavits in the Terri Schiavo case that corroborate bombshell allegations by nurse Carla Sauer Iyer, who went public on Tuesday with claims that Michael Schiavo had deliberately withheld treatment from his disabled wife.
Heidi Law was a certified nursing assistant at the Palm Garden Convalescent Center in Largo, Fla., where she treated Mrs. Schiavo in 1997.
Story Continues Below
In an affidavit filed with the court in August 2003, Ms. Law maintained:
"I know that Terri did not receive routine physical therapy or any other kind of therapy. I was personally aware of orders for rehabilitation that were not being carried out. Even though they were ordered, Michael would stop them."
Law continued:
"Michael ordered that Terri receive no rehabilitation or range of motion therapy. I and [another CNA] would give Terri range of motion anyway, but we knew we were endangering our jobs by doing so.
"We usually did this behind closed doors," Law said, because "we were so fearful of being caught ... we were always looking out for Michael, because we knew that, not only would Michael take his anger out on us, but he would take it out more on Terri. We spoke of this many times."
"At least three times during any shift where I took care of Terri, I made sure to give Terri a wet washcloth filled with ice chips, to keep her mouth moistened.
"On three or four occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls of Jello, which she was able to swallow and enjoyed immensely. I did not do it more often only because I was so afraid of being caught by Michael."
Like nurse Iyer, Law suspected that Michael was mistreating Terri, noting in her sworn statement:
"Several times when Michael visited Terri during my shift, he went into her room alone and closed the door. This worried me because I didn’t trust Michael.
"When he left, Terri was very agitated, was extremely tense with tightened fists and sometimes had a cold sweat. She was much less responsive than usual and would just stare out the window, her eyes kind of glassy. ...
"We were convinced that he was abusing her, and probably saying cruel, terrible things to her because she would be so upset when he left."
"The Palm Gardens staff, myself included, were just amazed that a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order had been put on Terri’s chart, considering her age and her obvious cognitive awareness of her surroundings."
Carolyn Johnson, a certified nursing assistant who worked at the Sabal Palms nursing home in Largo, said Terri's mistreatment went back to at least 1993.
"During this assignment I took care of Terri Schiavo several times," Johnson said in her own August 2003 affidavit.
"I learned, as part of my training, that there was a family dispute and that the husband, as guardian, wanted no rehabilitation for Terri. This surprised me, as I did not think a guardian could go against a doctor's orders like that, but I was assured that a guardian could and that this guardian had gone against Terri's doctor's orders."
Johnson recalled: "No one was allowed to just go in and see Terri. Michael had a visitors list. We all knew that we would lose our jobs if we did not do exactly what Michael said to do."
Johnson continued:
"I remember seeing Michael Schiavo only once the entire time I worked at Sabal Palms, but we were all aware that Terri was not to be given any kind of rehabilitative help, per his instructions.
"Once, I wanted to put a cloth in Terri's hand to keep her hand from closing in on itself, but I was not permitted to do this," Johnson said, "as Michael Schiavo considered that to be a form of rehabilitation."
AND the MD for the Schindlers was given a Nobel prize in medicine for his work with brain damaged patients. He spent several hours with her. His testimony was disregarded.
This is shocking!! Do you have a link where I can view this?
By the way newbie,I checked all your previous posts since you began here (yesterday) and you have not posted once in Terri's defense.
In view of the fact that you claim to be on Terri's side I find this astonishing and quite disturbing.
Unless you of course are not really on her side and are a DU troll.
That would make more sense.
Mind explaining this: http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/2dcaorder01-01.txt
or this: http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/2dcaorder07-01.txt
or this: http://www.2dca.org/opinion/October%2017,%202001/2d01-3626.pdf
or this: http://www.2dca.org/opinion/June%2006,%202003/2D02-5394.pdf
This, quite literally, causes my eyes to well up.
He was one of thousands nominated. He did not win. While his work may be worthy of Nobel Prize consideration, the term "Nobel Prize nominee" would really be more accurately "Nobel Prize applicant".
If you wish to refer to his nomination in any way, you should refer to it as "His work in medicine was sufficiently impressive that Congressman XXX nominated him for the Nobel Prize." That way readers can decide how much or how little weight to place upon the Congressman's recommendation.
OK...I remember reading this in the habeas corpus filing last week. The writ was denied, but I can't remember where it was filed. While not an attorney, I spent a great deal of my day in courtrooms (not lock-ups) and this is so obvious that I can't understand how this is being fast-tracked to allow Terri's death. Could an amicus brief be filed?
Yeah, what I noticed was the eye-fluttering thingy he was doing-- it just reminded me of someone caught in a lie.
It sure is! Only FReepers of a certain age can appreciate Antmusic.
It is comical that someone that has been on FR for a few months (still a newby yourself) could label someone else as a DU troll. I find your lack of reality astonishing. I will refrain from playing name calling game. Au revior
I was thinking about starting a thread about the good things that have come out of this evil. This may be one of them. I also saw a story today on one of the cable news stations showing a family that spends $140k out of their own pocket to take care of five children who they've adopted, who take nutrition through feeding tubes. This heroic story would not have made the news without Terri's suffering.
I can't understand why it is being fast-tracked either. It seems to be a timing issue. The right thing to do, would be to replace her feeding tube and look at ALL the information, rather than one sided testimony. Its what we call justice.
If someone is disingenuous it will surface eventually if given enough light.
Post in Terri's defense now or forever hold your peace.
Even if Terri made such a statement, a feeding tube was not considered medical treatment until the law changed in 1999. Did they make it retroactive to include her?
Because it is legal to waste it on lawyers' fees if the guardianship judge approves it.
I have no more comments for you.
wow. thanks for posting that, Dio.
Perhaps you should get a grip. First, the poster has discussed both side of the issue in polite terms. second, I don't think there is a rule on FR (of course Ive only been her a short while) which requires posters to agree with you or refrain from posting.
See subsequent replies to post 215. Hammesfahr was only nominated for a Nobel.
Yeah, he was blinking so much it was almost distracting! A reflexive movement on a liar's part?
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