[Destro]

She can't be fed by mouth. If she could sip or chew all her parents had to do was feed her and offer her a drink on camera and case would have gone in their favor. The story that she can be given food or water by mouth is another false hood arising from this case.

Instead of having her try and speak or follow a balloon - "here Terri chew on this cookie - swallow this juice" didn't happen - sadly can't happen.

[txradioguy]

"If she could sip or chew all her parents had to do was feed her and offer her a drink on camera"

That would be nice except that her "husband" has banned her parents from taking video camera's into her room when they are allowed to visit.

[HiTech RedNeck]

According to nurses, she had swallowed Jello in the past.

She swallows her own saliva now (or did until she got so dried up she didn't secrete any more), so any comparable flow of liquified food would go down just as well.

Even more importantly, there are therapies available NOW which can teach a non swallower to swallow again. It involves stimulation of the swallowing muscles.

[politeia]

According to the nurses testimony she has taken liquids and jello with no problem. She hasn't had swallow tests or therapy or any food or liquid by mouth because she hasn't been allowed to by Michael and Greer. The report of the doctor sent to examine her by the parents a couple of years ago was very hopeful about her ability to swallow food and water. Why are people so determined not to give her the chance to take water and food naturally? Are they afraid she might die or are they afraid she might live?

Anyway, the point is that no judge or court can issue an order that she cannot be given food or water by mouth -- that is euthanasia and is not legal in Florida. Since it is not even humane I would call it murder by judicially enforced dehydration.

[jwpjr]

re: The story that she can be given food or water by mouth is another false hood arising from this case.

Didn't the husband say that no one could give her ANYHING by mouth and the judge issued an order to that effect? I honestly thought this was the case. It would be sad to find out that all this time the family could simply have fed her and given her water but no one thought of that. In fact, her guardian (and that's the right term in this case) suggested a 'swallowing test' and after both sides had agreed and scheduled it the husband's side backed out for fear agreeing to it would jeopardize a suit they had pending that challenged the constitutionality of the law.