Posted on 03/28/2005 1:49:46 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican
PINELLAS PARK, United States (AFP) - The father of Terri Schiavo made a desperate, 11th hour appeal for authorities to reconnect a feeding tube to his severely brain-damaged daughter, and said he feared doctors might try to hasten her death.
"I have a grave concern that they'll expedite the process to kill her with an overdose of morphine," Bob Schindler told the press Monday outside the hospice where his 41-year old daughter is a patient.
"She's alive and she's fighting like hell to live," he added, remarking on his daughter's "amazing, amazing endurance."
Schindler added that when he visited his daughter Monday, she was "still showing facial expressions" -- among other signs of interaction.
"She's trying to talk but it's very, very subdued," Schindler said. "All we need, if it's not too late, is for someone to save her," he said.
Schindler made his plea on Schiavo's 11th day without food and water Monday, and with experts saying her death could come at any time.
Schiavo was given what could be her last communion Sunday as protesters opposed to allowing the woman die challenged police and blocked entry to the Florida hospice where she is cared for.
Relatives kept an Easter vigil near the woman throughout Sunday. Absent, however, was Schiavo's mother Mary Schindler, who failed for the first time since the feeding tube was removed on March 18, to take her place at Schiavo's bedside.
A family confidant said Mary Schindler was overcome with grief that, despite years of legal battles, she had been unable to save her daughter, who has been on life support since suffering brain damage 15 years ago.
Robert Schindler said Monday he also had had to overcome his fear of watching his daughter waste away.
"I was scared to death to go in there to see her, for fear of what I'd see. But she has just incredible strength to live," he said.
After Michael Schiavo gave permission for his wife to receive communion, a drop of holy wine was placed on Terri Schiavo's tongue, but she could not receive even a tiny piece of the host because her mouth was so dry, said the Father Tadeusz Malanowski, who administered the sacrament.
Michael Schiavo, insists that his wife should be allowed to die, and that she did not want to be kept alive artificially. Doctors have said she is in a "persistent vegetative state."
The family insists she could improve if given proper treatment, but their legal efforts, including getting a special law passed to have the tube reinserted have failed.
The battle has raged through the Florida's courts and legislature, but escalated after the US Congress stepped in and passed an unprecedented bill, quickly signed by President George W. Bush, allowing the case to be heard in federal court.
Since then, the family has suffered a string of court defeats including one on Saturday, when a state judge rejected the family's argument that Schiavo had tried to say "I want to live" before her feeding tube was removed.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the president's brother, said Monday he had exhausted his options in his efforts to save Schiavo.
"It just breaks my heart that we have not erred on the side of life," he said Monday, but reiterated that there was nothing within the law that he could do at this point.
"There is no means by which we can get involved more than we've already done," the Florida governor said. "My guess is there is very little left for the government to do."
Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the president's brother, said Monday he had exhausted his options in his efforts to save Schiavo.
"It just breaks my heart that we have not erred on the side of life," he said Monday, but reiterated that there was nothing within the law that he could do at this point.
"There is no means by which we can get involved more than we've already done," the Florida governor said. "My guess is there is very little left for the government to do
I thought she "couldn't feel pain," so why the narcotics which will stop her breathing at a high enough dose?
In any case, she certainly did not belong in a hospice, which by law is for people who will die within 6 months. That was 5 years ago. It is obvious that Terri would have lived for another 40 years were she not being murdered.
Judgenfuhrer Greer: "It is almost the end of the day of March 28th.
This proves that any subpoena from the inept weak pussy US Congress
is not even worth a bucket of warm spit around here.
18 USC Section 1505 - we urinate on it. Title 2 of the US code, we deficate on it.
Aritcle III - I personally feed it to my dog, as I will feed you
if you and your children do not bow to us NOW, in our slick black-Mullah robes."
Is this really more important than the earthquake and a possible tsunami that is happening thousands of miles away? I mean, come on people, we need to get our priorities straight! sarcasm off/
It is the government that is executing her without due process of law.
She is not in a PVS, the predicate for putting her to death.
Governor Bush, where does the buck stop?
In a case under so much scrutiny, I wouldn't ordinarily worry about a morphine overdose to hasten death (which is a common occurrence when no one's watching).
But with this crowd, nothing would surprise me.
Here is another question re pain that every pundit has missed or failed to ask...it has been reported that Terry recieved meds during her monthly menses for cramps....why?...if she feels no pain...
The ramifications for this nation are very important.
Lot's of "undesirables" are on life support. I suspect the liberals can clean out the nurning homes -- and they can move on to clean out the foster care centers. Many little children will die if someone doesn't feed them and get them water. If needing help with eating is the new standard, it's prewar Germany.
Lot's of "undesirables" are on life support. I suspect the liberals can clean out the nurning homes -- and they can move on to clean out the foster care centers. Children will die if someone doesn't feed them and get them water. That's "life support", right?
Case law precedent for folks without 'living wills.'
I was thinking the same thing....if Terri can't feel pain then why give her morphine?
Governor Bush is simply wrong.
"There is no means by which we can get involved more than we've already done."
Not true, you have the ability to enforce the FL removal statute, without court approval. Any court order to not enforce the law is an encroachment on the executive branch's powers, a violation of the separation of power and, hence, null and void.
"My guess is there is very little left for the government to do."
It is the government that it is putting her to death. The executive branch enforces the law. Her legal due process rights under the 14th Amendment are being violated, as she is being starved/dehydrated to death on a flagrantly wrong premise that she is in a PVS.
You have the power. You are afraid to use it. This is a failure of leadership.
They are. A nurse called Rush today and said doctors always administer the morphine to hurry along the death process. If Terri were without sense or feeling like Michaels lawyer claimed, why the morphine?
He would fit in well with the Nazi judges and Stalin's judge/executioners.
He has "the look".
And how did they know she had cramps if she didn't tell them?
If the muscle cramping could be abated with relaxants it might help something? (pure speculation)
Father fears doctors will hasten Schiavo's death
Excerpt:
PINELLAS PARK, United States (AFP) - The father of Terri Schiavo made a desperate, 11th hour appeal for authorities to reconnect a feeding tube to his severely brain-damaged daughter, and said he feared doctors might try to hasten her death.
"I have a grave concern that they'll expedite the process to kill her with an overdose of morphine," Bob Schindler told the press Monday outside the hospice where his 41-year old daughter is a patient.
"She's alive and she's fighting like hell to live," he added, remarking on his daughter's "amazing, amazing endurance."
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