Posted on 03/29/2005 5:42:12 PM PST by Former Military Chick
Almost 30 years ago, a 21-year-old named Karen Ann Quinlan lapsed into a persistent vegetative state after drinking too much alcohol and taking Valium at a party. Karen‘s parents waged a legal battle for the right to remove their daughter‘s life support. And they eventually succeeded.
But Karen continued to breath after the respirator was unplugged and remained in a coma for almost 10 years until her death in 1985. Karen would have been 51 years old next week.
JULIA QUINLAN, MOTHER OF KAREN ANN QUINLAN
Well, it‘s—in some ways, it‘s very similar to Terri Schiavo‘s case. In some ways, it isn‘t. We had to make the decision to have what we considered all extraordinary means removed from Karen. And that was the respirator. And we had to go court to fight for what we believed in.
We were refused by the Superior Court in New Jersey. And we had to appeal to the New Jersey state Supreme Court, which granted Joe permission to become her guardian and to have all extraordinary—all extraordinary means removed from her.
Karen was never on a feeding tube. She never had a feeding tube placed in her. She was fed through the nasogastric feeding.
And after she was removed from the respirator, she seemed to be as comfortable as she possibly could be. And so there was no reason for us to remove the nasogastric feeding, because she was resting as comfortably as possible.
Well, it was very difficult.
I can empathize with the husband. And I can empathize with the parents. I think one of the most difficult things life is to accept that your daughter is going to die. And I watched Karen die slowly for 10 years. And it was very, very stressful.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
TERRI IS NOT BRAINDEAD, PVS OR IN A COMA!
I was rather young when this happened. I remember hearing the name. It sounds like they did the right thing. Did the article say they ever thought about not feeding Karen?
On the ground freeper TheSarce @ the hospice here.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1373483/posts?page=4
A nasogastric feeding IS a tube that goes through a nostril of the nose, down the esophagus to the stomach. Terri's tube was inserted through the abdomen to the stomach. Different routes, same purpose. So Karen lived with a feeding tube for 10 years after being taken off life support until she died a natural death.
" Karen was never on a feeding tube. She never had a feeding tube placed in her. She was fed through the nasogastric feeding."
Same thing as a feeding tube-only through her nose.
Terri has exhibited the ability to take liquids and soft food without aspiration, something Karen Ann Quinlan could not.
It will be a cold day in hell when the MSM understands and honestly reports the facts of this case.
Then, I read in this article that Mrs. Quinlan grieved during that entire 10 years while her child LIVED after the respirator was removed... she called it dying for 10 years.... and then, grieved after her child died.
It is a strange story.
And, just think Terri was upset at her friend who made a crass joke about Karen Quinlan AFTER she died.
The testimony of that friend, that said Terri stated about Quinlan," where there is life there is hope" was not allowed by Judge Greer because he thought Quinlan died when Terri was 11 not 21. A child of 11 would not have an opinion which could influence a court.
What a pity.. the opinion was from an adult Terri and it STILL did not matter.
What is she, then?
She is brain-damaged.
Well, she is alert and responds. What would you call that?
I asked you the question. What do you call her state?
Thirsty.
Brain damaged and in a minimal conscious state.
And hungry.
She is brain damaged.
Like lots and lots of handicapped people. Should we stop feeding them, too?
How can her adult opinion not matter??
Now it's clear that this trio (M.Schiavo, Greer, and Felos) never had any intention of a due process hearing on what Terri what've wanted. Instead they were only interested in projected their own will on Terri.
>>>Same thing as a feeding tube-only through her nose.
Terri has exhibited the ability to take liquids and soft food without aspiration, something Karen Ann Quinlan could not.
It will be a cold day in hell when the MSM understands and honestly reports the facts of this case.<<<<
It is the same thing, the MSM and the people who fall for their BS are sad.
Is the person writing this article so lazy they could not do a internet search on the nasogastric feeding??
It is pretty self explainatory to me,
..naso=nose gastric=stomach.
Through the nose to the stomach.
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