DCF: Terri Schiavo Not Abused, Exploited

ABC/AP ^ | 4.16.05

[ambrose]

DCF: Terri Schiavo Not Abused, Exploited

State Agency: Terri Schiavo Was Not Abused or Exploited by Either Side of Her Family

By VICKIE CHACHERE

The Associated Press

Apr. 16, 2005 - State investigators found no evidence that Terri Schiavo had been abused or exploited by either side of her family, according to documents released by Florida's Department of Children and Families.

The agency investigated 89 complaints dating back to 2001, when Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for the first time and the legal battle surrounding her right-to-die case intensified.

The calls alleged that the brain-damaged woman was being mistreated by her husband and her parents for financial gain. One complaint alleged that Schiavo's parents were selling videos of her through a Web site; another said Schiavo's husband wasn't spending money intended for her rehabilitation.

But investigators said they found no evidence that either her husband or parents were exploiting her, and often noted in their records that they found Schiavo well cared for on their visits to her Pinellas Park hospice.

The agency released the records Friday under court order.

Schiavo, 41, died last month after her feeding tube was removed for the third time, ending a bitter court battle between her husband, Michael Schiavo, and parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, over whether she would have wanted to live in a vegetative state.

The repeated allegations of abuse were based partly on bone scans showing Terri Schiavo suffered fractures and statements she made to family and friends that she was unhappy in her marriage.

Schiavo's husband has denied harming his wife. His lawyer said the fractures resulted from osteoporosis caused by the woman's years of immobility and complications of her medication.

Robert Schindler declined to comment there on the release of the DCF documents. An attorney for Michael Schiavo did not immediately return calls.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

[sirthomasthemore]

Earth,

Also wanted to add to my reply to you, that in my short time on this Board, I noted that the overwhelming majority of Freepers make very intelligent and articulate arguments for their point of views.

Alas, as with all Boards, there are those very few who are simply inept, confused, ignorant, incoherent and simply do not have the capacity to carry on an intellectual debate. These people have no recourse but to insult and vilify.

I noted that you been subjected to such personal criticism. My advice, for what's it's worth, is to merely ignore these very few- they merely seek unwarranted attention.

The overwhelming majority of Freepers support your view, as do all people of Faith, and so do not waste your time on people who refuse to accept the teachings of Christ, or at least-ignore those few who refuse to deal honesty, intellectually and logically with the valid points you have raised, and instead attack you personally. Given your factually supported and well reasoned arguments, you need not waste your time with those few who who can not deal with your arguments, and instead, as their only recourse, attack you personally. Turn the other cheek, my friend, they'll go away.

[presently no screen name]

Let me tell you something -

If all you can do is call people names - this adult news forum is out of your league. All your posts are full of name calling, accusations dripping with sarcasm.

Not adult like behavior. Aren't you embarrassed? Or is that behavior 'cool' to you.

[EllaMinnow]

I just realized from your tagline that you're a Huguenot. It's against my religion to recognize the existence of Huguenots.

Ta ta.

[cyncooper]

Let me tell you something, your misrepresentations of my posts are pointless.


I am not in the least bit embarrassed, but you should be (but I'm sure you're not).

[Earthdweller]

Bahahaha!!!

[cyncooper]

No, I said I'm not your friend.

You were the one whining because I wasn't acting like I was your friend.

I hope the buzzing in your head goes away someday.

[presently no screen name]

I need some education - what's a Huguenot?

[cyncooper]

And there you go lying about people and then cloaking it in "Christian" talk.

It doesn't get much more vile than that.

I obviously had you pegged right off the bat.

[Earthdweller]

Thanks .....

:)

[joesbucks]

You know, honestly, the whole Terri thing became a circus. A side show. Early on when he and the Schindler's were on the same team, they constantly came up against information from doctors they were fighting a windmill regarding her possibility for improvement. The Schindler side of the family won't admit to that. It was only after Michael thew in the towel (for better or worse morally) that he sought out a medical team that would support his stance. The Schindler's sougth out a team that would support theirs. It seems the taint of money may have influenced both sides. IT seems that once they both dug in, there was no mediation. Objectivity from a medical perspective was cast to the wind. Each side only wanted to win and not hear something objective.

It would be so much easier to side with the Schindler's. A sixth sense tells me to avoid them. I see them and for some reason my defense mechanisms go up. I don't know if it's them or because of the people they have gotten into bed with to make their case. A lot of the supposedly good guys in this aren't pure as the driven snow.

In my opinion, Terri, if she was truly saved, is at peace and in a better place. Only God knows for sure. I trust He took her home. If he didn't only He knows why and for what reasons.

If He took her home, she's in a better place. No more empty shell of mind. No more days of total confusion. No more bitter fight between family members. We should celebrate that. However, the prolife movement won't. Because for as much as Michale Schiavo and Felos and maybe even the judicial in all this may have played God, the Schindler's and their team did too. They think they knew God's will in this matter. But in fact, they, you or I don't know. We can only assume based on tradition and translation what we think he may have wanted. But if you are really honest with yourself and with Him, you'll have to admit that you don't know. Clearly, He didn't make it clear and clearly HE didn't intercede.

[andysandmikesmom]

Well, I am extremely glad that you provided that link, and I got to read a story I was interested in pursuing...it was the article about the RN, Carla Iyer, who claims she had been fired by the facility where she was taking care of Terri Shiavo, because she went to the police....I find much of this story not to be to my liking...

For instance, anyone working in any medical facility knows that if you suspect abuse of any of your patients for any reason, you dont go running off to the police...you do report it to those at your facility higher up than you are...now she claims she did this, and also went to the police and that is why she was fired...but what else did she do?...I know where I have worked, should I have a case of patient abuse to report, I report it to my boss..and regardless of what my boss may or may not do, I follow it up...and if my boss shrugs off my report, then I go further up...I report the incident then and there to the ombudsman, and to Adult Protective Services, and to any other health care overseeing agency....

All medical facilities have phone numbers posted in many different areas, phone numbers that anyone, whether a health care worker, or a visitor, or a delivery person, can use to report cases of abuse that they observe...I do not see anywhere where this RN, did any of this, which is just basic stuff...so I am suspicious...

She also claims in the article that she had no proof...yet further on in the article, she reports seeing supposed 'injection' sites, where she is sure that Michael Shiavo injected Terri with insulin...those injection sites, surely would have been observable if she had reported these incidents immediately, and the appropriate overseeing facilities came out to observe...and she also claims that there was an empty srynge left in the waste paper basket...did she keep it as evidence, as if as she tries to intimate, this could have been a possible 'murder' weapon?...apparently not....quite frankly, I find her story to be full of holes...

She suspects Terri is being abused, but instead of going immediately to Adult Protective Services, or another overseeing facility, she claims she went to the police and then was fired...I find that all hard to believe...

I have worked in nursing facilities for years...the day after anyone calls Adult Protect Services or the ombudsman, and reports a case of abuse, the State Surveyors, who inspect our facilities, come out, unannounced and immediately show the facility the abuse charge, demand to see the patient, and evaluate if abuse did indeed take place...I find none of this accepted procedure in this nurses story...

Maybe there is something I am missing here but based on this story, I find this RNs story suspicious in many areas..,which would lead me to discount anything she might have to say about any other point related to this story...

In my view, she acted in a very non professional manner, did not report suspected abuse to the proper authorities as soon as it occurred, no did she collect supposed evidence which would have backed up her accusations....

Perhaps her reason for being fired, was other than what she claimed...I dont know...as you can see, I read everything, with a suspicious mind....her story is not up to par, in my own opinion...

[EllaMinnow]

As one pro-life Catholic to another, aren't you just shocked by the sacrilege of that troll's name?

I certainly am.

[Earthdweller]

Louis XIV, the "Sun King" during his long and powerful reign (1643-1715)drove the Protestants (300,000 Huguenots) from France---

Many took up residence in the USA to escape persecution.

[cyncooper]

Yes, I am and was from the first I spotted it.

[Earthdweller]

Did you see this excerpt from Terri's family after her death?

Very telling..

"We have a message to all of the religious leaders who tried to help Terri:"

"Thank you to all people of faith who demonstrated love for Terri and strength of conviction to defend the sacredness of all human life as a precious gift from God. Our family is highly honored that the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, would speak out so boldly on behalf of our sister, Terri."

[DCPatriot]

...Clearly, He didn't make it clear and clearly HE didn't intercede.

Sure He did. She died, didn't she? His Will has been done. Catholics are taught everything is God's Will.

You go to any funeral and the preacher says "Don't cry, God wanted him/her home. Be happy about her soul. It was God's Will."

[Earthdweller]

Another excerpt of the statement from the family of Terri after her death.

"God's plan for Terri is unfolding before our eyes. Our prayer at this time is that our Nation will remember the plight of persons with disabilities and commit within our hearts to defend their lives and their dignity for many generations to come."

[joesbucks]

If it is His will, then why such the fuss?

[MHGinTN]

According to the accepted standard (one that is so nebulous as to be near useless and has proven to be wrong in ~47% of cases diagnosed), a person in PVS cannot govern their actions sufficiently to lick their lips as Terri did in the 1992 or 1993 videos. The tongue may occasionally extend, but licking the lips from side to side is not a reflex it is a conscious act. Terri's cognitive level was approximately that of a crib-bound infant, but she was not in classic PVS. She was however never likely to recover and thus she was a huge inconvenience for her then husband who had already begun dating and chasing other women, including staff at hospitals. At the upper fringe of PVS, swallowing is accomplished as a reflex of a tickle in the throat, not a conscious act to swallow. Brain dead people cannot swallow even on relfex so they must be suctioned to prevent aspirating, as you know. Cranford said Terri was brain dead and had been dead since 1990, but he then contradicted himself, so Cranford is in-credible. Terri was put down like a useless pet simply because she was an inconvenience and because the courts had erred repeatedly during the previous decade and could not allow their errors to see light. Michael was never going to have a whole Terri again so he had her put down. case closed, for the detah cultists.

[Earthdweller]

...here's one explanation..another part of Terri's family's statement.

"We have a message to Terri from her family:"

"As a member of our family unable to speak for yourself, you spoke loudly. As a member of our family unable to stand under your own power, you stood with a grace and a dignity that made your family proud. Terri, we love you dearly, but we know that God loves you more than we do. We must accept your untimely death as God's will."

"Terri, your life and legacy will continue to live on, as the nation is now awakened to the plight of thousands of voiceless people with disabilities that were previously unnoticed. Your family intends to stand up for the other "Terri's" around this nation and we will do all that we can to change the law so others won't face the same fate that has befallen you."