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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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

[joesbucks]

The Schindler's actually wrote this all by themselves? Or is it part of an orchestrated PR campaign.

[DCPatriot]

That's what I want to know.

It seems the Schindlers have decided to take something positive out of Terri's death by Earthdweller's excerpt above.

To hear shouts of conspiracy isn't too surprising based upon what we're reading here. They are still intense.

[AlbionGirl]

Turn the other cheek, my friend, they'll go away.

You're right about that. Don't feed in to it, and it won't grow.

[Earthdweller]

Yes but it was fun while it lasted..

Gotta go ....take care all. :)

[EllaMinnow]

He's just posting it to try to make pro-life Catholics think that they aren't pro-life unless they kiss Randall Terry's feet or something.

[andysandmikesmom]

Well, the whole subject of PVS, brain death, brain damage, brain injury, coma, etc, is very, very complicated and I suppose it will continue to be so for a very long time...

Its like anything else, you get a true group of experts together, and they all have their opinions, and I am sure you could get several different medical opinions on the same case...

[joesbucks]

Now that's sad.

[MHGinTN]

Criteria and protocols are in constant flux as new data gets added to the sum. The minimal conscious state was an effort to further narrow the PVS diagnosis. Terri was not PVS by the best current PVS data/criteria. She was very handicapped and likely in a minimal conscious state much like a crib-bound infant. It is telling that some of the folks claiming to be pro-life at FR have no problem with a court, a probate court, putting her down as 'not conscious enough for their purposes/criteria. Doesn't ring true as pro-life in my humble opinion.

[presently no screen name]

Nice post Joe -

I understand have 6th sense about something. A circus yeah, police surrounding the place - more security than The Pope or The President. Why would they think they would need so much protection? Because they knew she would be have been out of there in a NY minute. The good people of our nation don't take kindly to what was going on. But what Satan means for bad, God will use it for good. One good that came out of it for myself right here - I learned some people aren't what they appear and, others, shine more than they know. God allowed evil to be exposed and now He will see what we will do with that knowledge.

You may have a problem who the Schindler's may have gotten in bed with but you have no problem with MS's legal and medical support and a mistress sharing his bed? Schindler's have been paying the bills, Terri/MS stayed in their condo and house before that in PA. They footed the bills for therapy before MS's windfall. During that therapy she was out and about in malls, etc. After the dollars came, Schindler's asked when will Terri resume therapy since this was his intent that he told the court. No therapy for Terri. They then asked to be reimbursed - nope. Once he got the money, he didn't need them anymore for support. He cut them out and only by his direction could they see their daughter and sister. MS should be very thankful for the in-laws he has. In some families-families take care of their own mess in their own way. He would give up guardianship if he cared about himself. Not wussy playing with real men - they take care of the low-life that try to destroy their family. They don't get the government involved like MS.

No more days of empty shell, no more days of confusion??
Empty shell - don't think so. If you are disabled, who you want someone to call you that. Remember, you own words, we really don't know but now you know?

Confusion? I agree - her last days must have been full of confusion - I'm dying and no one cares. What happened? What did I do? Can someone please help me? You know I can't speak that you understand but should that matter? Then again, a lot here are confused and no one is denying any one food or water. So confusion here should be at a minimal, but it isn't. Confusion also reigns in the able not just the disabled.

Lastly, God does tell us what His will is. Why would you think He would keep us from knowing His will if he wants us to obey His will? That doesn't make any sense. Trust me, He tells you when you want to know. Others exercise their free will and don't want to know His will, therefore they don't. He doesn't keep secrets - HE isn't a mysterious God.

Good night. Enjoy your week!

[andysandmikesmom]

Well, I think protocols, and criteria, are always in flux in the medical field, in all areas, due as you say to more and more data being added, and more and more knowledge being gained...

For instance, in 1972 a friend of mine, had a 2 yr old daughter who had open heart surgery...something went wrong, not enough oxygen got to her brain, and the little girl came out of surgery, declared as being 'brain-dead'....now that was more than 33 years ago...my friend was assured that her little girl had a flat EEG, I think, repeated often...it never changed it was always flat...the docs recommendation was that the little girl be taken off the ventilator and allowed to die...my friend wanted to take her off the ventilator , but her aunt convinced her, that so long as the little girl was breathing, even tho it was by means of the ventilator, that she was 'alive', and that pulling the ventilator would be tantamount to actively killing the little girl...my friend relied on her aunts perception, and thus this little baby was sustained on the ventilator for a very long time...finally my friend did stop the ventilator and her daughter did indeed die...but she always bore guilt over that decision, as her aunt had somehow convinced my friend she was complicit in murdering her little girl...my friend would look at me, and ask me what I thought...my older boy was right around the age of her little girl, so it was a hard thing to try to answer...I honestly felt, that if her daughter was brain dead, it was more merciful to let her go...but 'brain-death', and its implications, was a new subject for people to deal with...

Fast forward to 1985, and there I am faced with the exact same situation...my son, has had a massive cerebral hemorrhage, due to his leukemia....after the hemorrhage, the EEg shows minimal brain activity, but the docs tell us, that with the inevitable swelling of the brain, that my son will surely experience over the next few hours, he will become brain dead...which indeed was the case 48hrs later....they also did a series of other tests on my son at this point, to assure us that he was indeed 'dead'...he did not spontaneously breath when taken off the ventilator, the newest EEGs show no brain function, air flow studies showed absolutely no oxygen getting to his brain, and so on and so forth...and so for us, there was never a question of removing the ventilator...we had no doubts, that our son was dead...

A difference of 13 yrs between these two incidents...yet the pool of knowledge, and data, the research, all the available medical knowledge and our own understanding of 'brain death' had dramatically changed...

[sirthomasthemore]

Missed it. But, the Schindlers were a class act throughout;the whole family. Makes the entire fiasco that much more reprehensible.

And , though I will always be tormented by Terri's death (as I am the death of those 2 little boys who died when their demented mother locked them in the car and rolled it into the lake- years ago, but still haunts me-the horror and betrayal they must have felt) - I feel now that Terri's ultimate sacrifice will serve some good purpose, pray God.

[presently no screen name]

Thanks. I didn't know that. All the hardships suffered by so many because of someone's ego and power trip.

How ironic - came to USA to escape persecution. And now we persecute our own innocent.

Thanks again and enjoy your week.

[MHGinTN]

BTW, welcome to FreeRepublic. In the coming months we pro-lifers will be pinging you to various threads. Thank you for your witness to the hope that is within you.

[MHGinTN]

Well, point to one post on this thread where you mention you're pro-life ... and defending the probate court execution of a disabled woman isn't even close to a pro-life stance. Remember where Jesus spoke of doing to the 'least of these'? Yeah, he was holding the children in His arms, and Terri was at the level of a crib-bound child. You must be very proud of your self ...

[sirthomasthemore]

Al-Girl, The culture of Death, the death mongers, can't win out. The American people, regrettably, still don't see the danger. But when they do, this land, will show itself to be a land of life. Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose. His natural Will cannot be undone.

The villains may have reduced Terri's body to ashes, but this will not avail them. Like the Phoenix, she is already resurrected and in full flight- and Justice will come to those who will soon understand, one cannot dehydrate an immortal Soul.

[presently no screen name]

I cannot imagine your grief. I feel I could bear anything but don't touch my children! So sorry for you loss. My sister had a crib death - 35 yrs ago. I thought the pain would never end. They are always with you and rightly so.

[Terriergal]

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.

??!?!? These fractures happened in the BEGINNING!

[Terriergal]

Here come the conspiracy accusations that the whole state of Florida is "in on it"...

Nah, just a lot of doctors and lawyers in Pinellas county. But if you wanted to get a racket going that exploited vulnerable old people that had money, where would you go? North Dakota? Nebraska? No, you'd go to the snowbird capitals of AZ or FL.

[sirthomasthemore]

Thanks Migh,- I think we had some prior friendly exchanges-Ping away! :)

[andysandmikesmom]

Well, I think that is how we all feel about our children...we cannot imagine life without them...when my son died, I thought I would die myself....I am still surprised to this day, that I am still alive...I give credit for that to my wonderful husband, and my younger son, who needed me, and who tried in his little boy way, to be both sons to me...it was a terrible trying time...

The pain never ever goes away....I have just learned to survive with it...but its always there...