Supreme Court Won't Hear Appeal of Family of Brain-Damaged Woman (Florida-Terri Schiavo)

Gainesville Sun ^ | August 22. 2003 | JACKIE HALLIFAX

[greccogirl]

At what point do they become the selfish ones?

We went through a similar situation in our family. The family member had clearly stated she did not want life prolonging treatment and actually went so far as to put that in a living will, specifically stating she did not want to be tube fed. When she became incapacitated, one family member insisted she be kept alive by tube feeding.

It was horrible to see this woman we once knew and loved reduced to a barely living motionless form, unable to give or recieve joy. We decided not to go to court to enforce the living will because we did not want to have our family divided further.

The person being tube fed lived over two miserable years like that. She was suffered from bed sores. She laid there in a diaper, unmoving, unspeaking, glazed expression.

We could not understand why the one family member went to such great lengths to prolong the life of someone whose life was so obviously over. In the end we decided she was a cruel and self-centered person.

True as that may be, it is not Terry in this situation. She is not unmoving, unfeeling on unalert as can be readily seen. To starve her to death would be tantamount of murder..............

[Spyder]

That helped a lot to clarify. The speech therapist has impressive credentials, but as she herself says she hasn't actually worked with Terry. Still, the testimony would be enough for me to side with the parents. Better to err conservatively - particularly if there is no written will/living will specifying what her preferences would have been.

I am rather surprised that the judges and ethicists side with the husband in this, which also makes me wonder if there isn't more to the story. I've seen similar situations where feeding tubes weren't replaced or antibiotics weren't given (comfort care only), and I've seen the process to get approval. Even when there is 100% agreement among staff and family it doesn't go through as easily as it appears this has.

Also, why hasn't a prosecutor taken the case if there is evidence of previous abuse? Apparently there isn't enough evidence to convince a jury, yet it appears there's a big Internet audience that is convinced with less evidence than the prosecutor has at hand. (yes, I'm being a bit judgmental on this one). I've just seen cases where the far right goes out on a limb to "protect" life at all costs when it only does damage to all involved.

[Maria S]

"We could not understand why the one family member went to such great lengths to prolong the life of someone whose life was so obviously over. In the end we decided she was a cruel and self-centered person."

That's why it's so important, in a living will AND Durable Power of Attorney, to set out not only who you want to make final decisions, but who you expressly do NOT want to have any say about your life.

[iowamomforfreedom]

Yes, you are right - the speech therapist has not seen Terri. Since the husband will only allow his hand-picked doctors to examine her, and has forbidden her caretakers to release any information to Terri's parents, there is no clear picture of her true condition available to us. But this is what is so infuriating. Why is he keeping her condition secret? Why has he not even let them TRY rehabilitation? Why did it take him so long to "remember" that Terri didn't want to be kept alive in this type of situation?

I just can't believe this judge would be so willing to let her starve to death without at least the attempt at rehabilitation - to go along with the husband that has refused to let that happen - especially since the money is there and the parents are willing to help in every way possible.

Who knows where Terri would be right now if she had started a rehabilitation program years ago?

And what about the bone-scan showing multiple fractures that took over 10 years to come to light? Shouldn't this potential crime be investigated? WHAT ARE THEY DOING DOWN THERE?!!

Sorry, my rant is not aimed at you. I just feel so helpless. Maybe Terri is irreparably brain-damaged. But like you, I would err on the side of caution. If I were the judge, there is no way I would allow the feeding tube to be pulled until I got some more definitive answers to these questions.

[happygrl]

Your thoughts are probably far less lethal than mine.

It's not for nothing that they came up with that Southern expression "he needed killing."

[Dubya]

Praying for her. The Star-Telegram had an article three days ago about a man who had been in a coma for years came out of it all at once. No one knows why.

[deadhead]

Thank You for the ping, I have signed the petition.

Prayers for Terri

[alexandria]

How much of a chance do they need? It's been 13 years. Should they wait another 5 years? Another 10 years? Another 13 years for her to be "rehabilitated"?
At what point do they become the selfish ones?

At what point do we as other humans "become" God?
At the same time do we actually become the killers?

[Theodore R.]

The judge has to choose between opposing points of view in a very emotional and difficult situation where there are also moral issues at stake. It gets to be pretty muddy territory from a legal point of view.

Sorry, but I don't buy the line that the poor judge has to struggle to decide such "emotional" cases. A woman is about to be starved to death by liberal judges, and no one much seems to care. The parents would take her but the "husband" wants her dead. I don't think these judges are fair under any understanding of that misused word: I think the judges are ideologues of the left and "worship" at the mantle of abortion, euthanasia, "separation of church and state," and other liberal causes.

[Theodore R.]

They wait as long as it takes. The state should never take innocent life for its own convenience. Whether it's 13 years, 18 years, 28 years, it does not matter. Keep this woman alive as long as possible.

[MHGinTN]

In order to win a suit, Michael portrayed his handicapped wife as in need of therapy to restore a measure of coherent functioning. When he won and the massive amount was awarded, Michael decided that she had wanted to die all along. Michael and his current honey and child want Terri out of the way so the funds are released to Michael as an inheritance. The judge needs removing and the case needs a 'stay of execution' from Governor Bush ... at bare minimum!

[Theodore R.]

So, it is not life insurance that Michael Schiavo is after, but the $750,000 set aside for her therapy and medical expenses. This is insane and a reflection of liberals' love affair with euthanasia.

[trustandobey]

When my mother was dying of lung cancer, the doctors did not want to feed her, said it was only prolonging the inevitable. Our family got together and decided that feeding someone is not extra-ordinary life support, and that she should be fed. She told us if she knew how much better it made her feel, she would have asked for it a long time ago. She died 2 1/2 days later, but I for one can sleep, knowing I didn't let her starve to death. I fear for our country, knowing next it will be all residents of nursing homes, after all according to some, they have no quality of life. I say theirs is a lot better than these liberal godless human beings that have no respect for life!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

We could not understand why the one family member went to such great lengths to prolong the life of someone whose life was so obviously over. In the end we decided she was a cruel and self-centered person.

Exactly. Anyone who would do that is lacking some basic elements of their humanity.

[tutstar]

I think he is married another woman and has a child from new wife.

[novacation]

If she was my daughter I'd fight to the death to keep her from being murdered. To let her starve to death is demonic.I saw a news clip on her. She is not brain dead.If the family is willing to take care of her there should be no question.The husband doesn't own her and he isn't god. Either are the courts. The courts have sentenced her to death by the torture of starving. It is so sick.

[oceanperch]

BUMP for Teri.

I am not sure but I beleve tommarrow is the court ordered date to remove the g tube.

Anyone corect me if I am Bagdad Bobbing here.

[novacation]

The courts at their worst. Too terrible for words.

[oceanperch]

bump