Prayer vigil for Terri Schiavo

The revered Roman Catholic priest who was barred from visiting Terri Schindler-Schiavo when she was hospitalized due to a medical crisis in mid-August is holding an all-night prayer vigil on behalf of the 39-year-old brain-disabled woman, whose death by court-ordered starvation is scheduled to begin in six days.

From 8 p.m. Eastern tonight until 7 a.m. tomorrow, at St. Laurence's Church in Tampa, Fla., Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski of the Diocese of St. Petersburg will personally conduct the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, marked with hourly prayers, and conclude with a celebration of the Mass at 6:30 a.m.

"As a priest, I feel we have to do something spiritual and religious for Terri because we're getting down to the deadline, and I want to plead with our Lord to intervene," Malanowski told WorldNetDaily.

The deadline to which he's referring is not only the Oct. 15 date when Terri's feeding tube is to be disconnected, but the hearing tomorrow in federal court.

At 1:30 p.m., U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara will listen to arguments by Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler of Gulf Port, Fla., and their attorney, Patricia Anderson, regarding alleged violations of Terri's civil rights by her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo. Anderson will be joined by Christopher Ferrara of the American Catholic Lawyers Association.

Lazzara will also consider a request by the Schindlers for a preliminary injunction to postpone the Oct. 15 removal of the feeding tube that is keeping Terri alive, until she is given therapy and training that would enable her to be spoon-fed.

As WorldNetDaily reported, the Schindlers have been locked in a decade-long legal struggle with their son-in-law over the care and custody of their daughter, who suffered massive brain damage when she collapsed at her home 13 years ago under unexplained circumstances at the age of 26.

A bitter family dispute over Terri's lack of care and therapy became a major euthanasia battle five years ago when Schiavo petitioned the court for permission to remove his wife's feeding tube, claiming she is in a "persistent vegetative state" and had told him years ago she would not want to be kept alive "by tubes" and "artificial" means. Although Terri breathes on her own and maintains her own blood pressure, she requires a simple tube into her abdomen to her stomach for nourishment and hydration.

Over a dozen prominent doctors and therapists have stated that with therapy Terri could be rehabilitated. However, about half-a-dozen physicians maintain her brain is so damaged she is essentially unconscious and will never recover from her "vegetative" state.

Despite a mountain of evidence and testimony to the contrary, the Florida courts have consistently ignored experts on the Schindlers' side and ruled for Schiavo and his attorney, George Felos, a well-known "right-to-die" advocate.

The situation with Malanowski developed last summer, when Terri began coughing up blood and appeared to have aspiration pneumonia. On Aug. 14, she was transferred from the Hospice of the Florida Sun Coast in Pinellas Park, Fla., where she has been living the last three years, and taken by ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater.

Terri's parents were not immediately informed of the medical crisis, but when they learned of it her father visited her in the evening at the hospital. Upon returning home, he phoned Malanowski, who lives a few blocks from Morton Plant, and asked him to run over and see her. As a priest, Malanowski thought nothing of going to the hospital – even though it was 10 p.m. – to see the sick woman, who was quite possibly on her deathbed.

He told WorldNetDaily he gave Terri the Sacraments of Absolution and Healing, as he had done nearly every Saturday for three years when he visited her at the Hospice with her parents. The only difference was this time he was there alone, without the Schindlers.

When Michael Schiavo learned of this, he barred the priest from visiting Terri at the hospital, the hospice or any other place – saying he was concerned about Malanowski's "integrity" and did not think he was the kind of person he wanted visiting Terri.

Malanowski served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army for 30 years, retiring with the rank of brigadier general. He left the service with an unblemished record. Now 81, he is known locally as the "pinch-hitting priest," because, at the request of the bishop, he runs the parishes of several priests forced to leave because of child-molestation charges.

When Anderson learned Malanowski had been barred from visiting Terri, she demanded an emergency hearing. But by the time it was held, Terri had been returned to the hospice even though she was not fully recovered from her illness.

Probate Judge George Greer, of the Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, who has presided over the case almost from the beginning, refused to reinstate Malinowski's visitation rights, ruling that since Terri was no longer at the hospital there was no emergency and the attorneys should "work things out."

Anderson has repeatedly asked Greer to reinstate the priest's visitation rights – most recently at a hearing yesterday – but he has rejected every request. Nonetheless, Malanowski has been allowed to visit Terri on a week-to-week basis, but only in the company of her parents.

He told WorldNetDaily he saw her Saturday to administer the Sacraments and was impressed with the way she had recovered from her mid-August illness and a bout with pneumonia and sepsis over the Labor Day Weekend.

"I was there yesterday [Oct. 4], and it's amazing how she's overcome pneumonia," he exclaimed. "Her mother was kissing her, talking to her, and Terri's smiling."

Malanowski said the Schindlers brought earphones and a tape recorder so she could hear some music.

"She loves music, she wants music," he said. "They played [Luciano] Pavarotti for her, and her eyes go wide open. She hears Pavarotti through the earphones, and she becomes alert."

There are musical performances and sing-a-longs at the Hospice, but Schiavo has not allowed his wife to attend and she is kept isolated from the other patients.

Malanowski said he has no idea how many people will come to the vigil, especially during the early hours of the morning, but he has a program planned for every hour. He explained he felt compelled to have it.

"I want to do it," he said. "I want to let people know we're doing something spiritually for Terri. I feel it in my own heart: that's what I want to do. You know, all things are possible with our Lord. That's what the Bible says. With God all things are possible."

Legal documents and information on Terri's fight for life are posted on the family's website.

Theresa Schindler-Schiavo (Terri) is a disabled young woman who is the victim of gross abuse and the complete denial of her basic human rights.

Terri is under a Florida Court order to die by starvation simply because her present condition has been confused by misleading information entered into court records.

The facts that follow should be cause for outrage. Not only is Terri being systematically denied her right to life and ordinary care, but half-truths and outright distortions about her case have been deliberately and consistently supplied to members of the media and other influential individuals. This propaganda has seriously damaged public understanding of the truth of

Terri’s condition and the significance of her cause.

Please take the time to read the following information. Terri needs your involvement NOW. We respectfully ask that you take any action you can to bring focus back to this case and to help us make the truth known.

We will promptly provide you with any additional factual information you may need. Please do not hesitate to contact me personally with your questions or comments.

Thank you on behalf of Terri Schindler-Schiavo,

Robert Schindler, Sr.

Myths, Questions and Facts

MYTH: Terri is in a coma.

FACT: Terri is NOT in a coma. Like you and I, Terri has separate periods of sleep and

wakefulness. Like you and I, she is able to breathe normally, maintain a normal heartbeat

and has involuntary functions other than the residual effects associated with a brain

damaged patient. Terri is not using a respirator or any other machine to stay alive. She is

NOT in a coma, nor is she in a "persistent vegetative state" as her husband, Michael Schiavo has claimed. By Florida Law, a persistent vegetative state is defined as:

The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind. This does not apply to Terri. She tracks objects with her eyes, she moves her limbs on command, she vocalizes when her family or friends are present, she laughs, she cries and she has been video taped while responding to her mother’s words and touch, trying to speak and trying desperately to communicate.
An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment. Terri is able to interact purposefully with her environment and experiences pain and discomfort like you and I. Medical records verify that Terri has verbally expressed annoyance with caretakers and with at least one medical practitioner during examination—clearly indicating that Terri is able to communicate.

MYTH: Many doctors have said that there is no hope for her.

FACT: Terri doesn’t actually see many doctors. Dr. Victor Gambone testified that he visits Terri 3 times a year. His visits last for approximately 10 minutes. He also testified, after viewing the court videotapes at Terri’s recent trial, that he was surprised to see Terri’s level of awareness. This doctor is part of a team hand-picked by her husband, Michael Schiavo, shortly before he filed to have Terri’s feeding removed. Contrary to Schiavo’s team, 10 independent physicians have given either statements or testimony that Terri is NOT in a Persistent Vegetative State. Additionally, there has never been any medical dispute of Terri’s ability to swallow. Even with this compelling evidence, Terri’s husband, Michael Schiavo, has denied any form of therapy for her for over 10 years.

Dr. Melvin Greer, appointed by Schiavo, testified that a doctor need not examine a patient to know the appropriate medical treatment. He spent approximately 45 minutes with Terri. Dr. Peter Bambakidas, appointed by Judge Greer, spent approximately 30 minutes with Terri. Dr. Ronald Cranford, also appointed by Schiavo and who has publicly labeled himself "Dr. Death", spent less than 45 minutes examining and interacting with Terri.

MYTH: Terri’s condition was caused by a heart attack.

FACT: Terri was NEVER diagnosed as a heart attack victim when she was admitted to the Northside Humana emergency room in February 1990. To this day, her family does not know the true cause of her collapse. Doctors immediately excluded heart attack as her blood enzymes were not elevated—typical in all heart attack victims. Terri’s toxicology screen also eliminated any suspicion of drugs.

At the time of Terri’s admittance, blood tests revealed a depletion of electrolytes and her attending physician HYPOTHESIZED that low blood potassium MAY have caused her collapse. It was with this information that Michael Schiavo entered into a lawsuit against Terri’s General Practitioner and Gynecologist, claiming negligence on their part.

In preparation for Terri’s October 2002 trial, her ER records were reviewed and it was plainly noted in the "Admitting Summary" that Terri had a "rigid neck" when she was admitted to the hospital. These injuries were never disclosed to Terri’s family, nor—to their knowledge—were they ever investigated. The doctor reviewing these records testified that the only other patient he treated with similar injuries was the victim of an attempted strangulation.

The prospect that foul play may have led to Terri’s collapse and ensuing heart stoppage was enhanced when a bone scan was recently found. This scan, taken 53 weeks after Terri’s collapse revealed that Terri had fractured ribs, damage to her pelvic area, L1 vertebrae, spine, both knees and both ankles. It also revealed that Terri had suffered a broken femur and a broken back. Three doctors concluded that Terri had endured trauma of some sort. The radiologist responsible for the scan plainly stated: "This patient has a history of trauma".

MYTH: Terri said she wanted to die if her life could only be sustained artificially.

FACT: Terri never executed a will or a living will. Terri had NO WRITTEN DIRECTIVE nor is there any written record expressing Terri’s wishes regarding medical care should she ever become incapacitated. There is NO DOCUMENT in existence indicating Terri’s wishes, much less any wish to die or be refused therapy should she become disabled.

During the 1992 malpractice suit, Schiavo testified: "I believe in the vows I took with my wife, through sickness, in health, for richer or poor. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I’m going to do that." He also told the jury that he intended to bring Terri home and that, if he had the equipment and resources, he would do so immediately

Terri’s alleged "wishes" only surfaced in 1998, after Schiavo petitioned the courts to remove Terri’s feeding tube. However, during the 1992 malpractice lawsuit, Schiavo, in pursuit of a 20 million dollar award, pleaded with the courts for money he said he needed for Terri’s extended long term care. He presented this case based on Terri's estimated life expectancy of 50 years or more. However, seven months later, after receiving this money, Schiavo instructed nurses caring for Terri not to give her antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. This untreated infection could have brought about Terri’s death and this fact was known to Schiavo.

Terri’s "wishes" came under scrutiny when the court appointed Guardian Ad Litem filed a court ordered report, recommending the court deny Schiavo’s petition to withdraw Terri’s feeding tube. The report cited Schiavo’s "death wish" story lacked credibility, noting that he was the only witness. Weeks prior to Terri’s January 2000 feeding removal trial, Schiavo introduced

2 new witnesses to corroborate Terri’s verbal "death wish". The new witnesses were Schiavo’s brother and sister-in-law. After years of silence, they suddenly recalled Terri making statements concerning her end of life wishes. Terri’s alleged "wishes" were never, however, discussed with anyone in her family nor with her friends, and the statements made by Schiavo’s witnesses were simply hearsay evidence.

Florida Law dictates that an "end of life directive" is a requirement in order to legally remove a person’s nutrition and hydration, but there is none in Terri’s case.

MYTH: People like Terri are a burden on the system.

FACT: Terri’s brother and sister have consistently volunteered to work as her guardians. Terri’s mother and father have volunteered to be responsible for her care and therapy - which Terri has a right to. Terri also has a medical fund and would NOT be cared for by tax-payers’ money. Though the Schindlers have lovingly volunteered to provide Terri rehabilitation and affectionate care, Schiavo refuses to relinquish Terri’s guardianship to them and continues to pursue his court battle to end her life by way of starvation.

MYTH: Terri is in a nursing home. She must be receiving the best of care.

FACT: In April of 2000, Terri was improperly admitted to a Hospice facility. Hospice is not a nursing home, nor is it licensed to care for the chronically ill. The mission of Hospice is to provide palliative care to the terminally ill and Terri has no terminal illness or condition. Upon admittance, the attending physician must certify that the patient is likely to die within six months, yet there is no such prognosis affecting Terri’s life expectancy. Terri was moved to Hospice from a full care Nursing Facility secretively and outside of normal facility hours. Although an objection was filed on Terri’s behalf upon discovery of this, Judge Greer approved the move after the fact.

The Director of Nurses/Administrator at Hospice stated she would not medicate Terri, even if the outcome of refusing medication would bring about her death - because of orders by Schiavo. When asked if she would advise the family of a life threatening situation on Terri’s part, she stated only if Michael Schiavo allowed her. Further, she stated the family would not be advised of any problem Terri may have, regardless of severity, unless approved by Schiavo.

QUESTION: Why doesn’t her family do something?

ANSWER: The courts will not allow it. Outside of the court room, there is little Terri’s family can do to help her. Terri’s parents have made dozens of petitions on the court to allow them more ability to care for their daughter. The vast majority were flatly denied. Schiavo has terminated open visitation to Terri’s family. He has also ordered that Terri’s medical records and

information be kept from her family. He deals with Terri’s medical providers in complete secrecy.

MYTH: This is just a family battle over money.

FACT: In 1992, Terri was awarded nearly one million dollars by a malpractice jury and an out-of-court malpractice settlement which was designated for future medical expenses. Of these funds, less than $140,000 remains today. The financial records revealing how Terri’s medical fund money is managed are SEALED from inspection. Court records, however, show that Judge Greer has approved the spending down of Terri’s medical fund on Schiavo’s attorney’s fees - though it was expressly awarded to Terri for her medical care. Schiavo’s primary attorney, George Felos, has received upwards of $400,000 dollars since Schiavo hired him. This same attorney, at the expense of Terri’s medical fund, publicly likened Terri to a "houseplant" and has used Terri’s case on national television to promote his newly published book.

MYTH: Michael Schiavo volunteered to donate the balance of the inheritance to

charity.

FACT: In October, 1998, Schiavo’s attorney proposed that, if Terri’s parents would agree to her death by starvation, Schiavo would donate his inheritance to charity. The proposal came after a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem cited Schiavo’s conflict of interest since he stood to inherit the balance of Terri’s medical fund upon her death. This one and only offer stated "if the proposal is not fully accepted within 10 days, it shall automatically be withdrawn". Naturally, Terri’s parents immediately rejected the offer. Yet, for 4 years, Schiavo has repeatedly implied to the media that he was willing to donate Terri’s inheritance to charity.

MYTH: Terri’s husband is only trying to do the right thing for her.

FACT: Prior to the outcome of Terri’s 1992 malpractice lawsuit, Michael Schiavo placed her in a rehabilitation center and testified that he "wanted to take care of his wife". After Terri was awarded her settlement, and Schiavo was awarded $630,000, he stopped all progressive treatment and admitted Terri to a nursing home facility - which only provided routine care and maintenance. This was in spite of a promising neurological prognosis indicating that Terri was making progress on the way to recovery.

Schiavo is living with and has fathered a child with a woman he titles his "fiancée". By Florida Statute 798, this is open adultery and considered lewd and lascivious cohabitation under Florida Law. Under such laws, Schiavo is disqualified as Terri’s legal guardian. Yet, the court refuses to remove him as such. He refuses to seek divorce (which would be a natural process if he truly intended to move on with his life) and, instead, persists in his demands that Terri be put to death.

MYTH: Terri’s family just doesn’t want to let her go. They’re keeping her alive

unnecessarily.

FACT: A renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. William Hammesfahr, has offered to treat Terri and to give her the rehabilitation she needs to recover. Dr. Hammesfahr was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1999 and has recently been acknowledged by the Florida Board of Medicine as "The first and only doctor in medical history to reverse the effects of stroke". Dr. Hammesfahr thoroughly examined Terri and testified that Terri was not in a Persistent Vegetative State. Terri’s parents only want their daughter to have access to this treatment as well as any other appropriate therapy. As a patient, Terri has been sequestered from treatment and recovery. Terri’s family only want to change this and to have Terri’s human rights restored.

MYTH: It’s a horrible situation, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

FACT: Here is the biggest myth of all. There is plenty everyone can do to ensure that an innocent young woman is not exterminated by the Florida Courts. We ask that members of the press bring focus back to this story and report the TRUTH. We ask that members of government intervene and bring relief to a family that wants nothing more than to care for their own flesh and blood. We ask that activist groups take serious effort to pressure those who can determine the final outcome. And we ask that anyone, who knows the love and joy only a child or sibling can bring, to pass the word of Terri’s fight for life along. Terri’s time is running out. She needs you now.

Timelines and Court Decisions

Very real information about this case

While it’s true that this case has carried on in the courts for some time, it can be easily said that very real and clear miscarriages of justice have taken place in the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Dozens of petitions have been filed on Terri’s behalf, by her parents, with the intention of protecting her rights and ensuring her fair and just treatment. Of those, Judge George Greer has denied more than 95%. Among the denied petitions that were filed on Terri’s behalf:

Permission for Independent Doctors to evaluate Terri’s neurological status

Authorization granting swallowing examinations, supported by 3 doctor’s affidavits stating Terri was capable of swallowing

Petition for Terri to have an Independent Medical Examination

Motion for emergency temporary injunction to have Terri’s feeding resumed, based on evidence that Schiavo offered perjured testimony of Terri’s wishes.

Conversely, Judge Greer has approved dozens of troubling petitions filed on behalf of Michael

Schiavo in his efforts to end Terri’s life by way of starvation and dehydration. Among these approvals:

To strike and ignore the affidavits of three doctors and other evidence that Schiavo misrepresented Terri’s condition at her trial

A secretly filed fee petition to award George Felos $225 per hour and thousands of dollars in "costs" in pursuit of her death (all withdrawn from Terri’s Medical Rehabilitation Fund)

Approve Medicaid Assistance applications with a "Special Needs Provision" to preserve and allow Terri’s pledged Medical Rehabilitation Fund assets to be available to Schiavo’s attorney, George Felos for payment of his and other legal fees

Restraining parents and siblings from taking any photographs, videotapes or other pictorial representations of Terri.

Perhaps just as troubling as the decisions handed down by Judge Greer is the public behavior of Michael Schiavo’s attorney, George Felos. Mr. Felos is on record in the courts, questioning the sanity of Terri’s family for protesting her death. He has publicly likened Terri to a "plant that grows towards the sunlight". And, he has publicly labeled those opposed to Terri’s death "right-wing fanatics". Mr. Felos has repeatedly used catch-phrases such as "right to die" and "dying with dignity" in order to reinforce incorrect public perception that Terri is without hope of recovery.

Mr. Felos has recently published a book titled "Litigation as Spiritual Practice". In it, chapters such as "Bargaining for the Contingency Fee", "Battling on all Fronts" and "Bringing to Court a Show-Worthy Production" can be found in its contents.

Our Goals:

Support - from those who believe that her life is sacred. Anyone touched by this story should spread the word and encourage their friends and family to find out more about Terri’s situation by logging on to www.terrisfight.org;

People - to contact the media, expressing their personal outrage with the events of this case and urging them to bring focus and accurate reporting to this case. It is essential to Terri’s survival that details of her situation and condition be reported accurately;

Financial - contributions are needed to offset the extensive legal costs Terri’s case requires.

Pressure - on Government Officials on the three majors issues:

Terri’s present situation and immediate intervention so that she can receive just and fair treatment in our Florida Courts,
To remove Terri’s guardianship from a husband who no longer cares for her and assign a member of Terri’s immediate family as her legal guardian.
Reform of our State’s and our Nation’s guardian laws and end of life statutes- which can exclude a child’s parents from life and death decisions.

Who you can contact:

Attorney Gen. Charlie Crist

Office of Attorney General

State of Florida - The Capitol

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

850-487-1963

850-487-2564 Fax

ag@oag.state.fl.us

Governor Jeb Bush

Florida Capitol Building, PL-05

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

850-488-4441

850-922-4292 Fax

fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us

Attorney General John Ashcroft

US Dept. of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20530-0001

202-353-1555

askDOK@usdoj.gov

Hon David A. Demers

(Oversees all judges in the 6th district).

545 1st Avenue North - Room 400

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

727-581-7882

727-582-7210 Fax

The Tampa Tribune

Letters to the Editor

PO Box 191

Tampa, FL 33601-4405

tribletters@tampatrib.com

The St. Pete Times

Letters to the Editor

PO Box 1121

St Petersburg, FL 33731

letters@sptimes.com

Things to Know:

Terri is not "comatose" as reported in the media. She is shown on videotape, responding to her friends and family.

Terri can move on command, laughs, cries and tries to speak.

Terri has not received therapy in over 10 years, though doctors say such treatment can advance her recovery.

In the State of Florida, a feeding tube is considered Life Support, though many patients who undergo routine surgery are assisted by a feeding tube.

Throughout all walks of life, there are people who receive their nutrition by way of a feeding tube. They lead active lives and contribute to society.

Terri’s siblings faced possible arrest and lost visitation rights the first time Terri’s feeding tube was removed, for asking nurses to try feeding her baby food - which family doctors believed she could safely consume.

Terri does not use a Respirator nor does she need any machine or device to sustain her life. Her only dependency is a feeding tube.

Terri’s family has NOT been allowed any participation in the decision-making process for Terri’s care.

Terri’s parents and her brother and sister have been forbidden open visitation with Terri and can only visit when Terri’s husband approves it.

Terri has been transferred to a Hospice facility, which is a facility that cares for terminally ill patients, though she is NOT terminally ill.

Terri’s husband gave specific instructions to her nursing facility NOT to treat her for potentially fatal infections.

Terri has not had her teeth cleaned since 1995.

Terri has not had a PAP smear since 1996.

Terri has never been given a mammogram.

Terri left NO will, NO living will and NO written directives about any end of life issues or wishes.

http://www.terrisfight.org/downloads/media.PDF

Terri's Story: More On Her Life and Struggle

By Terri's Brother, Bobby

Friends, as you read this story please do my family a favor and not just see the words written on these pages but try to feel them. The goal of this story is for others to see Terri as someone more than a picture in the newspaper or a face on the news. We, as a family, are fighting against her husband in an attempt to prevent the removal of her feeding tube. To my parents, my younger sister, our friends and even to many she never knew, Terri is LIFE and in this process we have to be her voice.

Imagine a laughter that could fill a room and make you feel as though there is nowhere else you would rather be. Imagine a hug so genuine that it could bring you tears. Imagine the gift of a smile that would brighten the gloomiest of days. Imagine being able to entrust your deepest secrets to someone and feeling secure that the secret would be kept forever. Imagine someone who would cry for hours when faced with the knowledge that an animal had been harmed or killed. Imagine someone who would drive thirty minutes out of her way up to five times a week to visit a sick grandmother. Imagine someone who would forgo her wants and wishes for just knowing that doing something different would provide someone else with five minutes of happiness. Imagine a friend who said I love you a thousand times – not with words – but with the portrayal of respect, sincerity, and compassion. Imagine someone who would seek and find the good in even the worst of situation and make others question what it was that they were worried about in the first place. Imagine someone who looked at life as a gift and tried to live everyday to it's fullest. Imagine someone who would except you unconditionally with the grace of love and the lack of judgment. If you can imagine these things, through your imagination you have met Terri Schiavo.

Unfortunately, this is Terri as we once knew her. On February 25, 1990, my sister, a beautiful young woman with a life of challenges and new experiences ahead of her collapsed on her hallway floor and experienced cardiac arrest which deprived oxygen to her brain for up to five minutes. This has caused her to enter the state in which she has remained for the past twelve years. Unbeknownst to my family, this tragedy was only the beginning of years of obstacles and tears. Please bare with me while I try to explain events which have made these past years particularly difficult and has put my family in a position of literally fighting for Terri's life.

In order to understand and have an appreciation for what my parents have gone through you have to allow yourself to fully absorb the facts of the past twelve years.

Though things looked bleak after Terri's accident, Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband and legal guardian, pursued a medical malpractice suit on her behalf, which would provide him with the funds to seek aggressive experimental medical treatment for her. Michael was successful and was awarded $300 thousand in punitive damages and Terri was awarded $750 thousand for experimental treatment and medical care. At that time we became hopeful that Terri would be provided with treatment that could possibly help her. Unfortunately, this hope was short lived. Soon after the malpractice suit (within three weeks), a division between my family and Michael began to emerge. Michael immediately began to retract the verbal agreements he had made with my father pertaining to the care and treatment of Terri and it appeared as though he had begun to take a direction of self-serving practice. Since that time, my family has been fighting an uphill battle against Michael for her life.

What was (and has been) so incredibly upsetting to my family is that the money awarded to Terri in the malpractice suit was awarded specifically for the sole purpose of caring for her and seeking aggressive experimental medical treatment. Unfortunately, this has not occurred. In fact, since the malpractice suit, Michael, as Terri's legal guardian, has sought the exact opposite. In the past ten years Michael has attempted to withhold medical treatment that would have ultimately have led to Terri's demise. Had the nursing home not alerted my parents, who then intervened and obtained a court order to continue medical treatment, Terri would have died from simple infections that were ultimately cured with antibiotic treatment. In addition, Michael has sought no medical treatment for Terri outside of what the nursing home provides, which is simply put, "routine care." To add insult to injury, Michael has completely excluded my family from having input or knowledge pertaining to her medical care. So as it stands, my parents no more rights to her than you, as a reader, have at this very moment.

This all sounds pretty incredible. Well, how about these facts! Terri has no pictures in her hospital room of her family or friends because when these objects have been placed, they have been promptly removed. Clothes that my mother has bought and brought to her, have been taken away to never be seen again. Terri is not allowed to be taken outside without permission from her husband. The two cats that my sister had for five years prior to her accident, Michael had euthanized within a year after her cardiac arrest. Michael has been using my sister's $750 thousand dollar medical fund to finance his legal fees, the same funds that were intended for her medical care and treatment. In the malpractice deposition, in 1992, Michael stated "I believe in the vow's I took with my wife. I want to spend the rest of my live with her and I'm going to do that." So would it surprise you to know, though Michael is still married to my sister, he testified in the January 2000 trial that for the last four years he has been engaged to and living with his fiancée?

Based on these facts, hopefully it is easy to see the heartache and frustrations my family has been faced with, however, in retrospect, none of these obstacles compare to what has recently been placed in front of us. In 1997, Michael petitioned the court to have Terri's feeding tube removed, claiming that when Terri was in her early twenties, she stated that she would not want to be kept alive on artificial life support. Until recently, this has never been mentioned. In attempt to fight his request, we endured a week long trial disclaiming that Terri would have ever made this type request. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful and my family is currently in the process of an appeal.

To say that my family was shocked with the outcome of the trial is an understatement. My sister exhibits what my family believes is clear evidence of emotion. She laughs when my mother visits, she cries, she moans, she smiles, and her eyes tract. Doctors testified that these behaviors were reflexes. I believe it is too coincidental that for over twelve years now, Terri consistently demonstrates these emotional reactions when my mother is present.

When I sit by myself and I think about the things that have occurred, I can't help but wonder what the meaning is in all this. We live in a country where the sane and competent can't choose euthanasia yet we can expend someone who doesn't have a living will and is too incompetent to verbalizes their own wishes. I know my sister! She loved life and I believe she never made the comments Michael claims she made. In my opinion there was too much ambiguity in this case for a court to order her death. She is not on a respirator, she is only on a feeding tube. Otherwise, she is physically in excellent health. I can't help but think about a statement one of the doctors who testified in the trial made. He stated that her condition is irreversible and that there is no hope of her recovery. First, I don't understand how he could say this knowing other individuals in Terri's condition that have made substantial progress. Second, even if it were true, so what! Are people with other irreversible conditions with no hope of recovery to also be exterminated? Of course not, that's just as ludicrous and inhumane as what has been proposed for Terri.

Another question I have is based on Michael's promise to honor his wedding vows. How can he have his wife's and fiancée's best interest at heart at the same time? Where is his primary loyalty? I honestly can't see how he can honor his vows and yet share his life with another women. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Michael for wanting to move forward with his life. He's young and he deserves the opportunity for happiness with someone else just as we all do, but I don't believe it should be through the death of my sister. In my mind, the logical solution is for him to divorce Terri, give guardianship to my parents, move forward with his life, and allow my parents to seek the medical attention that her trust fund was intended for. Unfortunately, Michael won't do this. With what is left of the $750 thousand dollars that Michael stands to inherit upon Terri's death, it has become extremely clear to me that his motives are all but genuine.

____________________________________________

the terri schindler-schiavo foundation
4615 gulf blvd # 104-103, saint petersburg beach, fl 33706
tax id number 23-3031168

http://www.terrisfight.org/bobbyletter.htm

The Means to an End
Pamela Hennessy – October 4, 2003

Terri Schiavo and the Right to Die

If anyone had told me two years ago that there was a movement afoot in this country to terminate the lives of disabled and elderly people, I would have dismissed it as conspiracy theory. Such talk has always struck me as the hysterical ravings of people who delight in the possibility that the “establishment” was out to get the little guy and the result of over-active imaginations. That was until I heard about the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

For those not already familiar with Terri’s situation, hearing the facts for the first time is a wander into the surreal.

Terri Schiavo was 26 years of age when she collapsed in the home she shared with her husband, Michael Schiavo. The precise cause of her collapse is still not known though she did suffer a cardiac arrest. Due to the lack of oxygen to her brain for several minutes, Terri suffered profound brain damage and has been physically and cognitively disabled ever since. Because of her disabilities, Terri requires a gastric tube to deliver nutrition and hydration. Beyond nutritional assistance, Terri has no other physical dependencies and does not require a respirator or any other machinery to keep her alive.

In 1998, her husband, Michael Schiavo, petitioned the Florida Courts to remove Terri’s g-tube and end her life by way of dehydration and starvation. Though Mr. Schiavo was awarded over a million dollars in a medical malpractice suit (money the jury awarded for Terri’s care and rehabilitation), he soon began an unstoppable campaign to end his wife’s life, claiming she was vegetative and wouldn’t have approved of receiving life-prolonging assistance. His efforts have since snowballed into a peculiar and years-long struggle to convince the courts and the public that Terri has become a “non-person” because of her profound disabilities.

For several years, Terri’s parents and siblings have fought to block Mr. Schiavo’s efforts to end her life and have sought out his removal as her guardian. The court, specifically circuit Judge George Greer of Pinellas County, Florida, has ruled against them with bewildering consistency.

While this story has claimed a great deal of attention in the media, seldom are the true problems that arise from the Terri Schiavo case brought to light. Very real tribulations that have been spawned from the “right to die” movement are carefully kept in the closet and out of sight of the general population. Because of that, a bizarre and highly hazardous movement has taken root.

Some Case History

In 2001, a young San Francisco man by the name of Robert Wendland died. Mr. Wendland suffered profound physical and cognitive disabilities following an automobile accident in 1993. Mr. Wendland died of pneumonia while his mother continued to fight his wife’s efforts to end his life via the removal of his feeding tube.

Some stunning and ominous parallels exist between Mr. Wendland’s case and the case of Terri Schiavo and they merit consideration. Rose Wendland, Robert’s wife, had petitioned the courts for the right to remove his feeding tube, stating that he had a “right to live without tubes and medicines”. She, like Michael Schiavo, argued that aggressive therapy was not in Robert’s interest and that his death by dehydration and starvation would be “peaceful and dignified”.

Like Terri Schiavo, Robert Wendland demonstrated convincing abilities and awareness. It is said that he was able to negotiate a wheelchair through hospital corridors on his own. Yet, Rose Wendland insisted that he be “let go,” much to the opposition of Robert’s own mother, Florence Wendland.

In startling likeness to Michael Schiavo, Rose Wendland denied her spouse therapy, kept him from public view and instructed his caregivers not to disclose any information about his condition to his own mother. Even the absence of an advanced directive bears similarity to Terri Schiavo’s case.

In the end, Robert Wendland died of pneumonia (A death some experts would later call “exit protocol”) even as his legal battle waged on.

Hitler Would be Pleased

The idea of euthanasia as a method of dealing with severely disabled people is nothing new. In 1939 and under the direction of Philip Bouhler and Dr. Karl Brandt, the Third Reich initiated what was known as T-4 Euthanasie Programme, an aggressive campaign to put severely disabled individuals “out of their misery”. Though this program was disguised by its participants as a merciful end to “lives unworthy of life,” many important experts and historians believe it to be a precursor to the atrocities of the Holocaust and Hitler’s “Final Solution”.

In a report compiled by Germany’s Federal Archive, researchers report that “Nazi Germany used hundreds of hospitals and clinics to kill at least 200,000 handicapped, mentally ill and other institutional patients who were deemed physically inferior.” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said the program was a kind of training ground for the Nazi regime to "fine tune" its "technology of death" before the Holocaust.

Today, most people may find it difficult to believe that such atrocities could ever take place in modern society. However, the “slippery slope” from euthanasia and assisted suicide to legalized murder would appear to be well under way. With disabled, vulnerable and elderly patients at risk of forced death, state and federal authorities are mysteriously disinterested in providing adequate protection.

Death Merchants Fight Dirty

The right to die movement has grown quietly and over the course of many years. It has not only served to change public perception of dying, it has caused state and federal lawmakers to dismiss the rights to life and recovery for many disabled people. Since 1980, the Hemlock Society has promoted itself as an organization devoted to the concept of “death with dignity”. Recently renamed “End-of-Life Choices,” this group has given momentum to a number of bills and laws that enable forced exits to occur more frequently. Their aim to “Provide civil and criminal immunity to physician, pharmacist, and people who are present to assist the patient (in committing suicide)” can easily be viewed by some as immunity for homicide. The language used in support of such an agenda has greatly affected public perception as it relates to death and has colored the disabled and elderly among us as “burdens”.

George Felos (the attorney representing Michael Schiavo) has recited this doctrine as a method of gaining public acceptance for terminating the life of Terri Schiavo. He has publicly called supporters of Ms. Schiavo “right-wing fanatics” and “religious” in possible attempts to align these concerned people with those who would bomb women’s clinics. The press seems eager to pick up on his inflammatory language. St Petersburg Times columnist, Mary Jo Melone, has echoed his sentiments by labeling Terri’s supporters as “crusaders” and people with “a political agenda”. The use of such language can be easily assessed as a means to discredit people who reject the notion that starvation and dehydration are “death with dignity”.

Melone also published commentary from Dr. Robert Walker of Tampa, Florida. Dr. Walker, an internist, was quoted as saying "I don't think it is widely appreciated just how damaged her brain is”, Melone failed to disclose to her readers that Dr. Walker had never met nor examined Terri. She also neglected to reveal that his fields of interests include DNR orders, euthanasia and medical futility. Such glaring omission, though legal, is misleading to readers.

Even when the Governor of the State of Florida, Jeb Bush, asked that an independent Guardian ad Litem be assigned to Ms. Schiavo (as is Florida law in such cases) so that her best interests could be served, Ms. Melone dismissed his legitimate concern as “waving a pro-life banner”.

Further to their cause, those in favor of terminating Ms. Schiavo’s life use such inaccurate terms as “coma” and “persistent vegetative state” in order to negatively influence the public’s opinion of her condition. Indeed, ending her life is a much easier pill to swallow if she can be thought of as a “useless eater”.

Why is This Happening?

The right to die movement has become a fashionable mission. Organizations, such as the Hemlock Society, market themselves on a set of principles that lead their followers to believe them compassionate. In reality, however, the end result of such campaigns may lead some patients to view their own demises as compulsory instead of voluntary. Indeed, elderly, disabled and vulnerable patients of the world seem to be considered by society as “burdens” on the system. Some families have reported feeling pressured into signing Do Not Resuscitate orders when a loved one has become incapacitated or is facing an uncertain outcome. Instead of allowing terminally ill patients to die on their own terms, some members of the medical community and the media have embraced the idea of pursuing the deaths of patients who may never regain productivity equal to their ideal.

Patients cost money. Medicine and proper shelter cost money. Therapy and rehabilitation cost money and the outcomes are never guaranteed. Conversely, allowing a patient to die of an infection or hurrying the process by way of terminal sedation can be attractively economical in the case of the disabled or cognitively impaired.

In the case of Terri Schiavo, a Nobel nominee in medicine, Dr. William Hammesfahr, offered to treat her and provide her rehabilitation without charge. This stunning offer was not enough to keep Circuit Judge George Greer of Clearwater from issuing Terri’s death order on three occasions.

With a blood family willing to care for her, an acclaimed physician willing to treat her and a veritable army of supporters willing to provide companionship and financial assistance, Terri Schiavo is still seen as an inconvenience and not as a life worthy of life. The right to die movement and its bedfellow, who would have you believe it’s better to be dead than disabled, need her to die.

With Terri Schiavo’s death comes a new precedent, making it far easier to terminate the life of the non-terminal patient. Because of profound cognitive disabilities, Terri is viewed as a non-person, an empty shell and a waste of food and water to some laypeople. This is just as those pursuing her death would have you think. When she is gone, similar cases will be that much easier to win.

Irrespective of the individual’s opinion of the Terri Schiavo case and its cast of characters, this story should read as a clear warning of the dangers awaiting our most vulnerable citizens. The ultimate question is – Where will it end?

[Return to Terri's Fight]

http://www.terrisfight.org/meanstoend.html

Posted: September 4, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern

What do you call a country that sentences its prisoners to death by starvation and dehydration?

Barbaric, inhumane perhaps?

Fasts, even hunger strikes, often are self-imposed for periods of time. However, no one in his right mind passes up fluids.

Death by dehydration is a painful, agonizing and arduous process that takes 10 to 14 days.

In addition to feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst, the skin, lips and tongue crack. The nose bleeds because of the drying of the mucus membranes. Heaving and vomiting may ensue because of the drying out of the stomach lining. The victim may experience seizures.

As the fluid level in the body goes down, the blood pressure goes down and the heart rate goes up. Respiration often increases as blood is shunted from the periphery to the central part of the body in a desperate attempt to sustain the primary organs. The hands and feet become extremely cold.

Compared to starvation and dehydration, death by hanging, firing squad, even the electric chair seems humane.

What kind of country imposes such a death, even on those guilty of the most heinous crimes?

Look in the mirror! We the people of the United States of America now are guilty of allowing this kind of death sentence to be carried out – not against murders, rapists and child molesters, but on some of the most disabled in our midst.

One week from today, on Sept. 11, 2003, as we observe the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed over 3,000 innocent people in New York and Washington, D.C., a circuit judge in Florida will hold a hearing to decide when to remove the tube that is used to bring food and fluid to 39-year-old Terri Schiavo, who is slated to become the latest death-by-dehydration victim.

We call those people, who programmed and sent the terrorists into our country, barbarians. However, if we stand by and allow the state to kill an innocent woman like Terri Schiavo, whose only crime is being severely disabled, are we any better?

Terri is not on a respirator or any artificial life-support equipment. Any reasonable person who sees this woman reacting to her parents will realize she is not in a coma or, as it is sometimes called, a "persistent vegetative state." You can view the evidence for yourself.

In 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed and suffered brain damage under unexplained circumstances. Having no durable power of attorney for health care, her husband, Michael Schiavo, became her guardian. He filed a malpractice lawsuit against the doctors who attended her and was awarded $1.3 million.

The bulk of the award was placed in a trust fund for her care and rehabilitation. However, in the last 10 years, she has received no meaningful rehabilitation treatment. Instead, her guardian husband hired a right-to-die advocate, George Felos, as his lawyer and began petitioning the courts to have her feeding tube removed, which, of course, will kill her.

Would a jury have set aside this money for her care if it had known that her guardian had planned to ask the court to end her life? Of course not!

Does the fact that Michael Schiavo would inherit any money left in her trust or is living with another woman – with whom he has had a child and plans to marry once Terri is out of the way – a conflict of interest? You bet it is!

Recently, Terri developed a serious infection, but Michael Schiavo refuses to allow doctors to treat her.

If a child is mistreated or denied proper care or medical treatment by a parent or guardian, the state will step in and place that child in the hands of someone who will protect the child from harm. Why should a disabled person be denied this protection?

Have we, as a nation, become so callous that we have bought into the "quality of life" argument that some people simply are not worth the effort to protect or rehabilitate?

Florida's governor, Jeb Bush, wrote a letter to the judge in charge of the case asking him to delay the removal of Terri's feeding tube – stay her execution – until her case could be investigated. He was ignored.

What Gov. Bush should do is have his attorney general bring an action by the state on Terri's behalf.

There has been a federal court hearing, but time is running out.

To date 27,000 people have petitioned Gov. Bush to save Terri Schiavo. That leaves 281,395,000 who should.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34416

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Disabled Woman's Family, Former Nurses Seek Inquiry
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief
September 10, 2003

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Supporters of a disabled Florida woman embroiled in a euthanasia battle with her husband called Wednesday for a criminal investigation into the husband's alleged abuse of his incapacitated wife.

The request comes just days after three of Terri Schindler Schiavo's former caregivers submitted sworn affidavits detailing a years-long history of denied medical care, altered or destroyed medical records, and alleged attempts by Michael Schiavo to kill his wife.

Schiavo has repeatedly denied the allegations, as has his attorney, George Felos.

Felos was quoted in the Tampa Tribune as saying that claims of abuse by the former caregivers are "a bunch of garbage." Although he did acknowledge that Schiavo was often overbearing with Terri's nurses, he claimed the behavior was an attempt to obtain "the best care for her."

Felos also disputed claims that Terri had communicated with her nurses. "It didn't happen," Felos told the newspaper. "It's a fabrication."

But the denials haven't stopped efforts to dig deeper into the case. "A group of concerned citizens have put together a formal request to the state's attorney, Bernie McCabe, asking him to investigate allegations of abuse upon Terri Schindler Schiavo by her husband, Michael Schiavo," said Pamela Hennessy, spokeswoman for the Schindler family.

Based on affidavits included with a federal lawsuit filed by the Schindlers on Aug. 30, Schiavo has allegedly forbidden medical professionals to provide his wife with any therapy or rehabilitation and has allegedly even attempted to cause her death.

As the result of a brain injury she suffered in 1990 under questionable circumstances, complicated by a lack of therapy for more than a decade, Terri has required nutrition and hydration through a gastrostomy or "feeding tube."

The woman has not had a guardian ad-litem for most of the time she has been disabled because the judge with jurisdiction over probate matters in her county ruled that Terri's sole legal guardian, her husband, is qualified to determine what is in her best interest.

But Schiavo began withholding nutrition and hydration shortly after winning $1.2 million on her behalf in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Since receiving the money, Schiavo has provided only subsistence care for his wife.

Terri's parents have been trying to obtain guardianship and provide their daughter with rehabilitative therapy that medical professionals have said will allow her to "improve significantly."

Allegations prompt call for criminal probe into suspected abuse

One particular allegation that was "very disturbing" to Hennessy and prompted the request for a criminal investigation was lodged by Carla Sauer Iyer, a registered nurse who cared for Terri from about April of 1995 until August of 1996.

Iyer alleged that Terri's blood sugar levels were normally "very stable due to the uniformity of her diet." While she suspects Schiavo of injecting Terri with regular insulin to drive her into hypoglycemic shock, she acknowledged that she has no proof.

"She noted at least five times when Michael Schiavo would come to visit Terri, close the door to her room and then emerge sometime later and leave," Hennessy related. "On those occasions, Iyer had tested Terri's blood sugar, and the level was so low it wasn't even registering, she would administer dextrose to get Terri...out of danger."

Iyer's affidavit detailed the alleged incidents.

"Terri would be trembling, crying hysterically and would be very pale and have cold sweats. It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I'd check her blood sugar," Iyer recalled. "The glucometer reading would be so low that it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading."

Iyer and the other caregivers recalled numerous occasions when they would record information in Terri's medical charts or patient logs indicating that she was alert and responsive, speaking to them, laughing at jokes or funny stories, and complying with simple instructions.

Those records, they allege, were deleted from the files and, in some cases, were later seen in trashcans at nursing stations.

Hennessy said the letter requesting the investigation was delivered to McCabe Tuesday. An unidentified McCabe staff member told CNSNews.com late Wednesday that "I have been advised that we did not receive anything."

Motion to disqualify alleges judge talked to reporters, others about case

Terri's parents also want Pinellas-Pasco Florida Circuit Judge George Greer removed from their daughter's case. Attorneys for Robert and Mary Schindler filed a motion to disqualify Greer for alleged violations of the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct. Greer has reportedly denied that motion, but his decision is expected to be appealed.

"There is a motion to disqualify, based on evidence that Judge Greer is discussing this case with his colleagues and also the media," Hennessy said. "He is not to do that without litigating attorneys present."

The Schindlers' lead attorney, Pat Anderson, claims Greer talked to reporters about the case after a teleconference between the judge and attorneys for both parties ended on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

"On Wednesday or Thursday, I learned from a local reporter that, in fact, the reporters stayed in Judge Greer's chambers after the conclusion of the telephonic hearing for some period of time, asking him questions and recording his responses," Anderson charged. "It is my firm conviction that Judge Greer, in effect, held an impromptu press conference about the merits of the case pending before him without counsel for the parties being present."

Anderson referenced testimony from other individuals, corroborating her accusation that Greer had discussed the case with reporters, colleagues and elected officials outside his office, in alleged violation of the Florida Canons of Judicial Conduct.

"It is my belief that Judge Greer is no longer possessed of the cold, impartial neutrality that the Canons require of any judge," Anderson wrote in her affidavit supporting the motion.

Hennessy said she had received word Wednesday that Greer had rejected the motion to disqualify himself from the case. But that is not the end of the request.

"There are gatekeepers in place," Hennessy said. "I'm not certain how the attorneys would need to proceed in order to do that."

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200309/CUL20030910c.html

Disabled Woman Would Cry 'Help Me,' Caregivers Claim
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief
September 03, 2003

(Editor's note: This report contains quoted language and descriptions of alleged multiple instances of denied medical care that some readers may find offensive.)

(CNSNews.com) - A federal judge Tuesday refused to stop a Florida court from ordering the removal of a disabled woman's feeding tube at the request of her husband. However, the judge gave the woman's parents ten days to amend their lawsuit against the husband, the hospital caring for the woman and the hospice where she is being kept in anticipation of her death by starvation or dehydration. The lawsuit also named the husband's attorney as a "non-party co-conspirator" to the alleged violations.

Robert and Mary Schindler filed an emergency complaint Saturday with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa in an effort to block their daughter's husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, from moving forward with plans to remove his wife's feeding tube. Thirty-nine year old Terri Schindler Schiavo suffered a brain injury in 1990 under questionable circumstances. That injury, complicated by a lack of therapy for more than a decade, has required that she be given nutrition and hydration through a gastrostomy or "feeding tube."

Since receiving a $1.2 million medical malpractice award on behalf of his wife, Schiavo has provided only subsistence care for her and, based on affidavits included with the Schindlers' suit, allegedly forbidden medical professionals from providing his wife with any therapy or rehabilitation. He is currently allowing her to receive limited medical treatment for a severe infection under a court order.

Former caregivers file affidavits supporting allegations

Three medical professionals who had cared for Terri in the past filed affidavits accompanying the lawsuit, disputing Michael Schiavo's claims that his wife was in a "Persistent Vegetative State," which is the requirement under Florida law for a feeding tube to be removed. The medical experts also chronicled a long history of alleged denial of care and therapy by Schiavo.

Carolyn Johnson, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), cared for Terri in a nursing home in the early 1990s. She described her shock at being ordered not to provide the same care for Terri as a patient in the same room with a similar brain injury was receiving.

"I learned, as part of my training, that there was a family dispute and that the husband, as guardian, wanted no rehabilitation for Terri," Johnson explained. "Once, I wanted to put a cloth in Terri's hand to keep her hand from closing in on itself, but I was not permitted to do this, as Michael Schiavo considered that to be a form of rehabilitation."

Another CNA, Heidi Law, cared for Terri at a convalescent center in the mid and late 1990s. Law described similar orders she received not to encourage Mrs. Schiavo's recovery.

"I know that Terri did not receive routine physical therapy or any other kind of therapy. I was personally aware of orders for rehabilitation that were not being carried out," Law alleged in her affidavit. "Even though they were ordered, Michael [Schiavo] would stop them. Michael [Schiavo] ordered that Terri receive no rehabilitation or range of motion therapy."

Law also alleged that her attempts to document Terri's potential for improvement were thwarted.

"I made extensive notes and listed all of Terri's behaviors, but there was never any apparent follow-up consistent with her responsiveness," Law said. "There were trash cans at the nurses stations that we were supposed to empty each shift, and I often saw the notes in them."

Law directly disputes Michael Schiavo's claim that Terri is in a Persistent Vegetative State, as well. In her affidavit, she detailed how she routinely provided Terri with a wet washcloth filled with ice chips to keep her mouth moistened and, on at least three occasions, fed Terri flavored gelatin.

"I personally saw her swallow the ice water and never saw her gag. [Another CAN] and I frequently put orange juice or apple juice in her washcloth to give her something nice to taste, which made her happy," Law recalled. "On three or four occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls of Jell-O, which she was able to swallow and enjoyed immensely."

Nurse recalls Schiavo asking, 'When is that bitch gonna die?'

Carla Sauer Iyer was a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at the same convalescent center in the mid 1990s, and also cared for Terri. She described Mr. Schiavo as being "focused on Terri's death.

"Michael [Schiavo] would say, 'When is she going to die? Has she died yet?' and 'When is that bitch going to die?'" Iyer charged. "Other statements which I recall him making include, 'Can't anything be done to accelerate her death, won't she ever die?' When she wouldn't die, Michael [Schiavo] would be furious."

Conversely, Iyer said that when she would have to call Schiavo to inform him of a downturn in Terri's condition, Schiavo would be elated.

"Michael would be visibly excited, thrilled even, hoping that she would die," Iyer recalled. "He would blurt out, 'I'm going to be rich,' and would talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died, which included a new car, a new boat and going to Europe, among other things."

Iyer also described incidents of Terri Schiavo talking, moving voluntarily and responding to external stimuli, descriptions that Iyer said were removed from Mrs. Schiavo's medical records. Both Law and Iyer reported Terri verbally communicating, also contradicting Michael Schiavo's claim that his wife was in a Persistent Vegetative State.

"During the time I cared for Terri, she formed words. I have heard her say 'mommy' from time to time, and 'momma,'" Law recalled. "She also said 'help me' a number of times."

Iyer described Terri as "alert and oriented," and said Michael Schiavo "systematically distorted" Terri's medical condition.

"Terri spoke on a regular basis while in my presence, saying such things as 'mommy' and 'help me,'" Iyer recalled. "'Help me' was, in fact, one of her most frequent utterances. I heard her say it hundreds of times."

Attorney named as 'non-party co-conspirator' to civil rights violations

The lawsuit filed by Terri's parents accuses Schiavo, both personally and in his official capacity as Terri's legal guardian, of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act for refusing to provide appropriate medical care and rehabilitation therapy, which are required by the law and for seeking to deprive her of nutrition and hydration, which is forbidden by the law.

George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney and a noted author and advocate in Florida's so-called "right to die" movement, is also named as a "non-party co-conspirator" in the lawsuit. The Schindlers allege that Schiavo, with Felos' help, sought to deprive Terri of her due process rights under the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The suit charges that Terri was denied a guardian ad litem during most of the legal proceedings in which her husband sought to end her life and, the remainder of the time, suffered from "ineffective assistance of counsel, due process violations, and blatant conflict of interest with Terri's guardian, defendant Michael Schiavo," who is responsible for seeing that her legal interests are represented.

The only guardian ad litem and the only attorney to represent Terri prior to her parents' intervention in the case were removed when the attorney suggested that Michael Schiavo had a conflict of interest that prohibited him from serving as Terri's guardian.

The complaint also alleges that Schiavo and Felos conspired to deprive Terri of access to her priest in violation of the First Amendment and that the use of a 1999 Florida law in her case represented a Fifth Amendment due process violation of the constitutional prohibition on ex post facto legislation since Mrs. Schiavo had suffered her injury in 1990.

All of the cumulative rights violations are alleged under 42 USC 1983, which provides that, "Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress."

The hospice where Terri Schiavo is being kept and the hospital where her infection was supposed to have been treated are also accused of violating the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. That law requires that "handicapped" receive comparable medical care to that given able-bodied patients with similar conditions or injuries. Both facilities are subject to the Rehabilitation Act because they receive federal Medicare funding. The hospital is also charged with violating provisions of the Social Security law in 42 USC 1395dd, which requires the examination and appropriate treatment of emergency medical conditions and forbids the discharge of patients before their conditions are stabilized. The Schindlers believe their daughter was prematurely discharged from the hospital on more than one occasion in an attempt to hasten her death.

Felos accused the Schindlers of trying to subvert the Florida justice system.

"The purpose of this lawsuit is to invalidate the lower court's decision," Felos told the Tampa Tribune Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara gave the Schindlers ten days to file an amended version of their lawsuit and offered Felos an additional ten days to respond. He would not, however, block a hearing scheduled for Sept. 11, during which Pinellas-Pasco Florida Circuit Judge George Greer is expected to set a date for Terri Schiavo's feeding tube to be removed.

Attorneys for both sides told reporters after the emergency hearing Tuesday that they do not expect Greer to set that date any earlier than the 20-day period set by the federal court for the Schindlers' amended complaint and Felos' response.

http://www.cnsnews.com/Culture/Archive/200309/CUL20030903b.html

Toogood Reports [Thrusday, September 11, 2003; 12:01 a.m. EST]
URL: http://ToogoodReports.com/

Today is 9-11. That's the day Judge George W. Greer of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Clearwater, Florida scheduled a hearing to set the date for the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, slowly starving her to death. Perhaps it was the only available date on his calendar. Perhaps it's a symbolic gesture, because 9-11 is associated with death and terror. Maybe Judge Greer is hoping the anniversary of the Twin Tower attacks will provide a diversion. While America reflects upon the War Against Terror they won't be paying close attention to the war against Terri taking place in the Florida courthouse.

The war against Terri Schindler-Schiavo began in February 1990, when she collapsed in her home from an apparent brain injury that left her severely disabled (her parents were never given a definitive diagnosis). Terri's husband Michael Schiavo contacted his attorney, who convinced her parents that Mr. Schiavo should become her legal guardian, and that he would handle any court proceedings on Terri's behalf.

After her initial treatment at Northside Hospital, Mr. Schiavo sued two doctors for Terri's injuries. A jury awarded Mr. Schiavo $1.2 million, of which $750,000 was placed in trust for Terri's rehabilitative care. Mr. Schiavo stated at the malpractice trial that he would use that money to take care of Terri for the rest of her life. He either broke his promise, or lied to the jury.

After the money was deposited in his bank account in February, 1993, Mr. Schiavo immediately changed course, denying his wife the rehabilitative care that would have improved her condition. He hired "right-to-die" attorney George Felos and began proceedings to try to end Terri's life. Despite the fact that rehabilitation was ordered for Terri, Michael Schiavo threatened the medical staff assigned to her care with termination of employment if they provided even routine therapy that would help provide comfort to his disabled wife. At this time, Terri was being fed Jello and was swallowing on her own. She was speaking words. She continues to respond with extreme joy upon seeing her parents. When doctors prompt Terri to open her eyes, she does so. Terri probably would have made a significant recovery, had she been given the appropriate therapy. She probably still can, if given the chance.

Two doctors - one unfamiliar with Terri's condition and the other an advocate for initiating dehydration testified that Terri is in a "persistent vegetative state." Ten doctors testified that Terry is not unconscious. One medical expert, a Nobel Prize nominee and authority on patients with conditions similar to Terri's, testified she is not in a permanent vegetative state. Judge Greer made his determination based upon the two testimonies, ignoring the evidence provided by all the other doctors.

Three nurses who personally took care of Terri signed sworn affidavits and they all spoke of Michael's intimidating tactics and menacing gestures when he came to visit Terri. In her statement, Carla Sauer Iyer, R.N., recalls Michael saying, "This is my order and you're going to follow it." Of his wife, Michael would say, "When is she going to die?" "Has she died yet?" When is that bitch gonna die?" "Can't anything be done to accelerate her death?" "Make sure her parents aren't contacted." Of Terri's parent's, Michael Schiavo said:

"Suddenly, they are on the religious kick. They never went to church a day in their lives. I believe in G-d and so did Terri, but they are out to push it on people." What a cruel statement to make about parents who love their daughter and simply want her to live!

Michael Schiavo is currently living with his fiancé. They already have one child and another on the way. If Terri dies, he will be free to marry his fiancé and collect whatever remains of the $750,000, and inherit the remainder of Terri's estate.

Robert and Mary Schindler, Terri's parents, want to take care of Terri for the rest of her life. Michael Schiavo insists Terri would not want to continue living in her condition. The Schindlers deny this, stating that as a religious Catholic Terri would strongly oppose measures to hasten her death. I believe the Schindlers. Mr. Schiavo reneged on all his promises regarding Terri's well-being. He has a vested financial interest in seeing her die. If he really had Terri's best interests at heart, he would divorce her quietly and allow her parents to become her guardians.

As for Judge Greer, he dismissed Governor Bush's letter asking for a delay in removing Terri's feeding tube. "I read [the request from Bush] because it came from the governor and I respect his position. Beyond that, it is going in the file." I keep hearing the phrase, "death with dignity." There is nothing dignified in what Judge Greer has planned for Terri Schiavo on 9-11.

If Governor Bush does not intervene immediately, Terri Schiavo will die slowly and agonizingly of dehydration. The Governor should contact his Attorney General and the motion filed by the Schindlers to have Judge Greer removed from this case should be upheld. If we are a nation of civilized people, we cannot let disabled people be put to death.

Please contact the office of Governor Bush. There isn't much time left.

Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Buildling, PL-05
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
850-488-7146
850-487-2564 (Fax)
E-Mail: fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us

http://toogoodreports.com/column/general/Rogoff/20030911.htm

September 16, 2003, 12:40 p.m.
Terri Schiavo’s Life and Death
Time gained.
By Wesley J. Smith

Judge George W. Greer of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, in Clearwater, Florida, has repeatedly made it clear that he intends to order Terri's death by dehydration; even though her husband has refused to provide his wife any rehabilitation or therapy for more than ten years; even though renowned doctors have sworn under penalty of perjury that her condition can be improved with proper medical intervention; even though the husband who wants her dead could benefit financially and personally from her demise — he plans to marry his fiancé with whom he has begun having children, but he can't while his wife is still living; even though Terri's blood family wants to care for her the rest of her life; even though a guardian ad litem for Terri recommended against the dehydration; even though Governor Jeb Bush wrote a letter requesting him to reconsider.

In a tragic irony, September 11 was supposed to be the death-ordering date. But St. Petersburg, Florida attorney Pat Anderson, attorney for Terri's family, may have struck legal gold in her and her clients' heroic struggle to save Terri's life. She may have found a legal argument that should, at least for now, prevent Terri's demise.

This is the gist of Anderson's approach:
Ending a patient's life by dehydration involves not one, but two, discreet acts:
(a) Act # 1 is removing/clamping off the feeding tube. Michael Schiavo requested, and has received, the right to this act. Alas, due to "right to die" advocacy, killing a person through intentional dehydration because they are cognitively disabled is legal.
(b) Act # 2 involves the deliberate withholding of food and water by mouth. Michael did not ask for the right to do this act.
The provision of food and water by mouth is not a medical treatment but is humane care, and thus cannot be withdrawn or withheld legally from a patient who can assimilate nutrition and hydration.
A speech pathologist, who has successfully weaned four cognitively disabled patients off of feeding tubes in the last month, testified that Terri "has a good or excellent prognosis for being able to be taken off her feeding tube."
Under Florida law, the right to rehabilitation is retained by the ward, and not delegated to the guardian.
Under Florida law, neither the guardian — Michael — nor the court — Judge Greer — has the right to harm the ward;
Absent some pre-incapacity expression by Terri to waive the basic right to food and water and the right to rehabilitative therapy, the legal rights to them must be honored and enforced. Testimony that she would not want to be maintained by "tubes" would clearly not be enough since no tubes would be involved in her care.
Terri has not been given the opportunity to receive rehabilitation or to be weaned off the feeding tube so that she can take food and water by mouth. Indeed, Michael has required that she just lay in bed for more than ten years.
Hence, while a Florida Court of Appeals ordered the removal of Terri's tube-feeding an order with which Judge Greer seems eager to comply, it cannot be done in such a way as to "harm" Terri, e.g. without giving her a chance to survive by taking food and water by mouth.

Terri should be allowed reasonable rehabilitation attempts before Judge Greer orders her dehydrated to death. Refusing this clearly humane and merciful request would be to intentionally cause Terri harm. Some might even argue that refusing Terri any chance to live would be a non-voluntary euthanasia homicide.

Judge Greer may just be listening. Rather than ordering the food tube immediately clamped as had been widely anticipated, he has taken the matter under advisement. Greer is expected to render his decision later this week.

If Pat Anderson's motion is denied, I know she will appeal. And well she should. Her approach is not a ploy to stall for time; it is a serious and credible legal argument that deserves careful consideration. During any appeal, Terri's dehydration should be put on hold until these crucial legal issues that affect each and every cognitively disabled person on a feeding tube in Florida are sorted out.

If Greer orders the dehydration to proceed without giving Terri a chance to rehabilitate, he will have demonstrated that he views her as a less than complete person. In such case, Floridians should begin to ponder their legal and political options against Judge Greer (recalling him or voting him out of office).

Now, about Governor Jeb Bush: When I recently wrote about Terri's case, I reported that Bush had received more than 27,000 e-mails and other communications demanding that he intervene to save Terri's life. I also reported that he had responded by writing a letter to Judge Greer requesting that he appoint a guardian ad litem.

Gov. Bush meanwhile has received up to 34,000 citizen communications. The governor, however, has so far refused to do more than write a letter. He continues to refuse his administration's formal intervention or make her a ward of the state — or even explain why Florida law prevents him from at least trying.

Fortunately, Judge Greer's hesitation and Pat Anderson's advocacy give people concerned about Schiavo's case more time to continue pressuring Governor Bush to stand in the breach. Here's the 411:

Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
850-488-7146
850-487-2564 Fax
E-Mail: fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us

— Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and an attorney and consultant for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. His revised and updated Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope From Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder was recently published by Spence Publishing

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-smith091603.asp

PLEASE TAKE ACTIONS - HAVE PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR JEB BUSH STOP THIS MADNESS. SAVE TERRI AN INNOCENT DISABLED WOMAN WHO HAS THE WILL TO LIVE FROM IMO CRIMINAL HUSBAND, JUDGE, AND COURTS. EXECUTIVE ORDERS CAN STOP THIS NOW. IN THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE BRAVE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROR HOW CAN THEY ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? PLEASE FIGHT FOR TERRI'S LIFE. SHE NEEDS YOU RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND IN ANY WAY YOUR CAN THINK OF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACTIONS. REMEMBER IF YOU TAKE ACTION AND TELL OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION AND THEY DO THE SAME, ETC. WE WILL HAVE A GEOMETRICAL PROGRESSION OF ACTIONS. AGAIN WE BESEECH THE PRESIDENT AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR TO BRING A HALT TO TERRI'S EXECUTION, MURDER, ETC. BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

In a message dated 10/18/2003 11:19:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, angleena@iowatelecom.net writes:

Terri did have a swollowing test done several years ago. From what I understand, the last time she was tested was when the lawsuit was initially started several years ago.

A nurse on the AOL Message board insists that a swallowing test is REQUIRED BY LAW every 6 months if you have a feeding tube and I KNEW Terri had not been getting them,

"Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity."

- Mother Theresa ("Notable and Quotable," Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, p. A14)

http://www.yahoogroups.com/groups/helpterri

http://www.yahoogroups.com/groups/helpterri/chat

Sunday, October 19, 2003 9:09 AM
Kangaroo courts and the Executive Power / Terri's will to live
10/18/03 -- Jeb's Emails to FR poster, summer, today, re: Terri. (And, a Message to Michael Shiavo)

Posted by pc93 to No More Gore Anymore
On News/Activism 10/19/2003 8:32 AM PDT #204 of 214

To: Lawdoc; dixiegrrl; supercat; Pegita

Rumours have been flying aroun the internet and people are getting things mixed up. This summary on one page seems to be the most accurate.

"Judge George Greer: Ruler of the Kangaroo Court set on killing Terri Schiavo. Impartial? Not in the least! Worked side by side as county commissioner with Barbara Sheen Todd (county commissioner) for eight YEARS. Barbara Sheen Todd is on the board of the hospice. Also, Judge Greer's fellow judge, Judge John Lenderman is the brother of Martha Lenderman (also on the hospice board! See the Hospice Board members! Greer accepted as the basis of his rulings, the questionable testimony of Michael Schiavo (and his family) that Terri would wish to be killed, yet Michael never stated that before he got about a Million Dollars to care for Terri forever. Greer also accepted as the basis of his rulings, the "opinion" of a third doctor who just happens to be the brother of a close associate of George Felos, right-to-kill attorney, and very significantly, former CHAIRMAN of the hospice board! If there ever was a rigged court, Judge Greer's is it!"

398 posted on 10/19/2003 4:41 AM PDT by TaxRelief

------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
Post Reply | Private Reply | To 190 | View Replies

The war for Terri Schiavo's life- some links

Posted by pc93 to IcelandicConservative
On News/Activism 10/19/2003 8:30 AM PDT #412 of 417

Ok. Sorry. Yes she is conscious but Jeb needs to do something straightaway as she has gone without food or water since Oct. 18 at 8AM.

Jeb has the duty to uphold the laws of Florida. He has been notified that a murder is taking place in his state on his watch, to a defensless diabled person. She is being starved and dehydrated against her will, upon the false testimony that she is brain dead and wants to die. She is not either.
< IMG SRC=/images/del.gif WIDTH=12 HEIGHT=12 BORDER=0 title="Delete"> Sunday, October 19, 2003 9:00 AM
JEB PLEASE SAVE TERRI NOW
http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/c/pc93/terri_schi ndler.asf

http://www.tomeaker.com/ts/terri-cabl e.mov

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download

TERRI HAS BEEN WITHOUT WATER AND NUTRITION SINCE
OCT. 15TH 8AM. PLEASE BESEECH JEB TO SAVE HER
AS HE IS THE ONLY ONE LEFT WHO HAS THE POWER
TO DO SO VIA EXECUTIVE ORDER.

---

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tammy Nicholas"
To:
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 3:34 AM
Subject: [helpterri] Fwd: IMPORTANT UPDATE ON TERRY

And Very Important Info

>
> --- TERRISHOPE@aol.com wrote:
> > From: TERRISHOPE@aol.com
> > Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2003 03:26:35 EDT
> > Subject: IMPORTANT UPDATE ON TERRY And Very
> > Important Info
> > To: TERRISHOPE@aol.com
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> > I have to do this ... this way, I have (many of

you
> > know this) tried to email
> > you all one on one and I just can't keep up, I am
> > losing it here. So it's a
> > MASS mail now, PLEASE bear with me. Let me try

and
> > tell you all ... all I
> > know and some other things as well. First of all,
> > there are many rumors going
> > around and they are making me mad, but I have got

to
> > ignore them because I don't
> > have TIME to waste and you know what, neither do
> > you. So if you want to
> > listen to me and believe me that''s a good thing,
> > because you will only get FACTS
> > from me, no made up BS. This isn't a game. And

if
> > I am half dead here I can
> > just imagine how all of you are holding up. You

are
> > fighting none stop, many
> > of you are putting ALL of your time and efforts

into
> > this and you are
> > AMAZING!! God bless all of you!!
> >
> > Okay now, first off... Terri as of RIGHT NOW 2 AM
> > Florida time has been
> > without food, water and any meds (meds that I am
> > aware of) for 88 hours. Her tube
> > was removed HOURS AFTER her last feeding, remember
> > she was only being fed
> > twice a day. She is still responding and aware!!!
> > She is still fighting for her
> > blessed life! "She has a will to live people!!!"
> > We have got to be her
> > voice, we just have to, it is the RIGHT thing to

do,
> > we can't give up on her, this
> > has got to be a sign to us ... how much more can
> > anyone take, her, her parents
> > and us??? I don't know, you all tell me. It is
> > said God will NOT put more
> > on you then you can bare!!! Do you believe that??
> > I think Terri's family is
> > our LIVING PROOF!
> >
> > I have been asked MANY questions about many
> > different things, a lot I can
> > tell you, some I can't and some is just simply NOT
> > important, please trust me. I
> > am in contact with the family and also someone who
> > is closer to this daily!!
> > I will NOT let you be in the dark, you guys made

Jeb
> > Bush act!! He may not
> > have done anything more then PROMISE the family

that
> > he would stop this if at
> > all possible, but WE are making him KEEP his

promise
> > now!!! Trust me, your
> > voices were hear and they were loud! None of you
> > are allowed to get a sore
> > throat now... Keep BOMBARDING Jeb Bush and

everyone
> > I send you email address's
> > to... and keep the faith. Something will happen.
> >
> > For those of you who have asked... Terri is not
> > allowed flowers, teddy bears,
> > a comfortable, soft warm socks, she is allowed
> > NOTHING! She never as had
> > flowers, cards or stuffed animals to brighten her
> > days ... her loving husband
> > Michael will NOT allow it. She is not allowed a

wet
> > wash rag on her lips. They
> > will put Vaseline on mouth. That's it folks.
> > Please read my emails ... this
> > was stated in the past, however I realize many of
> > you have just recently
> > joined this team of Angel's and I do mean ANGELS

...
> > so to those of you who are
> > new...WELCOME, God BLESS YOU and I am sorry we

have
> > too meet like this, all of
> > us.
> >
> > But do you all realize that that sweet woman who
> > even now while she lays
> > dying is bring sooo many good people together.

She
> > is STILL spreading her love,
> > the same love she spread to everyone who knew her
> > before her night of hell.
> > Terri to my knowledge (someone heard this rumor

and
> > ask me) is NOT chained to
> > her bed. She may be restrained because she may

have
> > grand Mal seizers because
> > of the lack of fluid in her system, lets pray not.
> > Which is a reason they may
> > restrain her ... but No she is not chained to the
> > bed. God bless her. :(
> > This is killing many of us too... Precious ones I
> > KNOW how you feel, all of your
> > feeling are sooo real, it hurts!
> >
> > Tomorrow morning at 10 am anyone and everyone who
> > can get up to that hell
> > hole hospice house (God please forgive me as I

know
> > Hospice does do good for
> > many, it has also helped those I've loved and lost
> > in the past) it is just THAT
> > place that has me crazy!! But anyone who can

attend
> > the protest PLEASE, PLEASE
> > go, even if only for 30 minutes, but I assure you,
> > if you go up there or down,
> > whatever the case my be, you'll want to stay for a
> > while, you just will. But
> > then it will weaken you and the feelings of
> > overwhelming sadness will make
> > you want to come home again, but d not let that

stop
> > you, PLEASE!
> >
> > As this family is horrified, grief stricken and
> > slowly dying with their
> > daughter/sister, they will STILL welcome you with
> > open arms!!!!! I promise you
> > that, find them among the crowd or in the camper
> > that is parked right there
> > across the street and tell them who you are and

tell
> > them you are with Lisa and the
> > TERRISHOPE group, They will know exactly who you
> > are, just not your name.
> > Sometimes there are 5 supporters there, sometimes

20
> > sometime 50 and sometimes
> > as many as 200. It changes constantly, but the

more
> > that go, the better. And
> > yes, people stay through the night, all night we
> > did.
> >
> > There are people from all over the world there I
> > swear to you, all the way
> > from Germany! I have met wonderful people, from
> > Colorado, Ga. Nebraska,
> > Washington, Calif. ... all over!! I was sooo
> > touched and I know you will be too...
> > All walks of life, red, yellow, black and white,
> > Jesus had all in his site!! I
> > started everyone singing God bless America,

Amazing
> > Grace, Jesus us loves us,
> > we talked, we prayed, we cried, we paced, we

yelled
> > out Bush save Terri over
> > and over to the lying media! You guys just

weren't
> > lucky enough to hear us
> > because they cut a lot of it out! We yelled out
> > many things, you just take the
> > steps and get everyone to join in ... do not be
> > afraid, someone has to get
> > people there started, but keep it peaceful! And
> > when someone is being
> > interviewed try and stay quiet. You can talk to
> > others about your feelings we all did,
> > many are full of anger, many are silent and just
> > pray and that's okay too.
> >
> > Be advised ... be very ready for someone in the
> > media to interview you,
> > there's a good chance of that, be ready to speak

up,
> > be calm and be clear that
> > Terri is NOT in a coma, that she is not a

vegetable,
> > that she is being murdered
> > and you are there because you want it stopped! Be
> > ready folks! I was
> > interviewed 5 times!! There is media there local
> > and National from all over, although
> > it has really slowed way down, BUT it will pick

back
> > up now that Voters will
> > be shredding their voters registration cards
> > tomorrow and they also will have a
> > Sunday service for Terri. Also there are MANY
> > police officers there, more
> > now then before and honestly I found them all to

be
> > very nice, just do NOT step
> > on the grass that belongs to the hell hole!!! You
> > will be confronted!
> >
> > As for Jeb Bush, YES ... he can and it is his DUTY
> > to stop this, what he has
> > said is political bull caca! HE CAN SAVE HER ...

If
> > he doesn't, I'd hate to
> > be in his shoes. HE NEEDS TO DO THIS and do it
> > YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!! Believe
> > me, this is TRUE, he CAN do it, it is in his

power!
> > STAY ON him and the others
> > whom I email you about and don't stop fighting

until
> > we no longer have any
> > reason to fight. Then we can deal with the rest

of
> > the evil ones ... they will
> > hang!!
> >
> > Okay, I hope for right now, just for tonight, I

have
> > answered some questions
> > for all of you. I really am trying and this is

all
> > effecting me too... I just
> > want t go into the closet and hide and cover my
> > ears. I can't bare to answer
> > my phone, it scares me, Jinks cell phone rings and
> > we hold our breath with
> > worry. So please believe me, I am really doing my
> > very best to keep you
> > informed at all times about everything, but I

can't
> > tell you things that don't know
> > and I have learned already not to repeat what I

hear
> > unless I hear it from the
> > family, because everyone has a different view on

how
> > they see AND hear things.
> >
> >
> > I am so tired dear ones ... just mentally and
> > emotionally drained and the
> > clock ticks on. It is now 3 AM :( and 89 hours

for
> > Our sister Terri ... without
> > food and water. :( Please keep praying hard for
> > her. Let Jeb Bush know
> > whenever you think about it, send him the hours.
> > Don't let him or his staff
> > forget through out the days. We will get through
> > this together. I will send
> > another update tomorrow and I will do this

everyday
> > if at all possible, more often
> > if I can ... THANK YOU ALL... Tammy you too honey,
> > God loves you ... your
> > doing a great job on our message board and once
> > again for anyone who wants to
> > join the message board that Tammy and I started

(she
> > did the work, I am too dumb
> > with that stuff and it couldn't have done it
> > witrhout her) email me and I can
> > have Tammy get you started.
> >
> > I hope all of you are in bed and resting. Boy, we
> > sure made quite a team
> > here didn't we? Somehow I am not at all

surprised.
> > I PROMISE TO KEEP YOU ALL
> > POSTED with all the news good or bad as soon as I
> > know, you'll know, no matter
> > what it is. May God's Angels keep you safe and
> > surround you with "Our Saviors
> > Love" always, Lisa Pray for Terri PS here is the
> > address for the hell hole
> > hospice hose in Clearwater...
> > Hospice Woodside is located at 6774 102nd Avenue
> > North in Pinellas Park and
> > is just west of 66th Street North.
> > A group of Republican demonstrators are planning

to
> > shred their voter
> > registration cards and officially change their

party
> > affiliations in order to call
> > attention to the Governorâ?Ts refusal to intervene
> > on behalf of Terri
> > Schindler-Schiavo.
> > IF YOU WANT TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS MAILING
> > GROUP...PLEASE EMAIL ME AND TELL
> > ME...I will remove you within 48 hours and I

promise
> > No uestions asked. Also
> > if you delete UPDATES or URGENT emails from me, I
> > will remove your name from
> > the list. God bless you one and all, Lisa
> >

REFS:

Refs:

supremecourt@flcourts.org

Substantive Contacts:

Craig Waters for the Supreme Court, (850) 414-7641,
watersc@flcourts.org Brenda Johnson, for the Office of

the State Courts Administrator, (850) 922-5081,

johnsonb@flcourts.org

Executive Office of Governor, Legal Team to Jeb (ask

to speak to the following individuals):

Robert H. Fernandez (Deputy General Counsel to

Governor) -> fernanr@eog.state.fl.us

Raquel A. Rodriguez (General Counsel to Governor) ->

raquel.rodriguez@myflorida.com

Christa Calamas (Assistant General Counsel to

Governor) -> calamac@eog.state.fl.us

850 / 488-3494 (voice)

850 / 488-9810 (fax)

Jeb Bush, Governor ->

jeb@myflorida.com,jeb.bush@myflorida.com

Voice: (850)488-4441

Voice: (850)488-7146

Fax: (850)487-0801

Executive Office of the Governor

400 S. Monroe Street

The Capitol

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001

Ask to speak to Lauren O'Conner

Attorney General Charlie Crist -> ag@oag.state.fl.us

Office of Attorney General Charlie Crist

State of Florida

The Capitol PL-01

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

Main office telephone numbers

Voice: (850)414-3990

Fax: (850)487-2564

Additional added note:

A criminal investigation needs to be conducted by John

Ashcroft. Please demand of President Bush to initiate

an investigation so that Mr. Ashcroft can get

involved:

President George W. Bush

c/o The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500

Voice: (202)456-1111

Switchboard: (202)456-1414

Fax: 1 202 456 2883

TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213

Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

Although you'll get an automated response, here are

the e-mails for GW and Cheney:

President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Richard Cheney:

vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Fax: 1 202 456 2710

United States Attorney General John Ashcroft:

(AskDOJ@usdoj.gov)

Fax:202/514-1009

NOTE: Free faxing for entire Washington D.C. area:

www.tpc.int/sendfax.html

Format of number to input is:
(ex. Pres. U.S. [POTUS]) -> 1 202 456 2461
(ex. Ashcroft) -> 1 202 514 1009
Vice Pres. Dick Cheney 1 202 456 2710

U.S. Senator John W Warner
1 202 224 6295

U.S. Senator Bob Graham
1 202 224 2237

House Representative Corrine Brown
1 202 225 2256

House Representative Henry Hyde
1 202 225 1166

etc.

U.S. Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_informat ion/senators_cfm.cfm
Saturday, October 18, 2003 5:29 PM
People needed at Hospice Woodside, and also in Wash. DC. at the Whitehouse at 3PM

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Would YOU Let a Loved- One Starve to Death?

That is what the Florida Courts want for Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo is sentenced to DIE OF STARVATION by the Florida Courts, however:

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