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To: trussell; William Wallace; Alberta's Child; All
I'm trying to find the link of the physical abuse Terri suffered at the hands of her husband Michael Schiavo long before she suffered a brain injury in 1990. And I've also heard that the reason he is still married to her is that he can have her body cremated as soon as she dies, so no autopsy would be performed, thus avoiding any investigation into the previous injuries he caused to Terri before her brain injury. I will keep trying to find the link to support this, but in the meantime, let's get some other facts out.

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

EXCERPT:

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." LINK


615 posted on 10/22/2003 7:33:14 PM PDT by Victoria Delsoul (I love the smell of winning, the taste of victory, and the joy of each glorious triumph)
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To: Victoria Delsoul
OMG! That is just SICK!!!! WTF is going on here????!!!!!
665 posted on 10/22/2003 7:42:46 PM PDT by Tuxedo (In Stereo Where Available)
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To: Victoria Delsoul
I wonder what my friends at http://tbichat.org/ would say about this?

I wonder if they have info that would say Terri is in her present state due toMichael causing TBI on her.
679 posted on 10/22/2003 7:47:03 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Victoria Delsoul
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."

This is so illegal.

690 posted on 10/22/2003 7:49:40 PM PDT by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Victoria Delsoul
"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."

That is just heartbreaking.

700 posted on 10/22/2003 7:52:45 PM PDT by texasbluebell
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To: Victoria Delsoul; dandelion; floriduh voter
Print out Victorias post above and put it on the car windshields of the Hospice workers. Somehow, someone should read this.
708 posted on 10/22/2003 7:53:57 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Victoria Delsoul
Thank you for the link.
743 posted on 10/22/2003 8:00:18 PM PDT by First_Salute (God save our democratic-republican government, from a government by judiciary.)
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To: Victoria Delsoul; MindBender26; summer; dandelion
Mindbender, have you seen post #615? Any chance this can get out to some networks? Also, there ought to be some News trucks or reporters near the action.
945 posted on 10/22/2003 9:10:44 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Victoria Delsoul; Piltdown_Woman; Endeavor
Bump --- affadavit by registered nurse Carla Iyer, who was employed at Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center in Largo, Florida from April 1995 to July 1996, while Terri Schiavo was a patient there.
1,433 posted on 10/23/2003 8:50:22 AM PDT by First_Salute (God save our democratic-republican government, from a government by judiciary.)
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To: Victoria Delsoul
Thanks for the heads-up, Victoria.

I hope Schiavo's girlfriend buys life insurance so she and the kids are covered if Michael were to suffer a similar injury, say from slipping on a banana peel or roller skate carelessly left at the top of the stairs.

1,547 posted on 10/23/2003 12:13:28 PM PDT by William Wallace (See Michael Moore and Al Franken in Dumb and Dumber: the Documentary)
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To: Victoria Delsoul
What comments to make...that guy is an evil scumbag!
2,044 posted on 10/23/2003 9:12:22 PM PDT by Frank_2001
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