A thousand words about the Terri Schiavo you never knew

St. Petersburg Times ^ | November 13, 2003 | KELLEY BENHAM

[maestro]

Amen,.........More Grace and Mercy,......In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The night before her wedding, her father sat on the floor of her bedroom and watched her sleep. He was crying. She knew he was there, but never told him.

How very sweet.

[Pegita]

Heavenly Father, we return to give You thanks for all that is Terri's life. We thank You for watching over this mother's child these many years, giving her such strength in her disability that she seemed not to have as a young woman. Again, Lord God, we seek the return of this beloved daughter and sister to the care of her family .. remove from her presence any and all people who seek to do her harm, that she might prosper in spite of the horrendous neglect she has suffered.

Creator God, sustain each one who tirelessly brings Terri's ordeal before the public .. separate the truth from the lies, that we would know that we are looking at premeditated murder. For the sake of all life that is precious, Lord, turn back this evil and restore this dear child to her rightful place within the family of man.

May it be thus, dear Jesus, may it be thus ... Amen

[cyn]

Creator God, sustain each one who tirelessly brings Terri's ordeal before the public .. separate the truth from the lies, that we would know that we are looking at premeditated murder. >> We pray for wisdom, knowledge, and strength to pass the truth on to a callous and indifferent world. Guide us as we write letters & emails -- to know what to say, how best to say it. We do what we can see to do, and pray for YOU in the end to wake up the sleepers, for Your love and truth to work in the hearts and minds of those who are able to once and for all do good for Terri. After all these years -- we pray for her to be restored to her family!

Help us keep up the basic responsibilities You have given us to family and others as we commit ourselves to Terri. May we each put ourselves in Your loving arms, closer than ever to You in this latest battle against evil. We would not be anywhere else but close to You, walking in Your light. We pray in Jesus' Name -- Amen.

[cyn]

Thank you, KELLEY BENHAM, for making Terri a real person to those who live in greater St. Petersburg.

Where are Terri's area friends?

Before the court settlement in '92, before the 'falling out' of Michael Schiavo and Terri's father -- who sat in her room and cried the night before her wedding -- she underwent therapy in the area, was out and about in her wheelchair, incl. trip to local mall beauty salon. Where are those who knew her then, where are the workers who cared for her? Where is the photographer who took that beautiful photo of Terri & Michael in 11/90, with him looking at her as if she is indeed "there"? You know it did not take 4 hrs to get that photo!

Why did so many, including the elderly and those with disabled hangtangs, drive by indifferently that Sunday morning when I stood out there with a sign for her? She is right in your backyard! Why don't you care about her life? It is because you've accepted the lies her husband, who unbelievably has been retained all these years as her guardian & spokesperson for 'what she wants'.

I pray that you will wake up, speak up for Terri. It's hard for us to do it as a distance, but Lord knows we're trying to be heard with those there who DO understand the extent of the evil being done to her.

Terri is NOT in a coma, she is NOT in PVS. Her parents do not mind taking care of her -- whether she 'gets better' or not. Michael Schiavo has his own life to get on with -- let him go on with it, leave Terri to her family.

I hope the St. Pete Times follows up with a series of investigative reports. May there be people there willing to put themselves on the line for Terri, for the truth, against the odds.

[cyn]

For Terri . . .may angels seen and unseen continue to guard, protect, and strengthen you.

[cyn]

She once ran into the house crying because she had run over a rabbit. No one could console her. Her father went outside, came back, and said she was mistaken, there was no dead rabbit in the road. When she finally calmed down and left the room, her dad said, "Man, she nailed it."

[LOL! btw, I read elsewhere that her brother Bobby moved that rabbit so she wouldn't know about it.]

When Bucky the Labrador collapsed, she performed mouth-to-nose resuscitation on him. He died in her arms.

She drove 30 minutes out of her way five days a week to visit her grandmother in a nursing home.

Thanks again for a beautiful article, Kelley Benham. I hope the SPTimes runs that photo again as well -- compare it to the one above. NOTHING has changed except Michael's willingness to keep her alive.

All these years without rehab, Terri is still there. God bless her, and us to do all we can for her.

[Pegita]

The Lord will honor the cries of your heart for this mother's child ..

[fml]

--She slept with her back to the window, so if she was murdered in the night she would not see it coming. --

I wonder if she saw it coming?

Dear God, please bless Terri Schiavo.

[cyn]

Does anyone know when this photo was taken? I've assumed it was pre-'92 trial. Michael had arranged for her to take a trip to a mall salon for a makeover at one point.

Why the change of heart, Michael?

Why did CNN show video of you taking Terri out, pointing things out to her outside?
Why did you take her out then, but now -- won't even allow her the simplest, most basic therapy or rehabilitation?
Terri is the same now as she was then. Michael is the one who has changed.

Let Terri get on with her life, Michael -- YOU get on with yours, leave her alone.

[cyn]

"Everybody rolls."

$855

We know Terri gets out of bed for basic care, bath -- does she have a chair to get out in like she used to? We've read that at some point (when?) her wheelchair broke; Michael did not replace it even though her parents offered to get one.

It's been suggested that a geri (geriatric) chair is preferable to a wheelchair for Terri at this point -- more comfortable, padded, can recline . . . just needs a bit of chrome, afterburners? . . .

[cyn]

"She saved birthday cards."

Terri's 40th birthday is Dec 3.

Ms. Terri Schindler Schiavo
Woodside Hospice
6774 102nd Avenue N
Pinellas Park, Florida 33780

------------

Alternate address or if you'd like to include a check:

The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation
4615 Gulf Blvd -- #104/103
St Petersburg Beach, FL 33706

[Krodg]

Who is heading the wheelchair project?

[Republic]

I weep.

I am so disolved into emotion from reading this dear and sensitive and incredible article about Terri.

I am forwarding it to Larry.King.Live3@turner.com and am praying along with all here.

We must flood Larry's email today. Perhaps Larry will share with our nation the very realness and heart of this woman's life.

May God Bless the author of this article, and may the truth about Terri, the full truth, be laid upon those who hold the power to protect and free this beautiful life into the arms of her family.

I am going to fast this evening, in prayer, that the Schindler family and their attorney are surrounded and strengthed and fully able to present the truth about Terri and her will to live tomorrow on Larry King.

God Bless our efforts to help this young lady and her family. God Bless Jeb Bush and the attorney's working to defend Terri's Law, God bless the guardian ad litem with the fullness of truth and compassion, and God bless the Schindler's and Terri with a mighty sword of strength and truth. May the words the Schindler's and those who support them carry our Father's complete and awesome blessings.

[cyn]

"Who is heading the wheelchair project?"-- Whoever doesn't answer the ping, lol (small "who'll volunteer for this?" "I dunno, who's not here?" joke.)

Seriously, I don't know -- a number of us had talked about this recently. I don't know if there were further conversations since then; I lost my battle to skim through every post on those threads in last several days! So anyone who knows anything more -- feel free to fill us in here or in freemail. We do need to get it together; her birthday is in 3 weeks.

I figured the first thing is to establish that Terri needs a chair, and what kind is best for her. I've not heard back about that; does anyone here know?

Let's see who is still interested and able to work on this, whatever it takes. Clearly we need someone local, too.

[cyn]

Amen! It is good to be here with you, tears just go with the territory, don't they? I appreciate your kind heart, for all you do and have done through the years. God bless you & yours, dear Republic!

[Krodg]

I see you pinged floriduh voter to your post...that's who I was going to point you to.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1019426/posts?page=226#226

[ChemistCat]

I don't think I would have liked Terri all that much, had I had the chance to know her before her husband began actively trying to kill her. That's just a personality thing--hers is just not the kind of personality I mix well with--and doesn't change my belief that her life is of value, she ought to be allowed to have rehabilitative therapy, and that her husband is no fit custodian for her.

It sounds as if her parents knew Schiavo was bad news for her. What do you do when your daughter is weak for someone who is bad for her--but she's of age?

I don't think a young woman who tried to save her dying dog would have wanted food and water withheld from herself--or anybody. What Schiavo claims she said just doesn't fit this personality profile. She would have feared being starved to death, having the plug pulled, whatever. She was a cling-to-life-and-hope sort. That's obvious.

[Mfkmmof4]

I post on another board where some can't wait for Terri's law to be overturned and this article is viewed as an obituary :(