Posted on 12/03/2003 4:21:05 PM PST by nickcarraway
Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Members of Terri Schiavo's family celebrated her 40th birthday on Wednesday as supporters gathered outside of the Woodside Hospice building where she lives. Pro-life people from across the United States came to show their support for the woman who has become the focus of the national debate over euthanasia.
"The support for Terri has been overwhelming. Our family is touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and encouragement for our daughter," said Terri’s mother, Mary Schindler.
According to Terri's family, many supporters came bearing gifts and several hundred people sent Terri birthday cards and while others gave balloons and cupcakes.
Students from Margaret K. Lewis School in Panama City, Florida, also reached out to Terri.
Dozens of special needs students, many who have their own feeding tubes, learned they could send birthday wishes. Though they needed help from teachers and assistants to draw their cards and sign their names, that didn't stop them from letting Terri know they care.
"So many of these are children with feeding tubes," says Susan Perry who works at the school.
Perry told WMBB-TV, "They are human beings just like Terri. They want her to understand they know what she's going through, and if their feeding tubes were taken away from them they would go hungry. They just want to wish her a very happy birthday."
Some who came in person to support Terri brought special homemade items.
Jeanie Dicus of California brought a hand-crafted a quilt with lavender flowers and intricate needle-work for a gift. Cheryl Ford of Florida put together a collage of photos from people around the world who support the disabled woman and her plight.
Pamela Hennessy, a representative of Terri's family, said it was comforting to know people "see Terri as a person and not an 'issue.'"
"This gives us all pause to remember those amongst us who may not be able to speak for themselves -- but who are still, very much part of our human race," Hennessy added.
Birthday cards are one of the few things Terri gets to see in her hospice room. According to Terri's family, Michael Schiavo has prevented her from receiving flowers. However, the Schindler family is allowed to take cards and other gifts to her while the legal battle continues.
Birthday greetings for Terri can be sent to The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation, 4615 Gulf Boulevard, #104-103, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida 33706.
Related web sites:
Terri's family - http://www.terrisfight.org
Aside from the media, which comes onto the scene bearing an agenda, this is becoming more and more an acceptable thing. "Oh, what a good boy, he didn't make his parents suffer!"
If legalized euthanasia (and that's what this "living will" business is) continues unchallenged for a decade, the floodgates will open for it, in the same way as did abortion.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, one of Gephardt's rivals for the party's presidential nomination, has said he agrees with Bush's decision, saying government must "honor life."
Let's not forget to thank Senator Lieberman!
It is too bad that too many in the media keep presenting a distorted image of MS.
CentreDaily.com (Oct. 25), for example, mentioned some of the Schindler's charges but obviously leaned towards Michael: that he received $300,000 for loss of companionship, had lots of girlfriends in high school, worked for MacDonald's, how Jodi is a godsend, how he is doing this out of love for his wife, etc.
What bothers me a lot is that Michael S., a truly evil man, is portrayed as a "gentle giant"; "loving husband"; practically a martyr, by much of the media.
His background appears so ordinary: grew up in Levittown, Pa. in a Lutheran family; youngest of 5 brothers; dropped out of Bucks County Community College in 1982 and went to work for McDonald's, etc.
Only those in denial or with an agenda of their own can overlook his dark side behind the mask of ordinariness.
It bothers me a lot, too. But that's the way evil is able to continue in the world. If it showed itself as it really is, all of mankind would naturally find it repulsive.
Only those in denial or with an agenda of their own can overlook his dark side behind the mask of ordinariness.
And there you have it.
Also, people who haven't any regular contact with God, lack spiritual sensitivity.
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