Posted on 03/18/2005 2:55:38 PM PST by spycatcher
A mentally disabled woman whose court ordered starvation-execution began Friday attempted to contradict her estranged husband's claim that she wants to die hours before her feeding tube was disconnected, an eyewitness is claiming.
Barbara Weller, an attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents, told reporters Friday afternoon that during her visit earlier in the day she told Ms. Schiavo:
"Terri, if you would just say, 'I want to live,' - all of this will be over."
According to pro-life activist Randall Terry, who recounted the scene to radio host Sean Hannity, Schiavo tried desperately to repeat Weller's words.
"'I waaaaannt . . .' Schiavo allegedly said, in a prolonged yell that had police stationed nearby running into her hospice room.
"She just started yelling, 'I waaaannt, I waaaannt,'" Terry said, according to Weller's account.
At that point police ejected Weller, he said.
One answer: A Right Delayed is a Right Denied.
You bring up an interesting point, but I'd put things differently: what sort of person is she to allow her fiancée to expend so much effort carrying out his wife's "wishes"?
I would hope that if I remarry my new wife would not begrudge me a couple trips per year to the cemetery where my wife is buried, but if I spent as much time visiting her as Michael has spent trying to kill Terri, I'd expect any prospective wife would question our relationship.
Jodi knows full well what's going on. She knows Terri is concious and must be eliminated.
CAT Scan or MRI? Which is it? They aint the same thing. He doesnt sound very specific. Did she ever have either?
Since when did 15 years become ASAP?
And I take it you would admire a guy who would sell out custody of his wife, letting her wishes be ignored? That's sick. He would be a monster if he took one of the offers, if you ask me.
Also what young healthy woman ,or man for that matter, even thinks about a Living Will or might tell her husband don't save me if I am incapacitated in some sort of vegetative state? No one that I know and when I was that age I wasn't even thinking of anything that dire I was thinking of living life.
Don't put your own bias on other people...not everyone is so focused on self and present. I was active in many causes when even younger than Mrs. Schiavo at the time of her collapse--including right to life/right to die issues. While it might not have been present on your mind, remember that there was a movie that triggered this discussion between Mr. and Mrs. Schiavo.
There's a distinction between "locked-in syndrome" and PVS that I think is important to make.
Always be suspicious of ACLU lawyers. They are anti-religion, anti-American and pro-death.
"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." (from CNSNews.com)
Michael Schiavo never said that Terri wanted to die until he hired ACLU lawyer George Felos. He probably didn't think of that mantra, until Felos told him is my guess.
And NEXT, here are some FACTS from CNSNews.com from THREE nurses:
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.
A big IF... if she spoke. If and when someone who was actually there and doesnt have an agenda or concern for their employment comes out and says what happened then maybe we will believe it. Taking what someone desperate with an agenda and accepting what they say at face value is ludicrous. Show me someone who is pro-choice who says she tried to speak and I will say okay that person doesnt have an axe to grind.
"CAT Scan or MRI? Which is it? They aint the same thing. He doesnt sound very specific. Did she ever have either?"
LOL - Whatever, whichever it was - he is sure that they misrepresented it ! Maybe he didn't now what he was looking at.
When it became apparent that any further delay in her execution might result in her being seen by honest credible people.
If you were standing there as a witness when it occured, why didnt you stop it?
Just as your side is saying now, yes. Why do you want to kill innocent people? Who is next on your list?
The last thing this country needs is congress interjecting itself into anything. Talk about the law of intended consequences. These people cant do anything right. You want to put them in charge of life and death decisions?
Amen.
I would agree that your future wife shoud have no problem with you visitng your wifes grave.
I disagree with yur view point on the girlfriend should question why he spends so much time carrying out her wishes. Michael, in my opinion is a sham, fraud, charleton and what ever else you want to say. He conned the jury in giving him this huge award, intersting he did not mention Terri's wishes then, after he received the money he did nothing to rehab her not even the basics...Michael's girlfriend has to be aware of this, she better take care that if they marry she is not next.
Yahoo!! The Senate is going to try to save Terri at 5 p.m. today.
What does that have to do with your gullibility? Everyone on both sides of this issue have agendas and both sides will lie to achieve their ends. I dont put it beyond Randall Terry and Sciavo's sister to lie. What is a lie in defense of live, right? Give me an uninvolved and disintersted witness who says she attempted to talk and then you can spout all this crap about Nazi Germany. Until then, you are being manipulated.
Good luck.
You need to reread my post. I meant that if she was meant to die she would have already died. The Lord would have took her or she would be brain dead with no life at all. But that's not the case is it. She is alive with signs of life and as I stated before( you really need to read a post before going on a rant ) for her to die this way is torture. She needs to get therapy and help and get away from her so called husband.
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