Gingrich defends Congress
Monday, March 28, 2005
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said the Schiavo case will have a lasting impact on how people view government.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich defended Congress' actions in the Terri Schiavo case.
He said he thinks Schiavo will have a lasting impact on America.
"I think you're going to find that the underlying impact of this is going to be greater anger at judges and greater anger at a secular state that would impose this kind of killing on an innocent person," Gingrich said.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/3/28/76068.html
LOCAL FAMILY TAKES CARE OF DISABLED DAUGHTER IN TERRI'S CONDITION
Understanding the pain
Monday, March 28, 2005
The Brocatos have cared for their daughter, Lisa Watson, the past 15 years.
Friends of the Schindlers, who have a daughter in a very similar condition to Terri Schiavo, have gone down a different road.
Thirty-seven-year-old Lisa Watson suffered similar health problems to Schiavo. In fact, Watson spent a year in the same long-term care facility as Schiavo.
That's where Watson's parents, Mike and Dorothy Brocato, met the Schindlers.
"We'd have lunch together, have the girls in wheel hairs," Dorothy Brocato said.
But during the past 14 years, the Brocatos and the Schindlers have gone down very different paths in trying to care for their daughters.
"We're fortunate that we have a son-in-law that turned Lisa over to us," Mike Brocato said.
"My heart really goes out to the Schindlers because I know how I feel about my daughter, and we have a very good son-in-law that gave her to us," Dorothy Brocato said.
For the Brocatos, their journey with their daughter began when she was 22. She had difficulty during childbirth. Just eight days later she collapsed. Her heart stopped three times. Against all odds, she lived, but suffered severe brain damage.
The Brocatos have since dedicated their lives to taking care of their daughter.
"I'll take care of her until the day I die," Dorothy Brocato said.
The Brocatos believe with time, new medical technology will be able to Like Terri Schiavo, Watson suffered brain damage and lapsed into a coma.
"Where there's life, there's hope," Mike Brocato said.
Fourteen years after the difficult journey began, the Brocatos said their daughter's condition improves slowly with daily physical therapy.
"When I first brought her home she was lifeless," Mike Brocato said. "Now she'll follow anybody that's in the room."
Meanwhile, they've watched as the Schindlers struggled to keep their daughter alive.
"I feel like Michael [Schiavo] should have had more feelings for the Schindlers and given them custody of Terri," said Dorothy Brocato. "That's all they wanted."
The Brocatos wish the Schindlers were also given an opportunity to keep hope for their daughter.
In their 70s, the Brocatos are making plans for their daughter to be taken care of after they're no longer able. They plan to leave custody of their daughter with their two sons and a nurse.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/3/28/76027.html
Michael, Felos, and Greer might be laughing now, but this is not the end even if Terri dies. There will be lawsuits and there will be those who will keep reminding them (as well as those who could have but refused to prevent her death) of the horror the committed.
With new medical advances over the past years, Terri could have been significantly helped, but Michael and Greer refused to allow it.