DCF: Schiavo Not Abused Or Exploited

The Associated Press ^ | April 16, 2005

[kingattax]

TAMPA, Fla. -- State investigators found no evidence that Terri Schiavo had been abused or exploited by either side of her family, according to documents released by Florida's Department of Children and Families.

The agency investigated 89 complaints dating back to 2001, when Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for the first time and the legal battle surrounding her right-to-die case intensified.

The calls alleged that the brain-damaged woman was being mistreated by her husband and her parents for financial gain. One complaint alleged that Schiavo's parents were selling videos of her through a Web site; another said Schiavo's husband wasn't spending money intended for her rehabilitation.

But investigators said they found no evidence that either her husband or parents were exploiting her, and often noted in their records that they found Schiavo well cared for on their visits to her Pinellas Park hospice.

The agency released the records Friday under court order.

Schiavo, 41, died last month after her feeding tube was removed for the third time, ending a bitter court battle between her husband, Michael Schiavo, and parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, over whether she would have wanted to live in a vegetative state.

The repeated allegations of abuse were based partly on bone scans showing Terri Schiavo suffered fractures and statements she made to family and friends that she was unhappy in her marriage.

Schiavo's husband has denied harming his wife. His lawyer said the fractures resulted from osteoporosis caused by the woman's years of immobility and complications of her medication.

Robert Schindler declined to comment there on the release of the DCF documents. An attorney for Michael Schiavo did not immediately return calls

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Because the Founding Fathers were well versed in Christianity and the Bible. They knew that man would always sin.

[bjs1779]

I absolutely believe these people were sent here from DU long ago to stir dissent and undermine FR.

Was is it Wrong to Kill Terri Schiavo?

Member Opinion
Yes	84.2%		4,602
No	9.7%		529
Pass	3.6%		198
Undecided	2.5%		139
	100.0%		5,468

[streetpreacher]

So someone keeps "dragging" you onto these threads against your will, eh? Maybe you are a Calvinist in reverse; predestination working against you?

[Cboldt]

Doctors recommended that MS pull the tube in '93. He refused. For what it's worth.

That plays into a determination of the "clear and convincing" nature of Michael's later testimony that Terri wanted the plug pulled. Or, it could be that he didn't believe the prognosis.

Some folks content that Michale had a fairly clear "about face" regarding keeping Terri alive, and that the timing of the "about face" coincided roughly with the med-mal money awards in 1993.

In the long run, any order given would be contrary to the recommendation of a medical doctor, because the doctors took both sides.

In early 1994 Theresa contracted a urinary tract infection and Michael, in consultation with Theresa's treating physician, elected not to treat the infection and simultaneously imposed a "do not resuscitate" order should Theresa experience cardiac arrest. When the nursing facility initiated an intervention to challenge this decision, Michael cancelled the orders.

From Wolfson, A REPORT TO GOVERNOR JEB BUSH AND THE 6TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN THE MATTER OF THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO (1 Dec 2003)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1370976/posts <--

Seems strange that Michael would cancel his order to withold treatment at this point. It's (arguably) more natural to meet one's demise via infection or disease than by dehydration.

[paltz]

For those talking about the solution of living wills to prevent another schiavo case here are some interesting facts on suicide and attempted suicide from the CDC:

Suicide (taking one’s own life) is a serious public health problem that devastates individuals, families, and communities. It is the 11th leading cause of death among Americans (Anderson and Smith 2003). Completed suicides are only part of the problem. More people are hospitalized or treated and released as a result of suicide attempts than are fatally injured. While suicide is often viewed as a response to a single stressful event, it is a far more complicated issue. Suicide results from complex interactions between biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.

Suicide evokes difficult and uncomfortable reactions in most people. Too often, victims are blamed and surviving friends and family members are stigmatized. Consequently, suicide is shrouded in secrecy. This limits the amount of available information that is crucial to suicide prevention activities.

Research over the past several decades has uncovered a wealth of information on the causes of suicide and the strategies to prevent it. Many studies have identified factors that either increase or reduce the likelihood that a person will attempt or commit suicide. CDC is using this information to develop and implement prevention programs to reduce the numbers of attempted and completed suicides.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/suicide-overview.htm

[Hildy]

Ok, Sherlock...we'll see.

[Earthdweller]

In truth, most doctors want no part of deciding something so "gray" - they feel it's for the family, or for society to decide.

Yep..the MD's are right to "pass the buck" on this one but..(here comes the big butt :)) there is a good reason they do that. It's because they are not God and they can't carry the guilt of terminating someone needlessly with the laws as they are (gray). They know they don't have all the answers. Medicine is not an exact science.

The laws need to be made clearer ..updated if you will, to the current century to match those advances you talk about. There needs to be legislation to determine as closely as it can be what is end of life (terminal) and what isn't so that families can make better informed decisions when true end of life issues happen.

Otherwise there is a license to kill every severely mentally compromised person in America as long as it is done by a family member. The gray area is much too large for anyone's comfort.

Either a person is terminal or they aren't. If no living will is present that states a person wanted to die in a PVS or other non-dead state then there will be no death...It's that simple.

Forget this hearsay fiasco. Let's make it clearer.

[Cboldt]

For those talking about the solution of living wills to prevent another schiavo case here are some interesting facts on suicide and attempted suicide from the CDC ...

Interesting stuff.

The function of living wills is, as far as I can tell, to reduce the courtroom caseload. So, in that sense, a living will "prevents another Schiavo case."

But another point of view is the prevention of dehydrating a patient (otherwise without a prognosis of terminal) to death. Right now, that event happens if the doctor and family agree on that course of action. Living wills can't prevent this occurance, and can't force an agreeing doctor and family to obtain court permission for the dehydration.

[conservlib]

You know, you're on the wrong side of almost every discussion here

You are correct. There is not one single subject that I get support on, except for my hate for the Muslim fanatics.

The reason that most of you cannot agree with me, is so simple; most of you are knee jerk conservatives who listen to the TALKING POINTS from Rush, and other conservative talking heads, and regurgitated the same things without evaluating them on your own. I listen to Rush, and love 90% of what he has to say, but I do not to critic him if he is wring. For example his position on BIG SUVS! In addition, most of you have been very much afraid of speaking your mind against Bush positions because you would be given the demon-rats ammunitions. So when our team does wrong, we cover for their stupidity.

I am tired of the so called Christians who are too lazy to get involved in any issues except ABORTION!! It is such a waste to not care about so many important issues. Just to name a few; immigration, , Muslim expansionism, exporting our jobs, energy issues, environmental wackos, science education downslope, medical cost escalation, CEO to average Joe compensation multiple expansion to irrational new heights, intelligence, Turkey admission to the EU, Muslims atrocities in Africa, the Hell hole called Iraq, Muslim terrorism, castration of the American male, Bush continue support to Muslim terrorists in Kosovo, and Bosnia, The US prostituting itself to the Saudis,---- .......Now did I name a few REAL problem for you? How angry are you or your preacher, or Rush about all these points?

[cyncooper]

What kind of tactic is that?

Peach, check out what this character is trying to pull here.

The creepy factor is at level 10 today with these jerks.

[conservlib]

If you know what it means to be a "true" Christian

Actually, I know; that is to live your life meek, and to love everybody including your ENEMIES!

You obviously have an agenda against "evangelical types"

Yes, and the ONLY reason is that they have wasted their energy on one single issue, ABORSION! In my previous post to you, I gave you a list of REAL issues that ALL Americans should be VERY concerned about. I bet you did not spend more than five minutes on any of these issues that I named for you.

Now about God being so ugly that he does not show himself or "herself" up? Do you have an GOOD explanation why he does not do that? Generations lived and died since his reported appearance in the Middle East 2000 years ago!

[Trinity_Tx]

No.

http://home.comcast.net/~trinity_tx/attacktheory.htm


That's all I'll contribute to this thread.

[conservlib]

No, I make unusual comments that are not part of the THE TALKING POINTS OF THE KNEE JERK conservatives, and they come on me like fly on SH*T! I am obligated to then explain my position. Nice talking with you preacher man

[ColoCdn]

"Character"? "Creepy"? Jerk?

Ad hominem?

[LauraJean]

If a very poor diet was going to lead to heart attacks there should be jockeys dropping dead right and left every day at the track.
There is nothing in the original record to state that she had a heart attack. In fact the doctors did not know what caused her problem.
And if she had had a heart attack she should have died years ago since damaged heart muscle would have caused a lot of problems. The very fact she was able to survive 13 days is testiment to her heart health.
By the way how many children are dead after the DCFS did a home investigation and stated there was nothing dangerous in their homelife to warrent the children taken away? Just because the Florida DCFS did not see anything wrong just means the Florida DCFS gave the hospice time to make everything look just hunky dory for them. Something like the Nazis did when the Red Cross would visit Theresienstadt, a camp set up just for that purpose.
And thirdly if she were Bulimic no one deserves to be tortured the way she was for so many years.
It is wrong and I know what is right and wrong and I don't need no dang poll to vindicate my beliefs.

[cyncooper]

I forgot to add "stalker".

Thanks for reminding me.

[ColoCdn]

Gosh, I didn't realize that 'ad hominem' was Latin for 'stalker'.

I thought it was Latin for 'I don't know how to refute the other person, so I'll just call him/her childish names.'

[Fred]

There are at least 2 nurses who disagree with this report.