Terri Schiavo's sister speaks out on autopsy results
Terri Schiavo's sister, Suzanne Vitadamo, spoke out about her late sister's autopsy results Thursday.
She spoke to reporters in Minnesota on behalf of her parents and brother. Vitadamo said her sister was not in a persistent vegetative state, as the medical examiners report said she was.
"Our family stands by its strong belief that Terri was not in PVS, and we appreciate the many noted neurologists, including Dr. Cheshire, who saw Terri just weeks before she died who agree with our position," Vitadamo said.
Cheshire is a board-certified physician at the Mayo Clinic.
The medical examiner, Dr. Jon Thogmartin, wrote in his report that "There's nothing here again that's inconsistent with what's published for persistent vegetative state."
Vitadamo also disputed what was perhaps the biggest surprise of the report. The examiner said Terri Schiavo was blind. That finding calls into question the family's claim that Schiavo was seeing anything on well-publicized videos that appeared to show her looking at her mother and following a balloon with her eyes.
"Our attorneys and other witnesses clearly saw Terri recognize her mother and father, and treat them differently," Vitadamo said.
Vitadamo said Thogmartin found no evidence of bulimia.
More than a decade ago, Michael Schiavo won a large civil judgment after suing his wife's doctors, saying they should have detected an eating disorder.
"Our family would encourage Michael Schiavo to do the right thing and return the funds paid by the innocent doctors who were sued for Terri's collapse," Vitadamo said.
Click here for the report from Bay News 9.