n May of 1987, a car accident left seventeen year old Christine Busalacchi with severe head trauma that required removal of part of the brain (Bowden 1). Ms. Busalacchi was classified as in a persistent vegetative state in 1987 (Bowden 1). A gastrostomy feeding and hydration tube was surgically inserted into Ms. Busalacchi in 1987 (Bowden 1). The hospital she was at informed her guardian, her father, Peter Busalacchi, that she was going to be discharged and recommended that she be placed in a nursing facility (Bowden 1). Her father found a facility in Minnesota that would take Ms. Busalacchi (Bowden 2). In 1990 The State of Missouri used a restraining order to prevent Mr. Busalacchi from removing his daughter from the state and to prevent the removal of the tube (Bowden 2). The state claimed that Mr. Busalacchi was just moving his daughter to Minnesota because he would be able to remove the tube in Minnesota (Bowden 2). The case was taken to trial where the State of Missouri tried to show that Ms. Busalacchi was not in a persistent vegetative state and that she was improving (Bowden 2). They also claimed that she could receive all of the evaluations in Missouri and did not need to be moved to Minnesota (Bowden 2). Mr. Busalacchi presented to the court the denials he had received from the hospital of further evaluation of his daughters condition (Bowden 2). He also explained that in Minnesota all of the tests would be run under the supervision of a nationally renowned neurologist (Bowden 2). He stated that it wouldnt be until after the completed evaluation that he would consider removing the tube and only under a doctors recommendation (Bowden 2). The trial court found that removal of the feeding tube was not the sole purpose of the proposed move and refused to grant the permanent injunctions that the state had requested, allowing Mr. Busalacchi the freedom to have his daughter transferred to Minnesota (Bowden 2). The Missouri Court of Appeals reversed the trial courts decision and ordered them to reconsider the evidence (Bowden 3).
Terri had been in the hospital ten months when Cruzan was put to death and Busalacchi was TIME's cover girl for the next execution. Michael was soaking it all in. I wonder how long it took for him to start shopping a malpractice suit?