Disabled Woman's Family, Former Nurses Seek Inquiry (Terri Schindler Schiavo)

CNSNews.com ^ | 9/10/03 | Jeff Johnson

[kattracks]

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Supporters of a disabled Florida woman embroiled in a euthanasia battle with her husband called Wednesday for a criminal investigation into the husband's alleged abuse of his incapacitated wife.

The request comes just days after three of Terri Schindler Schiavo's former caregivers submitted sworn affidavits detailing a years-long history of denied medical care, altered or destroyed medical records, and alleged attempts by Michael Schiavo to kill his wife.

Schiavo has repeatedly denied the allegations, as has his attorney, George Felos.

Felos was quoted in the Tampa Tribune as saying that claims of abuse by the former caregivers are "a bunch of garbage." Although he did acknowledge that Schiavo was often overbearing with Terri's nurses, he claimed the behavior was an attempt to obtain "the best care for her."

Felos also disputed claims that Terri had communicated with her nurses. "It didn't happen," Felos told the newspaper. "It's a fabrication."

But the denials haven't stopped efforts to dig deeper into the case. "A group of concerned citizens have put together a formal request to the state's attorney, Bernie McCabe, asking him to investigate allegations of abuse upon Terri Schindler Schiavo by her husband, Michael Schiavo," said Pamela Hennessy, spokeswoman for the Schindler family.

Based on affidavits included with a federal lawsuit filed by the Schindlers on Aug. 30, Schiavo has allegedly forbidden medical professionals to provide his wife with any therapy or rehabilitation and has allegedly even attempted to cause her death.

As the result of a brain injury she suffered in 1990 under questionable circumstances, complicated by a lack of therapy for more than a decade, Terri has required nutrition and hydration through a gastrostomy or "feeding tube."

The woman has not had a guardian ad-litem for most of the time she has been disabled because the judge with jurisdiction over probate matters in her county ruled that Terri's sole legal guardian, her husband, is qualified to determine what is in her best interest.

But Schiavo began withholding nutrition and hydration shortly after winning $1.2 million on her behalf in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Since receiving the money, Schiavo has provided only subsistence care for his wife.

Terri's parents have been trying to obtain guardianship and provide their daughter with rehabilitative therapy that medical professionals have said will allow her to "improve significantly."

Allegations prompt call for criminal probe into suspected abuse

One particular allegation that was "very disturbing" to Hennessy and prompted the request for a criminal investigation was lodged by Carla Sauer Iyer, a registered nurse who cared for Terri from about April of 1995 until August of 1996.

Iyer alleged that Terri's blood sugar levels were normally "very stable due to the uniformity of her diet." While she suspects Schiavo of injecting Terri with regular insulin to drive her into hypoglycemic shock, she acknowledged that she has no proof.

"She noted at least five times when Michael Schiavo would come to visit Terri, close the door to her room and then emerge sometime later and leave," Hennessy related. "On those occasions, Iyer had tested Terri's blood sugar, and the level was so low it wasn't even registering, she would administer dextrose to get Terri...out of danger."

Iyer's affidavit detailed the alleged incidents.

"Terri would be trembling, crying hysterically and would be very pale and have cold sweats. It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I'd check her blood sugar," Iyer recalled. "The glucometer reading would be so low that it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading."

Iyer and the other caregivers recalled numerous occasions when they would record information in Terri's medical charts or patient logs indicating that she was alert and responsive, speaking to them, laughing at jokes or funny stories, and complying with simple instructions.

Those records, they allege, were deleted from the files and, in some cases, were later seen in trashcans at nursing stations.

Hennessy said the letter requesting the investigation was delivered to McCabe Tuesday. An unidentified McCabe staff member told CNSNews.com late Wednesday that "I have been advised that we did not receive anything."

Motion to disqualify alleges judge talked to reporters, others about case

Terri's parents also want Pinellas-Pasco Florida Circuit Judge George Greer removed from their daughter's case. Attorneys for Robert and Mary Schindler filed a motion to disqualify Greer for alleged violations of the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct. Greer has reportedly denied that motion, but his decision is expected to be appealed.

"There is a motion to disqualify, based on evidence that Judge Greer is discussing this case with his colleagues and also the media," Hennessy said. "He is not to do that without litigating attorneys present."

The Schindlers' lead attorney, Pat Anderson, claims Greer talked to reporters about the case after a teleconference between the judge and attorneys for both parties ended on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

"On Wednesday or Thursday, I learned from a local reporter that, in fact, the reporters stayed in Judge Greer's chambers after the conclusion of the telephonic hearing for some period of time, asking him questions and recording his responses," Anderson charged. "It is my firm conviction that Judge Greer, in effect, held an impromptu press conference about the merits of the case pending before him without counsel for the parties being present."

Anderson referenced testimony from other individuals, corroborating her accusation that Greer had discussed the case with reporters, colleagues and elected officials outside his office, in alleged violation of the Florida Canons of Judicial Conduct.

"It is my belief that Judge Greer is no longer possessed of the cold, impartial neutrality that the Canons require of any judge," Anderson wrote in her affidavit supporting the motion.

Hennessy said she had received word Wednesday that Greer had rejected the motion to disqualify himself from the case. But that is not the end of the request.

"There are gatekeepers in place," Hennessy said. "I'm not certain how the attorneys would need to proceed in order to do that."

See Earlier Story:
Disabled Woman Would Cry 'Help Me,' Caregivers Claim (Sept. 03, 2003)

E-mail a news tip to Jeff Johnson.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.

[Ethan_Allen]

Education in End-of Life Care for Nurse Educators
The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC)
offers courses for undergraduate faculty, clinical-end-of-life care educators and other continuing education/staff development educators. The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project, A COMPREHENSIVE, NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO IMPROVE END-OF-LIFE CARE BY NURSES, IS FUNDED BY A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION. Primary project goals are to develop a core of expert nursing educators and TO COORDINATE NATIONAL NURSING EDUCATION EFFORTS IN END-OF-LIFE CARE...." The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast http://www.thehospice.org/inst.htm

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
and the Johnson & Johnson Company
"Robert Wood Johnson Jr. was 64th on the list of "most wealthy" individuals, listed according to wealth as a percentage of the GNP...." (marmema, browse, then scroll down to bottom under 'Others'. 'google' Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Rockefeller. 'google' hospice Rockefeller. 'google' Rockefeller Population Control. 'google' Rockefeller Syndicate and Murder By Injection).

THE ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION ON POPULATION 'GROWTH'
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/980232/replies?comment=17

STATEMENT OF SENATOR SUSAN M. COLLINS
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING
"THE END OF LIFE: IMPROVING CARE, EASING PAIN AND HELPING FAMILIES"
JULY 17, 2000 http://aging.senate.gov/events/hr54sc.htm

"...Currently, in order for a Medicare beneficiary to qualify for the hospice benefit, a physician must document that the person has a life expectancy of six months or less. With some conditions -- like congestive heart failure -- it is difficult to project life expectancy with any certainty. However, these patients still need hospice-like services, including advance planning, support services, symptom management, and other services that are not currently available.

In this regard, I introduced an amendment to the Patients' Bill of Rights, which was approved by the Senate, to require a comprehensive study into the appropriate thresholds, costs and quality implications of moving away from the current narrow definition in Medicare of who is terminally ill and toward a definition that better identifies those with "serious and complex" illnesses. This study was suggested by the group Americans for Better Care of the Dying, and is intended to help us shift the paradigm in this country of how we view serious illness. This study will help us to provide better care for that broader category of patients who are terminally ill and have a need for more coordinated care, but who will probably live for another year or two....."

[Ethan_Allen]

Re The statement by Susan Collins above:

I forgot to mention this line:

Last year, I joined SENATOR ROCKEFELLER in introducing the Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act, which is intended to improve the way we care for Medicare patients at the end of their lives.

[MarMema]

"Clearly, there is more that we can do to relieve suffering, respect personal choice and dignity, and provide opportunities for people to find meaning and comfort at life's conclusion."

"Meaning and comfort". Imagine that.

[MarMema]

And now that Medicare pays for all of the elderly needing healthcare....

[Ethan_Allen]

...NOT JUST THE ELDERLY....

"...In this regard, I introduced an amendment to the Patients' Bill of Rights, which was approved by the Senate, to require a comprehensive study into the appropriate thresholds, costs and quality implications of MOVING AWAY FROM THE CURRENT NARROW DEFINITION IN MEDICARE OF WHO IS TERMINALLY ILL AND and TOWARD A DEFINITION THAT BETTER IDENTIFIES THOSE WITH "SERIOUS AND COMPLEX" ILLNESSES..."

[Ethan_Allen]

It's a racket. The parasites killed off manufacturing in the good ole USA, and replaced it with the death industry and Communism!

"....March 4 - Mandatory Vaccination; Same Old Crew Up To Their Elbows In Coercion - An under-reported story

I just scanned through the following and found the SAME "health" coalitions (the Center for Disease Control, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Big Pharma, the Word Health Organization) involved in persecuting smokers are also responsible for the growing number of mandatory vaccinations of children....."

"...As an anti-tobacco researcher working for the University of California, Benowitz has benefited from the largesse bestowed upon the school by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Benowitz also held the position of executive director in a nicotine research outfit funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the biggest single shareholder in Johnson & Johnson, distributor of Nicotrol nicotine patch and nicotine inhaler, and began its massive funding of tobacco control in the U.S. in 1991, the same year the FDA approved the nicotine patch as a prescription drug. Each smoker that is hectored into cessation treatment delivers to RWJF's bottom line...."

"... the extreme danger of this kind of con artistry is to prepare people to accept a Pharma-chemical control of behaviour with the "encouragement" of the state. History has clearly demonstrated that vaccines (even the real ones) quickly move out of the voluntary realm and become mandatory in the interest of “public health”. Parents who refuse face the law. This is understandable when the availability of reasonably safe vaccines for dangerous communicable diseases can determine the difference between disease containment or epidemic. Today, proponents of “vaccines” for noncommunicable nondiseases want to make them mandatory “in the best interest of the child” – an interest that more and more is set by a state that wants control of your children, so that you are left with the burdens of parenthood, but not with the right to form the children’s environment and values. It does not "take a village to raise a child" -- especially when such a socialist village is ruled by "public health" scammers. It takes two good parents with personal values and independent thinking.

Even assuming that such “vaccines” would work (and that is the scariest part) “what kind of parent” then would refuse to vaccinate his children after 20 years of fraudulent brainwashing by Pharma-health on smoking? Only an addicted, irresponsible individual who does not have the best interest of the child in mind, surely – thus justifying state intervention and punishment of the parent(s)! But then again, “what kind of parent” would refuse the opportunity to protect his children against drugs, alcohol, fatty foods, coffee and whatever else the junk scientists of “public health” “demonstrate” is “harmful” with their statistics? A behavioural vaccine, by the way, acts on the pleasure centres of the brain, altering and perhaps damaging them. All in a good and fashionable cause, of course.

It is written all over the wall: if you can pharmaceutically treat “addiction,” you pharmaceutically control behaviour....." from NEWS - PHARMA CARTEL
http://www.smokingparadise.net/News/bigpharma.html

More of the agenda of the communists within; scroll down to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Federalism, and ROCKEFELLER. http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/cwr/resource/nationalpz.htm

Well, here it is 1984, 19 years later. Next on the death list, the 'mentally ill'? It's already been ruled that it is legal to force medication.


Source: Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35
January 10, 1963
Current Communist Goals
http://www.restoringamerica.org/documents/45_goals_of_communism.html

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.


What's the status? Has anyone heard anything yet? I know it's not very Christian, but I keep thinking Zechariah 14:12. http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Zec/Zec014.html#12 I wonder if it's been fulfilled yet?


That's all I have for today. I'll spend the rest of the day in prayer.

[MontanaBeth]

The absolute best news I've had today! Praying for Terri and he family.

[MontanaBeth]

Praying for Terri and HER family!

[floriduh voter]

Two nurse witnesses are dead. Please pray for the ones that are still with us. Please pray for everybody who stuck their neck out whose faces and names are all over the place. The death merchants have no souls. We're ruining their mission and spoiling their agenda.