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Fresno, CA (LifeNews.com) -- The family of potential euthanasia victim Janet Rivera has won again as a local court has allowed Michael Dancoff, her brother, the become the permanent conservator. Rivera, of Sanger, California, was denied food and water for 11 consecutive days in the same manner as Terri Schiavo. Schiavo lost her nutrition for 13 days before succumbing to the death her former husband wanted and won after a lengthy court battle.Rivera was left to die a painful death by starvation and dehydration a month ago when a Fresno County public guardian removed her ventilator and stopped giving...

St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- After her husband won the legal right to subject her to a painful euthanasia death via starvation and dehydration, the mainstream media coverage of Terri Schiavo ended abruptly. Proving they were more interested in protecting people than the lure of the cameras, Terri's family hasn't stopped fighting for the disabled. Following Terri's death, the Schindler family converted the foundation they established to provide her with medical care to helping other disabled patients.The foundation now serves as a legal, medical and information clearinghouse for patients and their families.LifeNews.com recently profiled the case of Janet Rivera, a...

FRESNO, Calif., July 29, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After a hearing today in the Fresno County Superior Court, the family of patient Janet Rivera was reinstated as her conservator. The Court ruled that Ms. Rivera's cousin, Suzanne Emrich, temporarily replaces the public guardian who made the decision a few weeks ago to deprive Ms. Rivera of food and water.     Rivera has been in coma for the past two years, resulting from a heart attack. After Rivera's husband recently experienced medical problems, a Fresno County Public Guardian was appointed to take charge of Rivera's medical care.  Last week, after having been...

Valley Springs attorney Brian Chavez-Ochoa, who worked with family members of Teri Schiavo several years ago in the nationally publicized case, went to work last week on a Fresno County case that has many similarities to Schiavo's but also one rather significant difference. "I think this is almost identical but for this fact: (Schiavo) was family versus family. This is government versus family," he said. Chavez-Ochoa said this may be the first time for litigation of just such a case. Janet Rivera was removed from tubes providing food and water for nearly two weeks. Last Tuesday, the Fresno County Superior...

Fresno, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Disability rights advocates and pro-life groups are speaking up in the case of Janet Rivera, an incapacitated California woman who had her food and water restored yesterday. They say Rivera's guardian was wrong to override her family and deny her the right to sustenance.Rivera, 46, had a heart attack on February 2006 and she never regained consciousness. She has been on life support for two years.As LifeNews.com has reported, on July 14 a court-appointed guardian removed her feeding tube despite her family's wishes.After obtaining help from pro-life attorneys, the Rivera family won a court order to...

Fresno, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Twelve days after she was initially denied food and water, a California court ruled that Janet Rivera is entitled to the nutrition and hydration that a guardian revoked. Rivera is the latest disabled patient like Terri Schiavo to draw the attention of pro-life advocates because of her plight. Rivera lost her right to food and water on July 14 when a court-appointed guardian removed her feeding tube despite her family's wishes. The 46-year-old had a heart attack on February 2006 and she never regained consciousness. She has been on life support for two years. Fresno County...

Fresno, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A California court is scheduled to hold a hearing today in a case of a disabled woman like Terri Schiavo who has been deprived of food and water for nine days. Janet Rivera lost her right to food and water on July 14 when a court-appointed guardian removed her feeding tube despite her family's wishes. Rivera, 46, had a heart attack on February 2006 and she never regained consciousness. She has been on life support for two years Jesus Rivera, her husband, had been his wife's conservator until June 17, when he was replaced for unknown...