Family fights for daughter's survival

Washington Times ^ | 10/14/03 | Frank J. Murray

[CHUCKfromCAL]

I do not know what cruelties you refer to. She has been receiving Hospital care for 13 years. That, in itself, is cruel.

I saw the same kind of denial in my own family. Her parents and family are unwilling or unable to deal with the reality of Terri's situation. I am sure they are good people but they have chosen to vilify Terri's Husband which is grossly unfair. Thirteen years ago, when her time came, they should have let her go. Now they are committed to prolonging her life by any means possible for as long as possible. Now they can not let her go.

Terri is in a vegetative state caused by extensive brain damage. She is not just sleeping and there is no hope she will recover. What was Terri has gone. I believe that her soul may have already passed.

Yes, I think that the Judge is right - It is time, after 13 years, to let Terri pass. That will allow her Husband and family to move on - which is what they must do.

[agrace]

With all due respect for your loss, you are misinformed about several things. First of all, the hospice hasn't been paid a thing - that came out in court docs at some point. No one knows why. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that George Felos, the husband's lawyer, was a board chairman for that hospice shortly before taking the case. And the fact that she is in hospice begs the question - why has she been allowed to remain in hospice care at all considering she is not terminally ill?

Also, the husband tries to prevent treatment at every turn - she gets sick, he denies her antibiotics. He has disallowed any kind of therapy for a decade. He won't allow gynecological exams. Her teeth have not been brushed in years. He is trying to stop ALL care by removing the feeding tube. And no one really knows if she would die or not because she has not been given the opportunity to try to live, by being spoon fed on her own. In fact, initially she DID eat by spoon; the feeding tube was only put in place to make it easier on hospital staff.

A feeding tube is not considered life support. Vegetative is a very subjective term. Many so-called vegetative patients are misdiagnosed and many recover completely. "The courts" have found that her brain injury is very severe only because "the courts" have chosen to rely on the testimony of those who want it to be so. I'm not at all suggesting that her brain is NOT severely damaged, but come on, the key witness for the husband was a well-known right-to-die doctor who NEVER testified that a so-called vegetative patient could recover, even though some of those about whom he testified eventually DID.

Yes, Michael is entitled to have a life. But he is NOT entitled to deliberately mislead a jury about his intentions for his life. He testified under oath that he loved his wife, wanted to take care of her for the rest of her life but simply lacked the means. As a result of that testimony, he was awarded 1-2 million dollars for rehabilitative care.

The following year, shortly after the money landed in his account, he began to deny care and incredibly, suddenly remembered that she told him one time that she wouldn't want to "live like that" when they were supposedly watching a movie about a person on life support but which title he can't remember. Since then he has done everything within his power to hasten her death rather than better her life, as he so promised the courts that he longed to do.

He does want her dead. Is that so hard to comprehend? It is possible that his motives are less than pure. He's hardly conducted himself like a man who just wants what is best for Terri.

All that aside, it baffles me that forced dehydration/starvation is EVER allowed. Just try it on a Gitmo inmate - or a stray dog for that matter - and watch the ACLU howl in protest.

[PleaseNoMore]

"Terri is in a vegetative state caused by extensive brain damage. She is not just sleeping and there is no hope she will recover. What was Terri has gone. I believe that her soul may have already passed."

I am sorry but, a person in a PV state doesn't respond when family members visit. They don't laugh. They don't cry. They don't try to raise themselves up from their chairs. Terri does these things. She is not in a persistant vegetative state. I would challenge you to visit our Chuck here who does all of the same things Terri Schiavo does and say that he is in a vegetative state. He would instantly give you his infamous screw you signal. His middle finger. Terri Schiavo is alive and very much so. Her body is disabled. Without the needed therapy she has no way of making her body communicate that which is in her mind other than through grunts and groans. She has not had the retraining that may very well tie her mind and body together again. On a side note, our Chuck has just began saying mama again. After 18 years of not saying a word he can now say the words most precious to his mother; her name. So, let me tell you, there is hope for Terri. Terri's soul certainly has not left. That is plainly visible from the video that was shown last night and that is on her website.