Dearest Friends of Terri,
I am very distraught this evening. I have contemplated whether to send this information to the people who have remained steadfast and very dedicated in their fight to free Terri from her captors. However, after great consideration, I feel it is only right that I share with you, Terri's supporters, the information I have been given to me this evening by Terri's family.
As we all have come to know, Terri Schindler is a strong woman who has an incredible will to live. Despite the daily inhumane torture that is inflicted upon her by estranged spouse, Michael Schiavo, (the man who has allowed her to lay in a bed with no food and water for the past eight days,) she has been fighting very hard to remain alive. Last Friday, in spite of her not being permitted therapy since 1993, Terri even tried to articulate the words "I Waaaaaa " in a very loud voice, in response to Attorney Weller saying to her, "all you have to do Terri, is tell us you want to live, and this whole thing can be over Terri."
Under normal circumstances, considering how well hydrated and nourished Terri has been due to receiving the balanced nutritional elements in enteral feedings, it would seem reasonable for Terri to live for another week, or so. However, what was reported by her family tonight, has presented my worst fears. Terri's breathing has changed and has recently become very labored. I am assuming this is happening so quickly because of the possible initiation of Woodside's "exit protocol." A protocol which delivers to her nebulized morphine, a narcotic which suppresses respirations. (see attached pdf exit protocol) The "exit protocol" was obviously written to enhance her death process. Woodside claims Morphine was to be administered to provide her with so-called "comfort" measures. Odd, however, they would find it necessary to administer Morphine to a patient who Schiavo and Felos have declared all along has no pain, is without any feelings, and is brain dead.
Go figure!
In simple English, it appears they are killing Terri faster than she has the ability to fight to stay alive any longer. Terri's family are physically and emotionally worn out. They feel disappointed and deserted by government leaders who they once supported. They pleaded for help from them to save their daughters life, but were repeatedly turned down by judges who chose to err on the side of death, as opposed to life. Sadly, leaving them alone to stand by and witness their daughter fighting against the inhumane death of starvation and dehydration.
The callous, cruel and bizarre behaviors we have also witnessed from Schiavo in his determination to rapidly kill the wife he claims to love; leads us to assume he may now be on a rapid mission to leave Terri's parents with the memory of her death on Easter.
Please pray that God continues to protect Terri. Pray that He will provide Terri with peace as she struggles to take her final breaths. Please pray that He allows her family to feel confident that they did everything possible to save her life. Please pray that He allows them to know how much she loves them for the valiant fight they have made on her behalf. Please pray that if Terri is forced to take her final breaths, it can be with her family by her bedside and not Michael Schiavo. Pray that someday soon she will be capable of inhaling the beauty of LIFE, in a place where no more harm will come to her.
As Terri now lays taking labored breaths, I myself, am given a sense of peace in knowing if she dies, she will soon be free from Michael ever bringing harm to her again. I will no longer have to worry about what he may do to her; or, how she has had to stay locked up in a room away from her family and the beautiful sounds of the earth we all are able to enjoy every day. I will pray for each of you that you find peace within yourself in knowing you have helped Terri in your own special way.
In the meantime, please know, for as long as Terri is alive and fighting, I will continue to pray for a miracle and will keep on fighting for her until her final breaths are taken. I ask that you all join me in doing the same.
Thank you so much for being an enormous strength for Terri's family. They continue to appreciate the love and dedication you continue to show to Terri, and to each of them.
I will keep you posted.
Respectfully, and with great admiration.
Cheryl Ford RN
Fight4Terri@aol.com
Prayerful Ping to Post 4,342
THAT was powerful.
Oh Pegita.
I have no words.
There are few people that I would even give a second thought to hating, it's just not worth the effort or time to think about them...I can not imagine the effort that Michael is going through to ensure she dies, and the awful things I can imagine he says when he's alone with her....I don't want to start a theological debate...but I wonder--once you sell your soul is it redeemable? (or is that one of those, Can God create something so heavy he can't lift it questions?) I know of no one besdies King Saul that it is indicated that the Spirit departed. I wonder if it's even possible for the evil three to repent?
*musing and feeling hopeless about this battle, but not the war*
as for me, I am tired of shouting into the wind......people aren't listening, not even here on FR......
I know this is murder, the way they are doing this....
what gets me so angry is the way our justice system has just ushered this thru...they never listened at all.....perhaps, it is bad lawyering, but judges are supposed to see thru that......
I am a nurse, I will be working on Easter Sunday, and I will see many very ill patients , some close to death....
I just can't imagine treating a very sick person or even a dying person the way MS is treating Terri.....
you turn them gently, wipe their mouths out, talk to them in soothing voices, medicate their pain, wash them and rub lotion on their skin as necessary, provide nice, soft warm blankets .....
most of all, you enable the family to be there 24/7......you treat the family with as much tenderness as you do the patient.....
I ask myself how professionally licensed nurses and doctors could go thru this charade, all these years....
our number one goal is to be patient advocates.....
now, I find out that ONE person can prohibit you from even simple treatments for the patient....how can this be?
anyway, I think Terri will be gone very soon.....
I pray for her, for her family, and to God, to please enlighten us down here, as to why our society has become so callous that it would permit killing a poor soul like Terri....I really don't understand that....
I wasn't going to check back in tonight, but as I began to turn off the computer and had this thread minimized, I thought maybe I'd better check.
My heart is broken at reading Pegita's post from Cheryl Ford. Forgive me for saying this, but I don't understand why God is choosing not to spare Terri and I'm frustrated.
I will go to bed tonight with a heavy heart and prayers for Terri and her family. May He bless all of you and yours this Easter.
vg
sigh...
Walk with her, Beloved King, as she Draws Closer to her Heavenly Home. She will Cry no more Tears, and she will be Filled with the Joy of Your Spirit Forever. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, we Beg for Your Love to Surround her at This Hour, amen.