What it was like to be at Terri's Hospice vigil

FR_Addict ^ | March 28,2005 | FR_Addict

[FR_addict]

From Cheryl Ford:

MARCH 29, 2005
DAY 12

Dear Friends of Terri,

There aren't many words I can say at this moment with regard to what is happening to Terri, other than she is now on day 12 without food and water, and is slowly dying as the life is literally being sucked out of her. While Michael Schiavo fills his face with food and water, and Laura Bush flies to have lunch with the Afghanistan women, ....Terri lays weak, looking toward her parents and siblings for relief of the pains associated with hunger and dehydration. She is still fighting for her life.

How interesting! Michael stated Terri did not wish to live, yet she continues to fight back and has more of a will to live without food and water, than many of us who are nourished and hydrated.

I remain appalled at the media for reporting there are more people in this country who are willing to say, our President is better off to fight for the lives in foreign lands than to involve himself in saving a life here in America! This I find, is yet, another insult to the American people and to the many millions of veterans who lost their lives fighting for freedom and preservation of human life.

For the past two years, I have been involved day and night helping the Schindlers fight for their daughters life. I have come to know and love them like my own family. They are a family who possess a bond of love, unity, devotion, caring, values, morals, and religious beliefs that we all struggle to maintain in our modern day world. I continue to sit and wonder; how does the ideal family end up in such a situation as this? They have struggled for 14 years to obtain help saving their daughters life. Sadly, in spite of their daughter being locked away as a hostage in one room for five years, they were not able to gain national attention from the news media until it came time for their daughter to be starved and dehydrated. Does this say something about our news media or what is happening to America? What is wrong with this entire picture? What does it mean when we as a society close our eyes to the important news topics, which assure us of our own survival and existence?

Michael Schiavo is not only torturing this loving family by forcing them to watch their daughter in this situation (knowing they can turn her around by providing her with nutrition and fluids,) he is now blasting all over the news the word "autopsy"; a word which associates itself with images of their daughter they should not be forced to digest before necessary. How callous and cruel! Schiavo does not even have the compassion in his heart to wait until she is dead before discussing such a topic. A topic he clearly is addressing at this time, only to vindicate himself of any wrong doings! Another clear demonstration regarding how all of this has nothing to do with Terri, but how it's all about Michael, and what Michael wants and needs!

Does Schiavo think he can insult those of us who are aware of the fact he will most likely pay the Pinellas County Medical Examiner to do Terri's autopsy? How convenient of him to announce that he is doing this to prove to the people that she has no brain function.
It appears Terri's supporters will now be forced to prove some more documentation and corruption involving her autopsy.

I am not certain which avenues we as Terri's supporters need to take in order to force the courts to have an unbiased autopsy performed from someone not associated with this case, and who isn't from the corrupt state of Florida. I do know, that if we are forced to deal with this topic before it is absolutely necessary, than we must act now and help to ensure that the Schindlers are permitted to hire their own Medical Examiner, or, have an examiner of their choice in the room as well.

In addition, be advised, Michael is insisting Terri be cremated and not buried. To add even more insult to injury, he will send her ashes out of Florida to be taken miles away from her loving family. This will prevent them from being able to visit her and grieve at her gravesite. A healing process surely Terri's family will need.

Michael resides in Florida. How many loving husbands do you know, starve their wives to death and then have their ashes shipped miles away so their family cannot pay respects to their gravesite? I guess he would answer by saying, these were Terri's wishes as well.

I have nothing more to say at this time.

Cheryl Ford RN

[pc93]

Is it being considered when?

[FR_addict]

Florida Senate decided not to do anything, even though Jesse Jackson asked two Senators to reconsider their votes.

It sounds like the Appeals Court also denied the Schindler's last motion, today.

[FR_addict]

I actually liked Jeb Bush better than George, a few years ago. I just don't see how he could be ignorant of the corruption in his own state. George may not have exercised his authority because of Jeb. If this was Clinton, we would be demanding an investigation.

I want a complete investigation of the state of Florida, from Judge Greer's office on up to the governor's office. Why was the Pinellas County GOP supporting Judge Greer? It sounds like there were a lot of cover ups involving guardianship cases in Pinellas County. How far up did the cover-up go? Why didn't the Florida DCF follow through years ago? Why didn't Bernie McCabe investigate, etc?

A lot has been uncovered in the last few months. We need to demand an investigation by Congress. Florida is too corrupt to investigate itself.

Yes we need new judges, but we need a complete investigation into this travesty. Why couldn't the House of Representative get through a very reasonable bill that protected the rights of all the disabled? We need to demand that bill gets passed, then we don't have to depend on some rogue judge in some backwater state to purposely misapply a state law.