Terri Schiavo's Family Calls for Observance of Terri's Day to Honor Disabled Woman

St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Terri Schiavo's family and a leading pro-life group are calling on people to honor the disabled woman whose husband took her life in a painful euthanasia death. Together with Priests for Life, the Schindler family has established the observance of “Terri’s Day” each March 31.

That's the day Terri succumbed to a 13-day starvation and dehydration death at the hand of Michael Schiavo, her former husband who won a court order to take her life.

“This third anniversary should be an occasion for all of us to both remember the injustice done to Terri, and reach out to others with prayer and concrete action when they need the kind of help Terri needed," Terri's brother Bobby Schindler told LifeNews.com on Monday.

Suzanne Vitadamo, Terri’s sister, added that Terri's Day is also a way for her family to encourage others to take better care of the elderly and disabled.

“Our family continues to be consoled and uplifted by the many ways in which people honor my sister, learn from her story, and grow in compassion for all the disabled," she said.

During the days leading up to Terri's death, Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life brought comfort and peace to the Schindler family.

Father Pavone was present for the final prayer Terri participated in before her death. He also saw the manipulative ways Michael tried to prevent the Schindler family from caring for her or being present with her during the starvation and dehydration.

“Terri’s death was not the end of her fight," he told LifeNews.com. "It was the beginning of a new chapter in the pro-life movement."

"I call upon all those who were moved by Terri’s death to continue their courageous activism in the cause of life, and never to be silent," he said.

Together, Priests for Life and the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation encourage churches, families, organizations and individuals to observe Terri’s Day with prayers, memorial services, educational activities and community outreach.

Related web sites:
Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation - http://www.terrisfight.org
Priests for Life - http://www.priestsforlife.org

I think the family has missed a realy good potential here. ALL the legal organizations have put out FREE living wills to in theory avoid this stuff.

ALL those living wills are directed at pulling the plug. There are no “I want to live” living wills.

Perhaps the Schiavo family should be supporting a living will which says “I want to live” and if my spouse or family wants to pull the plug then this other person is my health care surrogate.

Just a thought.

We should not be look back, but looking forward. If there was a proper living will then this whole schiavo thing would not have happened.

Today is the third anniversary of Terri's death; whatever your personal beliefs on the subject, I would ask that, at least today, you refrain from negative comments and respect the fact that many of us have very strong feelings about what was done to her.

Thanks and God Bless

Very classy statement, wagglebee.

Regardless of differing views, the passing of Mrs. Schiavo was a sad event. I know her parents hurt deeply, and whether Mr. Schiavo is a demon or not, I am sure he felt pain at some point in the loss of her, even if he felt he lost her on a day before this one.

I hope that she is now at peace, in the presence of her Lord, and that her parents can take some comfort from that thought even if they no longer have her here.

'Remembrance of Easter 2005'

Crowd my eyes, you bevies of daffodils,
And you forsythias in throngs of cheer,
Dandelion galaxies and fountains of trees.
Fill my mouth with the breath of hyacinths, you purple air

And you roistering breeze.
And you quince-buds so eager, you swelling seeds,
You squirrels running stitches across the loom
Of woven grasses, inflorescent weeds;
Jasmine-bush, loop me with your lariats of perfume.
Fill me, small birds, with your versicles,
And chuckled replies.

She is bleeding from the mouth and eyes.

Sate me then, Sun, all dapple and spangle
Crowd out all else
Lade me and load me, you skies
With blessings of warmth and breath
Let me see nothing else
But everything springing and skyey.

From the mouth and eyes.

. . . . . . . . .

for Terri Schindler Schiavo

by Juli Loesch Wiley

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