Welcome and Introduction

Terri Schiavo's life hangs in the balance

The ongoing legal battle to save Terri Schiavo’s life continues moving toward judicial homicide. One court ruling after another comes down against Terri’s parents’ as their attorneys work to save her life. The Schindlers’ face a roller coaster ride as new motions show promise and then get rejected, followed by appeals that have so far been rejected as well.

Terri’s estranged husband, Michael Schiavo, insists that Terri would rather be dead than kept alive with a feeding tube. Based on eyewitness testimony from Attorney Barbara Weller, we now learn that removing Terri’s feeding tube is a misrepresentation. Weller observed, “There were no tubes of any kind attached to her body. She was completely free of any restraints that would have indicated any type of artificial life support. Not even her feeding tube was attached and functioning when we entered, as she is not fed 24 hours a day.”

When Michael’s attorney demands removal of Terri’s feeding tube, he is actually demanding that she not be given the feeding tube. Of course, whether her feeding tube was removed or denied to her, the terrible death that Terri would suffer would be the same, but it seems that refusing to give it to her is much more symbolic of the terrible injustice that would be committed because it comes much closer to our normal experience of eating three meals a day, and imagining what happens if we were denied those meals until we died. That outrageous action is exactly what Michael Schiavo wants to happen to his wife – he wants to kill her, and amazingly, he and his “right-to-die” attorney have managed to get the judicial system to agree with them in one of the greatest miscarriages of justice this nation has ever seen.

Another case that puts emphasis on the need to maintain Terri’s right to life is the recent recovery of a woman in Kansas after 20 years of being in what was described as a “persistent vegetative state”, the same condition claimed by some so-called medical experts to be Terri’s condition.

In early February, Sarah Scantlin began speaking and doctors have no explanation. Sarah was knocked into a coma by a drunk driver 20 years ago. Her brain was injured so badly that doctors first feared she would spend her life in what is called a "vegetative state", spending years unable to form words or make any sounds other than loud cries. Other than circumstances leading to brain injury, Sarah’s case is not much different from Terri’s. So-called medical testimony that Terri’s condition is hopeless can be seen as having no basis in fact when considering Sarah’s case. Pray that someone will recognize this before the attorneys defending Terri’s life run out of options.

While a new appeal will be made to the U.S. Supreme Court, and additional appeals will be made to Florida’s appellate courts, at this point Terri’s life depends on Judge George Greer issuing another stay on his order to deny Terri her feeding tube. The current order expires on February 22nd so time is getting short. We can only guess on what Judge Greer will do, and pray that he will at least issue another stay. Given all his rulings against Terri’s right to life, that is something that seems very hard to depend on.