Breaking news about Terri Schiavo

Some of the information is in the form of sworn affidavits made available from court records. In these, Michael Schiavo provides some interesting and contradictory answers regarding his wife's condition.

Let's start with the matter of Michael's "Denial of Therapy, Rehabilitation and Necessary Services" (FS 744.3215 Rights of persons determined incapacitated, and FS 837.021 Perjury by contradictory statements).

Contrary to what is reported by Michael Schiavo, Terri Schiavo's legal guardian, and his attorneys, records indicate that Terri Schiavo has not received a swallowing test to determine if she could swallow since sometime in 1992.

Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, have the testimony of several physicians and have submitted additional affidavits to the court since the original January 2000 trial stating that, with proper therapy, Terri could be taught to not only eat food again, but also speak.

Note that the swallow test, performed by the physician and speech pathologist, assesses the person’s ability to swallow safely. It involves taking x-ray movies of the person as he or she is asked to swallow different substances. The examiners are looking, among other things, to make sure that the substances are not aspirated (which occurs when food goes into the lungs rather than the stomach). There is no

Even more startling is testimony from a speech therapist from the University of Chicago. In 2002, Ms Sara Green Mele, MS, CCC-SLP, submitted an affidavit stating that after thoroughly studying tapes and reading Terri's medical files she strongly believes that Terri can be taught to once again swallow food, and also be taught to speak again. In fact, Ms Mele believes that Terri is communicating right now. Additionally, Ms. Mele stated that she has treated patients in worse condition than Terri that have been successfully re-taught to swallow and consume food.

Currently, the presiding Judge, George Greer, has accepted testimony from Michael Schiavo’s doctors and will not allow a swallow test on Terri because she could aspirate, leading to a painful death by choking. Apparently, Judge Greer believes that his order to have Terri die by starvation and dehydration is more humane.

Hyscience questions the consistency of Michael Schiavo’s statements in court versus his actions following a million dollar lawsuit against Terri’s gynecologist. During the 1992 malpractice suit, Schiavo testified: "I believe in the vows I took with my wife, through sickness, in health, for richer or poor. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I’m going to do that." He also told the jury that he intended to bring Terri home and that, if he had the equipment and resources, he would do so immediately [Source: Terri's Fight]. In a January 2000 trial, Michael Schiavo attorney asked him if there was some type of therapy that could possibly help Terri would he provide it for her. He replied he would in a "heartbeat." However, ...

Records show that in 1992 Michael Schiavo, Terri Schiavo's legal guardian, sued Terri's gynecologist for negligent care. During this weeklong trial, Michael testified, assuring the judge and jury that he needed millions of dollars to properly care for Terri, bring her home, and provide Terri with proper therapy and care for the rest of her life.

Contrary to Michael's testimony, medical records indicate that after receiving the proceeds of the 1992 Medical Malpractice Trial totaling close to one million dollars not a single day of proper therapy or rehabilitation has been administered to Terri Schiavo, and Terri has been confined to a bed.

In fact, the spring of 1993, just several months after Michael Schiavo promised to provide life-long therapy and care for his wife, Michael revealed his first attempt to end Terri's life testifying that he was instructing caregivers not to treat Terri's life-threatening infection.

In 1995, Michael Schiavo again attempted to end Terri's life in this manner by refusing Terri proper medical treatment.

In 1998, with close to eight hundred thousand dollars in Terri's fund, Michael Schiavo petitioned the court to remove Terri's feeding and hydration tube so that she would die.

Michael Schiavo is the inheritor of Terri's medical trust.

In April of 1991, about a year after her collapse, therapists at Bradenton Mediplex Rehabilitation Center determined that Terri's condition was improving and recommended Michael have her transferred to Gainesville Rehabilitation Center to receive advanced therapy so she could continue her recovery.

But by July, Michael had instead moved her to Sable Palms Nursing Home, with no such therapy.

Later, he refused to allow therapies that her parents believed might have allowed her to swallow, so she would not have to rely on a feeding tube.

There are many questions and few answers that would explain the inconsistent and contradictory behavior of Michael Schiavo as he first sought a $20 million judgement against Terri's doctor to enable him to care for her and then almost immediately began to prepare for Terri's demise.

Future installments by Hyscience promise to shed more light and provide answers. I'll be checking back and blogging for Terri. Will you?

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Updates:

Terri's Fight has put out a publication for the press that is very informative. Here is one section that is relevant to this post:

Contrary to Schiavo’s team, 10 independent physicians have given either statements or testimony that Terri is NOT in a Persistent Vegetative State. Additionally, there has never been any medical dispute of Terri’s ability to swallow. Even with this compelling evidence, Terri’s husband, Michael Schiavo, has denied any form of therapy for her for over 10 years.

Sounding the Trumpet previously posted Is Michael Schiavo a Criminal? Medical records indicate that Terri suffered numerous bone fractures at the time of her 1991 collapse. This could explain why Michael so desperately wants Schiavo to die, he does not want her helped--because possibly she could then get better-possibly better enough to testify against him? WriteWingBlog has more.