May out thoughts be with her parents PINELLAS PARK, Florida (Reuters) - Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of a wrenching dispute over her fate that drew in the U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush, has died. "Terri Schiavo has passed away just a little while ago," said Brother Paul O'Donnell, a Franciscan monk and spiritual adviser to the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, who fought a seven-year legal battle to keep their daughter alive. Schiavo, 41, died on Thursday 13 days after her feeding tube was halted under order from a state court, and just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed yet another appeal by her parents for the feeding to be restored. Schiavo had been in what courts ruled was a "persistent vegetative state" since her heart briefly stopped in 1990, depriving her brain of oxygen. Courts had long sided with her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, in ruling she would not have wanted to live in that condition and should be allowed to die. "This is a very difficult day," said David Gibbs, attorney for the parents, his voice breaking with emotion as he spoke to reporters outside the hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, where Schiavo was cared for. A small group of protesters who had kept vigil outside the hospice, calling for Schiavo to be kept alive, sang hymns in the morning sunshine. The parents were backed in their long legal fight by conservative religious activists, anti-abortion campaigners and advocates for the disabled, and by mainly Republican politicians who saw their cause as a rallying point for advocates of "the culture of life." The Schindlers were able to take their case to federal court after the U.S. Congress passed a special law giving federal jurisdiction in what traditionally has been the domain of state courts and Bush cut short a vacation to sign it. But the effort, which opinion polls showed was unpopular with most Americans, failed when federal judges refused the parents' requests to order feeding resumed. The last rebuff, from the U.S. Supreme Court, came late on Wednesday night. The highest U.S. court had repeatedly refused to take on the case. Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the president's brother, also became heavily involved on the side of the parents, but last week state courts denied his efforts to have the state welfare agency take custody of Schiavo. And the governor also failed to persuade the Florida Legislature to push through a state law to intervene. Moments after the news of her death, members of the Florida Senate held a moment of silence for Schiavo. "Regardless of your perspective on end-of-life issues this is very sad moment and a very reflective moment for a lot of us," said Senate President Tom Lee.
Terri Schiavo dies....
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Terri Schiavo dies....
Peace be with you Terri. Your courage and resiliency far surpass those who have allowed you to die. The sick thing about all of this is that to these people, you're just debate material. Now you have passed on and they will forget everything about you and look for other subjects to politicize. They will get over you because they have an insatiable thirst to win every debate they feel they can win. That's all they care about. To me however, you're an inspiration. Every person like you is an inspiration to me because of the heart and courage you embody. I will never ever forget you.
soz to say,but whats the point of that:(? every1 will answer by sayin rip or peace out or similar things:s no discussion can be developed here imo
I am sure that this topic deserves its place in the forum to remember that this could in fact happen to any of us; would you want to see your sister, brother, parent or even a child of yours be starved to death. There have been so many cases where a person has been in the same situation as Terri and has gone on to make a full recovery. If a person was left to starve to death by relatives they would be had up for neglect and in some cases murder, what then makes it right for a court to decide that it would be okay to let someone die in this horrendous way suffering side affects from the act of starvation. I can not think of a crueler way to let someone die than from extreme thirst and lack of food. I for one hope that a 'Terri Schiavo Law' is passed so that no country can let this happen again. I do understand why Terri's husband asked for the permission from the courts to let his wife die in peace especially as she had made her feelings quite clear that she would not want to be kept alive if the situation arose that she would end up the way she did, but surely there are better and quicker and more humane ways for doctors to bring a life to a close.
tho i am surprised Terri Schiavo made it thru 13 grusome days...Terri will always be remembered by me and others who actually care
In the UK over the past six months we have had two applications to the courts made by doctors against the wishes of the parents to ask that the courts to give permission for the doctors to allow two children to die instead of giving resuccitation to them. In the doctors opinion it is in the best interest of the child to let them die. One of the the children has since died and now the other set of parents is trying to fight the decision from the courts; since the court order to stop all intervention if the child has a heart attack or stops breathing the remaining child has showed signs of improvement and is now responding, kicking toys, reaching out, and smiling when she recognises her parents etc, in other words she is responding. I have a special needs son who has all round global delayment and a severe heart problem, the doctors said that they did not know how he would be when he was older but he would always remain a child in an adults body. Okay now for the wonderful part of news, my son with the all round global delayment and the severe heart problems is just coming to the end of 3 years at college, he still has special needs, and needs to have someone watch over him when he goes out ( cannot judge distances of cars well)but he is a strapping 6foot 4 inches tall, he starts work experince next week, okay he will never be a doctor, or a teacher but he gives a lot to all know him, he always has a laugh and muck around with his mates at college, loves playing pool, is a brilliant swimmer and everyone who meets him comments on what a wonderful person he is. If myself and my husband had refused him treatment or had let him die because a court felt that this was in the best interest of my child we would have missed out on such a wonderful young person.
Why is it that always the people who have a stronger heart of courage tend to be exposed to pain and suffering? Your son is part of this elite group of humanity that seem to bring courage to this world. Its almost like someone is trying to teach us something about mercy and love and that we as a people still need a lot to learn about humanity and its issues. This whole thing with Terri kinda puts things in perspective about our humanity. Is our humanity based on ownership? Is it about who decides who lives or dies? Aren't we all obliged to save every life we see that is in danger? What has happened to this value we so cherish. What has happened to that courage to save another human being. We as a human race are losing our humanity and allowing artificial laws and financial ambitions to take over our deepest human qualities.