Terry Schiavo: is the end in sight?

Terry has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years. That's 5475 days. A LONG TIME. I'm sure at first there was some hope that something could be done, but I think that it's safe to say at this point that if something was going to happen, it would have. I've read many media reports - some listed below - that indicate her state as ranging from the persistent vegetative to equating the thinking part of her brain as basically being goo at this point - i.e. not good. None of these reports have varied beyond saying that the only thing keeping her alive is that fact that she was being fed and hydrated by machines. Yes, she was breathing on her own, but that's a basic function of the brain - not an indication that somethings going on in there.

While I can see how her eyes occasionally being open and the sounds she might make could be taken as signs of something more, they obviously have been testing and re-testing her for the last 15 years - so I'm sure that if something had shown up, they would have done something about it by now - i.e. trying to "wake her up" from her state. But it's just not possible.

This is where I'm having trouble with the Schindlers actions - if she's been in this state for 15 years, and if there has been no progress in all this time, how can they possibly think that keeping her in this state will do anything more than keep her body alive? That's all that's happening at this time - it's just the flesh and blood, not the mind. I'm sorry to say it, and I'd be even sorrier to hear it myself, but their daughter is gone.

Now, to look at things from her husband Michael's point of view, I have to say that I can't agree more with what he's been doing and going through. He and his wife obviously discussed this type of situation at some point - I'm sure every couple has had some sort of similar discussion - and he's merely trying to carry out his wife's wishes. While she doesn't have a living will for reference - and let that be a lesson to everyone else out there - he's been doing what a spouse should be, and doing what is in the best interest of his loved one. It's not easy when it deals with something like this, but I'm sure that Schiavo has agonized over this decision.

I talked about this issue with my employer the other day - it's always fun to see what his demographic thinks about things - and was amazed that he was saying some of the things that he's "heard on the internet", including:
* allegations that Schiavo beat his wife before her accident which left her in this state, and that he wanted her dead to cover the whole thing up
* allegations that Schiavo is only in it for the money
* allegations that he's a "scumbag"
* allegations that he's already started another family

He didn't have anything to back up his claims except that it was on "some website". I'm sorry, but this is not the sign of someone who's interested in both points of view. He did say that he agrees that the husband should be the one to make the choice, but I got the impression that he didn't think that the choice was the right one.

While I can't really address any of the allegations directly - I don't know where they were made, nor any of the specifics of either the allegation or the reasoning for Schiavo's actions - I can make some comments about them.

First up is the alleged beatings and reasoning for her death. While the conspiracy nut in me sees it as a possibility, I have to think that when she was taken into the hospital after her heart attack, they might have noticed any past signs of abuse during the tests performed to figure out what was wrong and how to remedy her situation. Nothing. Not even a hint of that in the press. If I'm the first person to mention this, then all I can say is that it's not likely to be true. And don't sue me.

Next up, that Schiavo is only in this for the money. How can that possibly be the case? There was a lawsuit and settlement with her OB/GYN for not performing a blood test that might have indicated a dangerously low potassium level, and most of the money was awarded to care for Terry. Of that money, apparently not much is left - so what would that do for him? It's doubtful that he could turn around and file a wrongful death suit against the doctor - the settlement probably included an agreement not to sue again. Additionally, Schiavo has been offered money - at least $1,000,000 - to turn over legal guardianship over to Terry's parents (BBC NEWS | Americas | Man offers $1m to invalid's spouse: A US tycoon has offered $1m (£520,000) to the husband of a badly brain-damaged woman to stop him from removing her feeding-tube next week). He declined. This, to me, is proof that he's merely trying to honor his wife's wishes. If he only wanted money, or if was merely "sick of her", then he would have turned over guardianship long ago. He also wouldn't have gotten a nursing certificate from a nearby college so that he could oversee her care.

The allegation that he's a scumbag - well, I don't know the man, so I can't really say anything. I can say, based on his interactions with the press, that he's handling the situation - and the cat calls from the Schindlers - better than I could. I don't know if this is his action or the lawyers, but even if it's the lawyers, at least he's taking their advice and staying out of the name calling.

The bit about the other family is true - he's got a fiancee and two children. While I think the legal system might see this as adultery, I don't see what the problem is - she's in a state where she's not going to change, and he hasn't married again yet. Having children makes things a little stickier, but here's the thing: apparently the Schindlers suggested it:
At first, the Schindlers urged Michael to see other women. They understood that he might need new companionship, according to court records and family members. But since the family split, the Schindlers have argued that Michael's new relationship amounts to adultery. They have called him an abuser and murderer, suggesting he was a controlling, anger-prone husband. (How Friends Became Enemies - LA Times.com). Maybe this also explains the abuse allegations?

Either way, it's not like Terry is likely to have anything to say on the matter - she's not going anywhere, and I think most women might be willing to let their husbands move on if it was going to be 15 years. Or maybe this is another item that should be covered in living wills?

Aside from this whole legal battle that's torn these families apart, I have to take issue with the Florida Legislature, Congress, Governor Jeb Bush and President George Bush. They have managed to take a relatively straight forward family dispute - who gets to have say over what happens to a loved one when they are incapacitated and can't decide for themselves - and turn it into a horrific mess at the tax payers expense. I don't recall telling any of my congress people that I wanted them to get involved. I don't recall telling Bush to fly back from Texas early so that he could sign a bill forcing the federal government - which had already either declined to hear the case or denied the Schindler families appeals - to take the matter up again. And who pays for all of this? You and I.

And let's not forget the Florida Legislature's actions: writing a bill that was overturned by the state Supreme Court. Jeb Bush isn't much better, using his cronies at DCF to try to take custody of Terry for the way she was "neglected" by her husband and care-givers. It's just a crock of shit that they're serving their constituents so that they'll be voted into office again. If that happens, well, I guess it's a good thing I don't live in Florida, as it might cause me to move.

In the end, all that matters is that the person who is Terry's legal guardian is able to carry out what he believes are Terry's wishes. I'm worried at this point that when she does finally die, the Schindlers will turn around and sue him for wrongful death. The scarier part is that they'll probably get a judge sympathetic to their cause and end up winning.

DeLay Family Outcome Different From Schiavo's

Schiavo's parents go to US Supreme Court - http://www.theage.com.au:
A CBS News poll showed that 82 per cent of Americans believe neither Congress nor the president should have intervened as they did last weekend when they enacted an emergency law that put the case before the federal court system and out of the hands of a Florida state judge who had ordered the tube's removal.

ABC News: Poll: No Role for Government in Schiavo Case:
Americans broadly and strongly disapprove of federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, with sizable majorities saying Congress is overstepping its bounds for political gain.

Fox's psychic friend: Crossing Over 's John Edw ... [Media Matters for America]:
Fox's psychic friend: Crossing Over's John Edward claimed Terri Schiavo is "definitely clear on what's happening now around her"

KRT Wire | 03/25/2005 | Schiavo case results in threats, prompting calls for calm:
Some pro-life activists are making ugly threats, making up "Wanted" posters for lawmakers and handing out the home addresses of judges who rejected legal appeals to keep Schiavo alive.

Google news - several stories about this topic.