Is it over for Terri Schiavo?
This is one of the saddest days for people unable to speak for themselves. Florida Judge Orders Removal of Feeding Tube From Brain-Damaged Florida Woman Despite Senate Efforts PINELLAS PARK, Fla. Mar 18, 2005 — The presiding judge in the case of Terri Schiavo ruled Friday that the feeding tube keeping the brain-damaged woman alive must be removed despite efforts by congressional Republicans to block the move by seeking her appearance at hearings. Pinellas Circuit Judge George Greer refused a request from U.S. House attorneys to delay the removal, which he had previously ordered to take place at 1 p.m. EST. Greer determined that it should go forward about an hour after another judge issued a temporary delay blocking the tube's removal. "I have had no cogent reason why the (congressional) committee should intervene," Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer told attorneys in a conference call, adding that last-minute action by Congress does not invalidate years of court rulings. There was no immediate word on when the tube might be removed. Attorneys seeking to block the removal vowed to appeal. Pinellas Circuit Court Chief Judge David Demers had earlier ordered that the feeding tube remain in place past the 1 p.m. deadline while Greer dealt with conflicting legal issues. Michael Schiavo has waged a yearslong court battle with his parents-in-law, contending his wife, who doctors say has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990, would not want to live that way. The tube has been removed twice in the past and then reinserted as the battle continued. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=593759

This is the saddest thing I've heard. I still can not believe this is going to happen.

Same here Bookie, its really sad. To me its just like killing her off because she is too much of an inconvienence. :cry: I just dont see why, if he wants to move on, he just dont sign her over to her parents since they want to take care of her anyway. But then he would lose all that money. Thats what its all about for him. Edited to add: I just heard on a tv newsbreak that the tube has been removed. No details at this time.

I wish Terri's real wants could be known. We should all make our wishes known in the case of an event like this. So sad :sad:

Well, it's done. I'm wondering whether they will make her "husband" sit there and watch her starve to death. They should. Feeding tube removed from brain-damaged woman Congress subpoenas Schiavo, husband, health care workers Friday, March 18, 2005 Posted: 4:39 PM EST (2139 GMT) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The feeding tube of a brain-damaged woman, who has been at the center of a years-long battle between her husband and parents concerning her fate, has been removed under court order, said the attorney for the woman's husband. "I am told that it was an emotional occasion," said George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo. "Prayers were said at the time and the feeding tube was removed. Mr. Schiavo currently is with his wife at her bedside." "It was a very calm, peaceful procedure," he said. The dramatic moment came during an emotional day in which Schiavo's husband, parents, the courts and members of Congress waded into the battle over the woman's fate. Earlier Friday, the Schiavo case judge reinstated an order that her feeding tube be removed. Attorneys for the House of Representatives planned to go to an appeals court in Florida to seek a stay or a temporary restraining order on the removal of her feeding tube, House Republican lawmakers said. Congressmen Tom Davis and Mike Pence, and a spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, said that move would take place quickly in response to the judge's decision to allow the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube. Earlier, another Florida judge temporarily blocked removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, a lobbyist on behalf of the woman's parents said. The court action came moments before a deadline approached to allow Schiavo's husband to ask for the removal of the tube. The order followed congressional subpoenas as the latest steps in a contentious family saga that began 15 years ago, when Schiavo collapsed from heart failure that resulted in severe brain damage. Seven years ago, Schiavo's husband, Michael, and her parents began a legal tug-of-war over whether to have her feeding tube removed and allow her to die. The case has drawn national attention and rallied activists on both sides of the right-to-die debate. Michael Schiavo argues that she has been ruled to be in a persistent vegetative state and that she previously expressed a wish not to be kept alive artificially. Terri Schiavo parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, say she could be in a minimally aware state. Her feeding tube has been removed twice before, most recently in 2003. That year, Gov. Jeb Bush pushed a law through the Florida Legislature that authorized him to resume the woman's feedings six days after a court stopped them. The law was later ruled unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court. Earlier Friday, a House committee subpoenaed the brain-damaged woman to appear before Congress next week, and Schiavo's family was "hopeful" she would make that appearance in Washington, an attorney for her parents said Friday. Meanwhile, a Senate committee issued an invitation for Terri Schiavo and her husband to testify on Capitol Hill. Once someone is a invited to an official Senate proceeding, they have certain protections that make it a crime to interfere with that person appearing before the proceeding. U.S. marshals served subpoenas at The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast on Friday, attorney David Gibbs said. The House committee said it has issued five subpoenas -- for Terri, her husband, and three health care officials. Details, such as whether the Schiavos could appear from Florida, were still being worked out. The five are being asked to appear March 25. "What the U.S. Congress is saying is, 'We want to see Terri Schiavo,' " Gibbs said. "The family applauds these actions taken by Congress. We are very hopeful that indeed, Terri will get to make a trip to Washington, D.C." Asked whether that would be feasible, he said, "Absolutely. She would need a wheelchair." In addition, Gibbs said he filed a petition in federal court in the Middle District of Florida. The petition asks the court to review the state court process, he said. "Terri is not terminal," he said. "If we feed Terri ... she will live another 30 to 40 years." He described Schiavo as "responsive," though he acknowledged she functions at the level of a 6- to 11-month-old child. She recognizes her family, he said. "She teases. She plays. She smiles. She tries to talk." Schiavo also can breathe and swallow on her own, he said. Asked why, if she can swallow, a feeding tube is necessary, Gibbs said he has inquired whether Schiavo could receive food by mouth, and "courts in Florida have said no. The order is to stop all food and water." But the subpoena and the invitation from Congress, he said, "should serve as a significant deterrent to doing anything that would put Terri's life in jeopardy." Congressional intervention Earlier Friday, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, DeLay and Davis released this statement regarding their subpoena: "The Committee on Government Reform has initiated an inquiry into the long-term care of incapacitated adults, an issue of growing importance to the federal government and federal healthcare policy. "This inquiry should give hope to Terri, her parents and friends, and the millions of people throughout the world who are praying for her safety. This fight is not over." Regarding the subpoena, Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Hastert, said: "We're on very comfortable ground that we have a federal interest in long-term care." Five years ago, the same House committee issued a subpoena for 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez with the goal of preventing federal immigration officials from returning the refugee to Cuba. Rep. Dan Burton, a Republican of Indiana who was then chairman of the Government Reform Committee, said the subpoena would "provide a measure of legal protection while the court is considering this case." Although the tactic was never tested because court action delayed Elian's deportation for months, it remained a potential delaying device. Late Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by Schiavo's parents to stop the tube's removal. Meanwhile, legislation that would keep her alive has appeared to stall in Florida's Legislature and in Congress. On another front, the Florida Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay by the state's Department of Children and Family Services, citing a lack of jurisdiction. The agency had argued that it needed time to investigate allegations of abuse by Michael Schiavo.

This is so incredibly sad. I don't even understand how it can be legal to do this. Maybe Terri doesn't want to die and be separated from her family whom she loves, the thing is, no one knows. It's not fair for her husband to be able to make that decision when her family is happy taking care of her. On top of that, I don't understand how the press can call this a peaceful procedure, she is being starved to death! They say it will take one to two weeks. That is cruel and inhumane IMO, they have more courtesy for criminals on death row who at least get a quick injection. I understand that they couldn't do that to her, because then it would seem like they're 'killing' her, as opposed to 'nature taking its course' because she is unable to eat on her own, that's their way of justifying it I guess. I just can't imagine if this was a loved one of mine and someone told me, other than the person in question, that it was her time to die and there is nothing you can do about it.

Why is the press even involved in this case? The press is disgusting in the fact that it prys around and grabs up each and every detail in this case. It isnt their business nor is it ours. They should just let the family have their peace, I guess this isn't possible in America though. I can imagine that the press is making this so much harder on both parties involved.

Re: Terri Schiavo
I don't understand. I haven't been following this story at all, but from what I've seen on the news today, this lady doesn't look at all brain-dead nor in a coma-like state. Starving to death cannot be a pleasant experience for anyone, no matter what their condition may be. It's a cruel, terrible way to die.

I think the husband and the judge should have to sit by Terri's bedside and watch her slowly starve to death. Then I think they may realize that she is not comatose, when that smile turns into confusion and pain.

Hows about tie the judge and jackass husband together and cut them off of food for a few days. Lets see how they like it. Freakin bastard needs killed off himself, that way control will revert back to the parents. Was that a bit harsh? :twisted: Regardless of what anyones wishes are or not, that is not a "peaceful" way to go. It is going to be a very cruel way to die. No one should have to endure that. No one cept for the husband and judge that are trying to put Terri through it that is. Her husband should no longer have a say. He is shacked up with someone else and has kids with her. He no longer registers on the "concerned family" scale as far as I'm concerned.

I don't know what they should do, but I know that if I was in the same condition as her I absolutely would not want my wife or family or anyone else to be obligated to take care of me every day, all day, for 15 + years. I'll take Heaven over "living" like that. I don't know if the judge who made this decision went to see her personally or not, but given the level of media attention this case has gotten I doubt the judge made this decision lightly. I'm glad I'm not a judge.

This will give her a chance to lose some of that weight she put on since the feeding tube was inserted.

Just some comments to clarify what's been said above: First, court-appointed attorneys also determined she is in a persistent, vegetative state, not just Michael Schiavo's attorneys arguing for it. Also, I don't believe he is motivated by money. Any money he was awarded has long since been used up with these court battles. In addition, he's been offered money not once, but twice to give up this battle and he's turned it down both times. The most recent offer was in the last month or so when a California business man offered him a million dollars to give it up. He turned it down. Even though I firmly believe the government (particularly Congress now) needs to stay the hell out of this, I did have my doubts about his integrity. The fact that he's turned down money not once, but twice, has helped to clarify his intentions, at least for me. Back to the government. Stay the hell out. Stay out of steroids in baseball.