O/T Should Terry Schiavo be made to live or die?

O/T Should Terry Schiavo be made to live or die?

  • Total voters
    927
1. The government should not be involved in this case.

2. Her husband as her next-of-kin has the right to make decisions on her behalf

3. I don't like that she has to die of starvation but I believe the doctors who say that she will not feel pain. It would be much easier to handle if she were on a respirator, they could shut it off, and she could just pass.

4. As a parent, I ache for her parents. But I could never watch my child go through something like this. I would let him/her go.

5. Sometimes I think we treat animals better than people..at least I could humanely put my cat down when she had no quality of life. But then again, animals aren't people.

6. It is so very sad.
 
It's not about the money as a Pro-Life millionaire already offered to buy him off if he divorced her.

Dave
 
Somone is confusing this case with the Claus Vonn Bulow case, where the kept husband tried to kill his rich wife.

Dave
 
Honestly, I don't understand why so many people want her death. If the parents want to take care of her, why not let them?
On the other hand I'd gladly pull the plug on that monster in Florida who killed that little girl, but of course he'll be kicking around for quite a few more years -- thanks to the wonderful American justice system.... Life is not fair. Mari
 
After watching my father make the conscious decision to refuse a feeding tube, it was after a private session with his priest. It took a month for him to starve to death. I am a Catholic, and I believe the Catholics can be hipocritical about humanity and "sanctity of life" issues. My father had made peace with his family, his world and obviously his God. Why prolong it? Dr Kevorkian's device would have been a blessing for him.

In Terri's case, what if her husband is on the up and up, what if after seeing a movie or television show, she had said "I never want to live like that"? Who is a woman going to be more intimate with, her parents or her husband? Maybe he is doing what she wants.

Bottom line, it is never to early to do a living will. AND let people know about it, let your wishes be know!
 
Macska,

If the facts are true that I have read, Terri stated she did not ever want to live in a vegatative state and her husband is trying to carry out her wishes. When people marry, they are legally, morally and emotionally tied to their spouse.

Doesn't it matter what she wanted?
 
Of course nobody wants to live like that. I want that plug to be pulled on me, and my family knows that. But in her case there is no living will, unfortunately.

But my question is this. Is she suffering right now? No. Would her parents gladly take care of her? Yes. So what's the big deal? Let her parents take care of her. For Terri, it wouldn't make any difference. There are so many bad guys on death row. Pull the plug on them, if the goverment must be involved in life - death issues.
 
Macska,

Shouldn't her spirit be let go so her soul can finally find peace? And what happens when her parents die, they are quite a bit older than her...who is going to take care of Terri then?
 
Just a reminder - if you don't have a Health Care Proxy and a Living Will and you want a voice in what happens to you if you can't speak -DO IT NOW!!

"Don't forget to breathe!"
 
I voted not sure. When I first heard about this last year, I thought she should be allowed to die in peace, but now that I have heard more about the situation, I don't know what the right thing to do would be. One thing that REALLY bothers me is that Terri has not been given any rehabilitative treatment to see if it would work. Why not try it? Also, Michael S. waited 7 years after Terri's illness to say that she had once told him she wouldn't want to be kept alive. 7 YEARS? I have also heard on the news that he had a habit of having Terri moved from a facility if the doctors recommended rehab treatment. There are just so many things that don't sound right that makes me think there should be an attempt at rehab before they give up on her.
 
i didn't vote only because i don't know the entire facts of the case. if she signed a DNR then i would say they need to pull the plug. but if she didn't sign it, then her just telling someone doesn't cut it legally. as is it's the parents against the husband, and who can you really say knew her better or loved her more? it seems to me its a technicality and it wasn't planned for. but the way that she would die would not be pleasant. she would have to starve to death! it's one thing if it would be fast, but this would be slow and that just seems inhumane to me.
maddie
 
I have to say that the plug needs to go for her. This may sound harsh but honestly I would not want to live in a permanent vegetative state either. I don't think it's starving her to death (she's not eating as a normal, coherent person would) b/c I don't think she knows the difference anyway. I agree advance directives are SO important. This is all becoming a catapault for a personal war which I think is awful.

Debbie
 
I am 100% with Candi on this. I have seen a number of interviews with her husband from about 2 or 3 years ago until now. I have also seen interviews with her parents as well as interviews with medical experts.

I can see why some people, after viewing the videotapes of Terri, might think she is actively alive. However, as it has been noted many times, those snippets are taken from hours of tape. Also, medical experts seem to agree that the “thinking” part of her brain is almost completely gone. The movements she makes are reflexes, not active smiles, head turns, etc. I think her parents are hoping for a miracle, and I can’t blame them for that. There is nothing in medical science, after fifteen years of being in this state, that is going to restore Terri to the way she was before or even close to it.

I tend to believe her husband when he says that her wish would have been to die. He could have divorced her and walked away, but he didn’t. He even said that the Schindler’s offered him money to walk away. He is not going to get any money from Terri’s death and is not being financially burdened by her medical bills. In addition, at least 19 Florida judges have ruled in his favor.

Wendy is right that this really emphasizes the importance of living wills. I spoke to my parents about this recently. I told them that I didn’t want to be morbid but that it is import to discuss nonetheless. I am also going to fill one out. I believe it is free and that there is a US registry. Has anyone ever done this?

Editted to add that I have seen reports on CNN that starving to death is not as cruel as it sounds. Terri is not going to feel hunger or pain. They give patients morphine or something similar in these cases.
 
I read that in the paper yesterday about the money. Also, he has had a girlfriend this whole time and has kids with her. I read that even before this happened to Terri he was cheating on her. Something just isn't sitting right with me about her husband.

She's not technically brain dead because she can breathe and she's not a vegetable. She's brain damaged, not brain dead. There's a difference. Lots of people with Cerebal Palsy can't eat and need a feeding tube. Her parents and doctors have said in support of her parents, that therapy can help her. Her parents just want to take her home and take care of her. To whoever said her parents are old, she also has a sister who is willing to take care of her.

scm this link you posted is very interesting and what I've been suspicious of all along! http://physicsgeek.mu.nu/archives/071849.php
 
What really bugs me about this case is that the politicians are such hypocrites pandering to their conservative consituents. Interesting how they are spouting that life trumps everything, but still support the death penalty. I don't think they can have it both ways.

Terri's father said that he would be fighting the removal of the tube even if Terri put it in writing that she would not want to be kept alive. That tells me that they are doing this for themselves, not Terri.
 
Terri is in a permanent vegetative state according to every doctor that I have seen discuss her condition. The part of her brain that is functioning is the section that controls the most basic bodily functions, such as breathing and heartbeat...that's about it. This is the definition of a Vegetative State. She has no cognition. People with Cerebral Palsy are not in a vegetative state. As a matter of fact, my mother worked with a lawyer that had cerebral palsy and he was quite capable of thinking on his own. The comparision doesn't make sense. Also, the website that was just re-posted is not from a credible news source.

I find it interesting that people will not believe this man cared for his wife enough to fight for her wishes. I guess that just goes to show how some people think marital love is fleeting.

Another point DH and I were just discussing. Terri is in this state due to a heart attack suffered because of low potassium due to bulemia. That tells me this girl was very appearance conscious, yet due to media exposure encouraged by her parents and their lawyers, pictures of her in this condition are plastered everywhere. I wonder how Terri would feel about this?
 
Like I said before, something is not sitting right with me about her husband. I also don't think marital love is fleeting either. Like I said before also, he has a girlfriend, had one before Terri's collapse and now has kids with this woman. I think he has ulterior motives.

Also, I read in the Chicago Tribune yesterday that doctors have said therapy can help her.

I do agree though, that I don't think she'd like her picture plastered everywhere.
 
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Schiavo/story?id=590336&page=1
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Schiavo/story?id=600523&page=1
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Schiavo/wireStory?id=602570

I've attached some of the news sources that I have been getting my information from. I have also went to USA Today, Fox and the New York Times and the articles read pretty much the same way.

If Terri could be helped by therapy, why hasn't it helped yet? Her tragedy started in 1990 where Michael immediately tried to get help for her. Yes he has a girlfriend and has had children but you will read in one of the articles that the girlfriend often accompanies Michael when he visits Terri. This may seem strange to some but I don't know what he has to gain by continuing this fight. He could have walked away for $1M that was offered by a pro-life millionaire some time ago but he would not accept it.

IMHO, if all the details being reported are correct, this level of committment is impressive.
 
I'll try to find the link from the Chicago Tribune I read yesterday. I read it in the actual newspaper though. I'll try to find it online. I guess there are conflicting reports from different doctors.

I've also read that her husband has not tried to give her the therapy she needed 15 years ago. I don't believe he's committed to her at all and wasn't either when she had her collapse. Bringing the girlfriend with him to see Terri....that nauseates me.
 
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