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Sorry, but somebody running the MSNBC site needs to keep a little more watchful eye about the ads and their rotation in certain stories.
Darn, I have to agree with you. The end of the world must be upon us.
Sorry, but somebody running the MSNBC site needs to keep a little more watchful eye about the ads and their rotation in certain stories.
Excellent article on Schiavo's court-appointed guardian
more (you'll need a bugmenot.com password):Kansas City.comGuardian hasn't forgotten time with Schiavo, and never will
(snip)
Wolfson was appointed by a Florida court in the fall of 2003 to be Schiavo's guardian ad litem, or guardian at law, to deduce Schiavo's best interests and represent neither her husband nor her parents but Terri Schiavo herself.
This makes Wolfson one of the very few people to have spent extended time with Schiavo and gauged her level of awareness without having a vested interest at stake.
(snip)
When awake, Schiavo's eyes rolled about the room. She made random noises that sounded like groaning or the start of a laugh or cry.
But court do ents said Schiavo's cerebral cortex, where reason and emotions are housed, had degenerated to fluid. So Wolfson set about trying to determine whether Schiavo's noises and jerks were merely reflexive or if they indicated something more.
He played Elton John CDs for her, and Bach and Mozart and music from the late 1980s, when she was in her 20s, prior to her collapse. He held her hands, squeezing them, and stroked her hair and face.
He put his face close to hers and tried to make eye contact, pleading desperately, trying to will her into giving him any kind of sign.
…But Schiavo never made eye contact. When Wolfson visited her when her parents were there, she never made eye contact with them either, he said. And for all of Wolfson's pleadings and coaxing, he never got what he most wanted: a sign.
(snip)
Wolfson was dismayed to learn Friday that Barbara Weller, an attorney for the Schindlers, claimed that Schiavo tried to speak. "Terri does not speak," he said. "To claim otherwise reduces her to a fiction."
I smell a book/crappy Lifetime movie deal.
Also I just thought about this, there will prob be an "original" Law and Order based upon this in 2 months.
Let's look on the bright side - maybe she can go to heaven FINALLY.
What's not to like?
Huh. But wouldn't this, like, set a bad precedent or sumum?
Vatican Official Fears "Direct Euthanasia" in Schiavo Case
Saturday, March 19, 2005 12:00:00 AM GMT
Rome, Mar. 18 (CWNews.com) - Remove the feeding tubes from Terri Schiavo would be "direct euthanasia," according to the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Speaking to a Vatican Radio audience on March 18, Bishop Elio Sgreccia said that the brain-damaged Florida woman "must be considered as a living human person" in spite of her disabilities. The bishop added that "her juridical rights must be recognized, respected, and defended."
To withdraw food and water from Terri Schiavo-- as her husband proposes to do, with the help of a court order-- would be "a way of killing that person," Bishop Sgreccia said.
The Italian prelate went on to explain that the provision of food and water cannot be considered "extraordinary means, nor a means of therapy." Rather, he said, it is basic care, to which any patient is en led. The Catholic Church teaches that while it is not necessary to use "extraordinary means" to keep alive a patient suffering from terminal illness, it is never justifiable to take direct action to end an innocent life. Bishop Sgreccia acknowledged that the Pontifical Academy for Life generally does not intervene in specific medical cases. "However, the case of Terri Schiavo-- because of its exemplary character and the importance that the media have justifiably given it-- goes beyond the individual situation," he said. In this case, the bishop continued, "silence could be interpreted as approbation, with consequences that go beyond this specific case." The bishop said that he would not become involved in "secondary considerations" in the case, such as the economic considerations, or the legall relationship between Terri Schiavo and her estranged husband. Rather, he said, the Vatican's focus is on the basic principle involved in medical care. A final decision to withdraw food and water, he said, "if it is confirmed, and leads to the death of Terri Schiavo, would create a juridical precedent and present the reality of euthanasia as a right before the US Supreme Court, with grave consequences that can easily be imagined, for the lives of many other people."
http://www.catholicexchange.com/e3ne...category_id=10
[QUOTE=NeoConIV..."with grave consequences that can easily be imagined, for the lives of many other people."
Grave consequences indeed! If you haven't done so, now is the time to write a living will. In the case of a catastrophic accident after which you were termed "dead" to all intents and purposes, but medical science is able to keep you "alive" through artificial means - but with no hope whatsoever of returning to your former self - you can opt out. No one can force you to remain in a vegetative state to satisfy their lust for life, anymore than anyone can force you into a vegetative state against your will.
There's so much more involved in the right to die than we can understand from these singled-out incidents. Without extraordinary measures, Terri Schiavo would have died many years ago. I do accept the fact that at this late date it seems too late to make the decision which should have been made long ago. I have bleeding-heart sentiments about this, but it should never have become something that Congress, the governor of Florida, or the world at large, should decide.
I would hope that my living will, which stipulates that no extraordinary measures should be taken to maintain my life, will never have to come under the scrutiny of the government of the United States, Texas, or anyone but my family.
This whole thing stinks. Let her die and go to a better place.
You know what I find so odd, AHF? The very people who are so eager to keep this woman nailed to this earth (or her hospital bed) are the very people who believe so firmly that Heaven awaits.
I don't believe in Heaven or , but I sure am not afraid to die...
Oh, Oh, forget Presidential hopeful Frist, Tom DeLay is now on the Schiavo case for the wingers...
AP News<snip>
Congressional leaders announced a compromise between Senate and House Republicans that would allow the brain-damaged woman's case to be reviewed by federal courts that could restore her feeding tube. Opposition waned after House leaders agreed to give up broader legislation and accept a narrowly crafted bill that applied only to Schiavo's case.
The Senate convened briefly Saturday evening to give formal permission for the House to meet Sunday, when it otherwise would be adjourned for the Easter recess.
The plan is for the House to act on the two-page bill Sunday or just after midnight Monday morning. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said the Senate then would act on the House legislation, assuming it passes the House as envisioned, and rush the bill to the president for signature into law.
"We should investigate every avenue before we take the life of a living human being," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. "That's the very least we can do for her."
<snip>
Nothing like ridding the right-wing Shiavo bandwagon to help your cons uents forget about your being investigated for ethics violations.
The rude pundit pulls no punches on Terry Schiavo...
Terry Schiavo Must Die:
Rude PunditThe time has come for the inevitable end of this story, this miserable lot of the last fifteen years for Terry Schiavo. Brain-damaged and rubber-boned, barely human anymore, Schiavo has the indignity of having her nerve-reflex smile paraded out every time the moment comes close for her to have to sink or swim, to learn quickly to feed herself or starve. She is the unfortunate child of narcissistic parents who have pathetically deluded themselves into believing that, at some point, the rock that rolls around in her head will once again become a brain. She sadly lives in a culture so driven mad by religion that people will gather and pray for her to go on "living" (if by "living," you mean "devolving into a gelatinous mound with a nerve-reflex smile"). Anyone even barely touched by the rationality that is supposed to mark us as the most advanced creatures on the planet know this to be true: She must die.
And it doesn't matter at this point how. Take out the feeding tube. Wheel her into the alley behind the ho e and put three bullets into the back of her foamy skull. Put her on a raft on Tampa Bay and send her out to the lovely Gulf of Mexico. , a merciful nation would rejoice at this act and make sure there's fireworks and live music on the bayfront to accompany her on her last journey. A merciful God would have sent avenging angels to smite all those preening idiots outside the ho e with Gabriel announcing, "Are you all out of your ing minds?" before setting the whole place, Schiavo and all, on fire.
But we are not a merciful nation, for we believe that suffering is a gift from God or some such bull , and if you are chosen to suffer, then suffer you must. If you're dirt poor, single, and homeless and you get pregnant, you must keep your baby, even though the overwhelming chance is that you and your baby will be hungry, cold, and miserable for the rest of both of your lives. Despite the fact that virtually every competent medical person who has walked into Schiavo's room and smelled the -scent of death has declared Schiavo a cabbage or, on a good day, a pea pod, the right smells opportunity to distract people from the gutting of programs that actually do good for the living . Other "experts" who have witnessed Schiavo's eyes follow a balloon on videotape are nonsensical idiots (and that includes Senate Majority Leader and noted cat-disemboweler Bill Frist).
Way back in 2000, before Schiavo became the rallying call for people who have nothing better to do, here is how the St. Petersburg Times described Schiavo's end: "If [the feeding tube] is removed, Mrs. Schiavo would die painlessly in a week or two. She does not feel hunger or thirst, and she would just drift away, doctors say." That fact, that Schiavo will not actually experience anything differently, is now left out of most media stories on her. The distorted face of Terry Schiavo is now merely a canvas upon which ideology has been writ large, where the notion of "life" has been perverted to mean "a heartbeat," and where the cruel vicissitudes of politics now rear their ugly, hydra-heads.
The right loves this. This is better than Elian Gonzalez. The National Review's Andrew McCarthy (who was so good in Pretty In Pink, but has really let himself go) rants like a baboon about to tear out the liver out of a fallen baboon enemy about Schiavo, saying that "she'd be better off if she were a terrorist." Schiavo's fate is like manna from heaven because anyone who dares to say, for instance, "Terry Schiavo Must Die," can instantly be labelled as uncaring and cruel and then you can go on Fox "News" and Hannity'll show that reflex-smile of the damned and everyone can say they are doing "what's best" for Schiavo.
Terry Schiavo was a vain woman, driven to bulimia by a sad desire to be thinner and thinner, afflicted, as so many women are and so many women aren't, by pop culture standards of thinness. Chances are it was the bulimia that led to the heart attack that led to the brain damage that led to the gooey being that is Schiavo being prayed over by the President and his brother. Now ask yourself: if Terry Schivao saw herself right now, knowing what we know about who she was and how she felt about looks, would she want to stay alive? You who know men and women like the pre-gelatinous Schiavo understand of what the Rude Pundit writes.
Now the Congress is involved. And the Republicans want Schiavo brought into the hearing room. What a spectacle that's gonna be. What a ing horror show. What an embarrassment to this nation. All those righteous members of Congress, weeping because Schiavo can't answer their questions, listening to her machine sounds, the suckings, the gurgles. They called Schiavo before the committee in a little over a week because "it is a federal crime to harm or obstruct a person called to testify before Congress." Another person, another prop. Those ers in the GOP know what they're doing: force Democrats to vote against the bowl of jello in front of them and then use that as immunity in elections against charges that the Republicans are eliminating Social Security. What these disgusting, dirt-covered worms won't do to eat the flesh off the body politic.
The only comfort in any of this is that Schiavo won't know a ing thing that's going on. She is an object, not a subject. She is acted upon. If Bill Frist wanted to test her reflexes by pulling up her gown and raping her in front of the gathered media, she would not care. If Tom DeLay wanted to pick her up and dance her around like a puppet, she would not care. She will never, ever care again. There is only one caring solution. She must die.
Manny what world do you live in. The Judiciary makes laws all the time,
even the supreme court just ruled that kids couldn't be put to death
not based on any cons utional provision, well they did say it was cruel
and unusal punishment, but they even went outside of our country and
cited some other countries laws.......yeah, interpretations my foot.
I think congress over stepped their place this time.
Bill Maher said the exact same thing on Real Time Friday night, and Republicans Christi Todd Whitman (ex governor of NJ) and Florida Rep Lana Rose-Lehtinen had a real difficult time answering.The very people who are so eager to keep this woman nailed to this earth (or her hospital bed) are the very people who believe so firmly that Heaven awaits.
Here's a little more enlightenment! .................................................. .HOUSE VOTES 203-58 IN EMERGENCY SESSION TO ALLOW FEDERAL COURT TO REVIEW TERRI SCHIAVO CASE; SENATE PASSED BILL EARLIER TODAY. This means that now the Federal Courts will take over on the issue of Terri's feeding tube. The first thing they are likely to do is subpoena Terri to appear before the court. Of course she won't be able to do that, but the subpoena will guarantee her protection under the Federal Witness Protection Act and require that no harm come to her. That, of course, means the feeding tube will be reinserted.
If the Federal Courts really look into this case, I can see the day where charges of Civil Rights violations, Breach of Contract, Conspiracy, and Attempted Murder could be filed against Michael Schiavo. George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney just happens to be the founder of the medical ins ution where Terri is being kept. As conspirators, that gives Michael almost whatever he wants regarding Terri's care and allot of clout with the management of the facility. It should be obvious to anyone reading this that Michael has been intent on killing Terri for at least the past 7 years. His intent at the time of Terri's collapse is yet unknown.
Over the past two days, I have come from supporting the removal of the feeding tube to my conclusion now that in spite of Terri's condition, we can't allow Michael Schiavo to get away with murder. I am still not comfortable with the Feds interfering with State's Rights or the rights of the individual but in this one case, it seems that justice is not being served by the state of Florida. I hope this doesn't set a precedence for other cases, and according to the bill, it will only apply to this one case, or so I've heard.
The following information is posted on the Terri's Fight website which is the website of her family at http://www.terrisfight.org <http://www.terrisfight.org/> Visit the site to see how you can help. The following information will be reviewed by the Federal Court since most of it was ignored by the Florida District Court. If this doesn't bring up questions of criminal intent and activity I don't know what will.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are affidavits of three former nurses / caretakers of Terri Schiavo, relating their horror at the abusive treatment and lack of treatment regarding Terri's care.
NO RESUSCITATION (if needed);
NO ANTIBIOTICS FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS!
NO REHABILITATION OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING RANGE OF MOTION AND STIMULATION!
NEVER ALLOWED TO LEAVE HER ROOM FOR FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE!
APPARENT INSULIN REACTIONS AFTER MICHAEL'S VISITS (she is not diabetic)!
MORE! and MORE! and MORE!, all under the ORDERS OF MICHAEL SCHIAVO, the husband who convinced a jury that their large award would allow him to take her home and care for her for the rest of his life. His 'fiance' with whom he's lived for seven years is expecting their second child.
http://www.terrisfight.org/Framesets/RecentFrame.htm
CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N.
AFFIDAVIT
_________
STATE OF FLORIDA )
COUNTY OF PINELLAS )
BEFORE ME the undersigned authority personally appeared CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N., who being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
1. My name is Carla Sauer Iyer. I am over the age of eighteen and make this statement of my own personal knowledge.
2. I am a registered nurse in the State of Florida, having been licensed continuously in Florida from 1997 to the present. Prior to that I was a Licensed Practical Nurse for about four years.
3. I was employed at Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center in Largo, Florida from April 1995 to July 1996, while Terri Schiavo was a patient there.
4. It was clear to me at Palm Gardens that all decisions regarding Terri Schiavo were made by Michael Schiavo, with no allowance made for any discussion, debate or normal professional judgment. My initial training there consisted solely of the instruction "Do what Michael Schiavo tells you or you will be terminated." This struck me as extremely odd.
5. I was very disturbed by the decision making protocol, as no allowance whatsoever was made for professional responsibility. The atmosphere throughout the facility was dominated by Mr. Schiavo's intimidation. Everyone there, with the exception of several people who seemed to be close to Michael, was intimidated by him.
Michael Schiavo always had an overbearing at ude, yelling numerous times such things as "This is my order and you're going to follow it." He is very large and uses menacing body language, such as standing too close to you, getting right in your face and practically shouting.
6. To the best of my recollection, rehabilitation had been ordered for Terri, but I never saw any being done or had any reason at all to believe that there was ever any rehab of Terri done at Palm Gardens while I was there. I became concerned because Michael wanted nothing done for Terri at all, no antibiotics, no tests, no range of motion therapy, no stimulation, no nothing.
Michael said again and again that Terri should NOT get any rehab, that there should be no range of motion whatsoever, or anything else. I and a CNA named Roxy would give Terri range of motion anyway. One time I put a wash cloth in Terri's hand to keep her fingers from curling together, and Michael saw it and made me take it out, saying that was therapy.
7. Terri's medical condition was systematically distorted and misrepresented by Michael. When I worked with her, she was alert and oriented. Terri spoke on a regular basis while in my presence, saying such things as "mommy," and "help me." "Help me" was, in fact, one of her most frequent utterances. I heard her say it hundreds of times. Terri would try to say the word "pain" when she was in discomfort, but it came out more like "pay." She didn't say the "n" sound very well. During her menses she would indicate her discomfort by saying "pay" and moving her arms toward her lower abdominal area. Other ways that she would indicate that she was in pain included pursing her lips, grimacing, thrashing in bed, curling her toes or moving her legs around. She would let you know when she had a bowel movement by flipping up the covers and pulling on her diaper and scooted in bed on her bottom.
8. When I came into her room and said "Hi, Terri", she would always recognize my voice and her name, and would turn her head all the way toward me, saying "Haaaiiiii" sort of, as she did. I recognized this as a "hi", which is very close to what it sounded like, the whole sound being only a second or two long. When I told her humrous stories about my life or something I read in the paper, Terri would chuckle, sometimes more a giggle or laugh. She would move her whole body, upper and lower. Her legs would sometimes be off the bed, and need to be repositioned. I made numerous entries into the nursing notes in her chart, stating verbatim what she said and her various behaviors, but by my next on-duty shift, the notes would be deleted from her chart.
Every time I made a positive entry about any responsiveness of Terri's, someone would remove it after my shift ended. Michael always demanded to see her chart as soon as he arrived, and would take it in her room with him. I do ented Terri's rehab potential well, writing whole pages about Terri's responsiveness, but they would always be deleted by the next time I saw her chart. The reason I wrote so much was that everybody else seemed to be afraid to make positive entries for fear of their jobs, but I felt very strongly that a nurses job was to accurately record everything we see and hear that bears on a patients condition and their family. I upheld the Nurses Practice Act, and if it cost me my job, I was willing to accept that.
9. Throughout my time at Palm Gardens, Michael Schiavo was focused on Terri's death. Michael would say "When is she going to die?," "Has she died yet?" and "When is that gonna die?" These statements were common knowledge at Palm Gardens, as he would make them casually in passing, without regard even for who he was talking to, as long as it was a staff member.
Other statements which I recall him making include "Can't anything be done to accelerate her death - won't she ever die?" When she wouldn't die, Michael would be furious. Michael was also adamant that the family should not be given information. He made numerous statements such as "Make sure the parents aren't contacted." I recorded Michael's statements word for word in Terri's chart, but these entries were also deleted after the end of my shift.
Standing orders were that the family wasn't to be contacted, in fact, there was a large sign in the front of her chart that said under no cir stances was her family to be called, call Michael immediately, but I would call them, anyway, because I thought they should know about their daughter.
10. Any time Terri would be sick, like with a UTI [urinary tract infection]or fluid buildup in her lungs, colds, or pneumonia, Michael would be visibly excited, thrilled even, hoping that she would die. He would say something like, "Hallelujah! You've made my day!" He would call me, as I was the nurse supervisor on the floor, and ask for every little detail about her temperature, blood pressure, etc., and would call back frequently asking if she was dead yet. He would blurt out "I'm going to be rich!" and would talk about all the things he would buy when Terri died, which included a new car, a new boat, and going to Europe, among other things.
11. When Michael visited Terri, he always came alone and always had the door closed and locked while he was with Terri. He would typically be there about twenty minutes or so. When he left Terri would be trembling, crying hysterically, and would be very pale and have cold sweats. It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I'd check her blood sugar. The glucometer reading would be so low it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading. I would put dextrose in Terri's mouth to counteract it.
This happened about five times on my shift, as I recall. Normally Terri's blood sugar levels were very stable due to the uniformity of her diet through tube feeding. It is medically possible that Michael injected Terri with Regular insulin, which is very fast acting, but I don't have any way of knowing for sure.
12. The longer I was employed at Palm Gardens the more concerned I became about patient care, both relating to Terri Schiavo, for the reasons I've said, and other patients, too.
There was an LPN named Carolyn Adams, known as "Andy" Adams who was a particular concern. An unusual number of patients seemed to die on her shift, but she was completely unconcerned, making statements such as "They are old - let them die." I couldn't believe her at ude or the fact that it didn't seem to attract any attention.
She made many comments about Terri being a waste of money, that she should die. She said it was costing Michael a lot of money to keep her alive, and that he complained about it constantly (I heard him complain about it all the time, too.)
Both Michael and Adams said that she would be worth more to him if she were dead. I ultimately called the police relative to this situation, and was terminated the next day. Other reasons were cited, but I was convinced it was because of my "rocking the boat."
13. Ms. Adams was one of the people who did not seem to be intimidated by Michael. In fact, they seemed to be very close, and Adams would do whatever Michael told her. Michael sometimes called Adams at night and spoke at length. I was not able to hear the content of these phone calls, but I knew it was him talking to her because she would tell me afterward and relay orders from him.
14. I have contacted the Schindler family because I just couldn't stand by and let Terri die without the truth being known.
FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.
<signed>
CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N.
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this 29 day of August, 2003, by CARLA SAUER IYER, R.N., who produced her Florida's driver's license as identification, and who did take an oath.
<signed Patricia J. Anderson>
Notary Public
My commission expires
<Notary seal of Patricia J. Anderson>
=========================================
CAROLYN JOHNSON, CNA
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF PINELLAS
AFFIDAVIT
_________
BEFORE ME the undersigned authority personally appeared CAROLYN JOHNSON who being first duly sworn deposes and says:
1. My name is Carolyn Johnson, I am over the age of 18 years and make this statement on personal information.
2. I used to work at Sabal Palms nursing home in Largo, for a period of about two years. I actually was employed by a nursing agency and was placed at Sabal Palms as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). I believe the events related here occurred in about 1993.
3. During this assignment I took care of Terri Schiavo several times. The first time I saw her my duties were being explained to me by the nurse on duty. Terri Schiavo was lying in bed. Another patient, also a young woman about the same age and in the same condition, was sitting up in a chair, with a drink cup and straw in front of her.
4. I asked why Terri was not up in a chair, too. I learned, as part of my training, that there was a family dispute and that the husband, as guardian, wanted no rehabilitation for Terri. This surprised me, as I did not think a guardian could go against a doctor's orders like that, but I was assured that a guardian could and that this guardian had gone against Terri's doctor's orders.
5. No one was allowed to just go in and see Terri. Michael had a visitors list. We all knew that we would lose our jobs if we did not do exactly what Michael said to do.
6. I remember seeing Michael Schiavo only once the entire time I worked at Sabal Palms, but we were all aware that Terri was not to be given any kind of rehabilitative help, per his instructions. Once, I wanted to put a cloth in Terri's hand to keep her hand from closing in on itself, but I was not permitted to do this, as Michael Schiavo considered that to be a form of rehabilitation.
7. This entire experience made me look hard at nursing homes. After about two years, I quit this job, because I was so disillusioned with the way Terri was treated. Someone somewhere along the way should have reported this.
FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.
<signed>
Carolyn Johnson, Affiant
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 28 day of August, 2003, by Carolyn Johnson who produced a Florida drivers license as identification.
<signed Patricia J. Anderson>
Notary Public
My commission expires
<Notary seal of Patricia J. Anderson>
===================================
HEIDI LAW, CNA
AFFIDAVIT
_________
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF PINELLAS
BEFORE ME the undersigned authority personally appeared HEIDI LAW who
being first duly sworn deposes and says:
1. My name is Heidi Law, I am over the age of 18 years, and make this statement on personal information.
2. I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Palm Gardens nursing home from March, 1997 to mid-summer of 1997. While I was employed at Palm Gardens, occasionally I took care of Theresa Schiavo. Generally, I worked the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, but occasionally also would work a double shift, until 7 a.m. the following morning.
3. At Palm Gardens, most of the patient care was provided by the CNAs, so I was in a good position to judge Terri's condition and observe her reactions. Terri was noticeable, because she was the youngest patient at Palm Gardens.
4. I know that Terri did not receive routine physical therapy or any other kind of therapy. I was personally aware of orders for rehabilitation that were not being carried out. Even though they were ordered, Michael would stop them. Michael ordered that Terri receive no rehabilitation or range of motion therapy. I and Olga would give Terri range of motion anyway, but we knew we were endangering our jobs by doing so. We usually did this behind closed doors, we were so fearful of being caught. Our hearts would race and we were always looking out for Michael, because we knew that, not only would Michael take his anger out on us, but he would take it out more on Terri. We spoke of this many times.
5. Terri had very definite likes and dislikes. Olga and I used to call Terri "Fancy Pants," because she was so particular about certain things. She just adored her baths, and was so happy afterward when she was all clean, smelling sweet from the lotion her mother provided, and wearing the soft nightgowns her mother laundered for her. Terri definitely did not like the taste of the teeth-cleaning swabs or the mouthwash we used. She liked to have her hair combed. She did not like being tucked in, and especially hated it if her legs were tightly tucked. You would always tell when Terri had a bowel movement, as she seem agitated and would sort of "scoot" to get away from it.
6. Every day, Terri was gotten up after lunch and sat in a chair all afternoon. When Terri was in bed, she very much preferred to lie on her right side and look out the window. We always said that she was watching for her mother. It was very obvious that her mother was her favorite person in the whole world.
7. I worked side-by-side with another CNA named Olga and could tell that she and Terri were especially close. Olga took a definite personal interest in Terri, and Terri responded to her. I could tell that Terri was very satisfied and happy with Olga's attentions to her.
8. When Olga was talking with Terri, Terri would follow Olga with her eyes. I have no doubt in my mind that Terri understood what Olga was saying to her. I could tell a definite difference between the way Terri responded to Olga and the way she reacted to me, until she got used to my taking care of her. Initially, she "clammed up" with me, the way she would with anyone she did not know or was not familiar or comfortable with. It took about the fourth or fifth time taking care of her alone, without Olga, that Terri became relaxed and cooperative and non-resistant with me.
9. Terri reacted very well to seeing a picture of her mother, which was in her room. Many times when I came on duty it would be lying face down where she could not see it.
10. At least three times during any shift where I took care of Terri, I made sure to give Terri a wet washcloth filled with ice chips, to keep her mouth moistened. I personally saw her swallow the ice water and never saw her gag. Olga and I frequently put orange juice or apple juice in her washcloth to give her something nice to taste, which made her happy. On three or four occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls of Jello, which she was able to swallow and enjoyed immensely. I did not do it more often only because I was so afraid of being caught by Michael.
11. On one occasion Michael Schiavo arrived with his girlfriend, and they entered Terri's room together. I heard Michael tell his girlfriend that Terri was in a persistent vegetative state and was dying. After they left, Olga told me that Terri was extremely agitated and upset, and wouldn't react to anyone. When she was upset, which was usually the case after Michael was there, she would withdraw for hours. We were convinced that he was abusing her, and probably saying cruel, terrible things to her because she would be so upset when he left.
12. In the past, I have taken care of comatose patients, including those in a persistent vegetative state. While it is true that those patients will flinch or make sounds occasionally, they don't do it as a reaction to someone on a constant basis who is taking care of them, the way I saw Terri do.
13. I witnessed a priest visiting Terri a couple of times. Terri would become quiet when he prayed with her. She couldn't bow her head because of her stiff neck, but she would still try. During the prayer, she would keep her eyes closed, opening them afterward. She laughed at jokes he told her. I definitely know that Terri "is in there."
14. The Palm Gardens staff, myself included, were just amazed that a "Do Not Resuscitate" order had been put on Terri's chart, considering her age and her obvious cognitive awareness of her surroundings.
15. During the time I cared for Terri, she formed words. I have heard her say "mommy" from time to time, and "momma," and she also said "help me" a number of times. She would frequently make noises like she was trying to talk. Other staff members talked about her verbalizations.
16. Several times when Michael visited Terri during my shift, he went into her room alone and closed the door. This worried me because I didn't trust Michael. When he left, Terri was very agitated, was extremely tense with tightened fists and some times had a cold sweat. She was much less responsive than usual and would just stare out the window, her eyes kind of glassy. It would take much more time and effort than usual to work her hands open to clean her palms.
17. I was told by supervisory staff that Michael was Terri's legal guardian, and that it didn't matter what the parents or the doctors or nurses wanted, just do what Michael told you to do or you will lose your job. Michael would override the orders of the doctors and nurses to make sure Terri got no treatment. Among the things that Terri was deprived of by Michael's orders were any kind of testing, dental care or stimulation.
I was ordered by my supervisors to limit my time with Terri. I recall telling my supervisor that Terri seemed abnormally warm to the touch. I was told to pull her covers down, rather than to take her temperature.
As far as I know, Terri never left her room. The only stimulation she had was looking out the window and watching things, and the radio, which Michael insisted be left on one particular station. She had a television, and there was a sign below it saying not to change the channel. This was because of Michael's orders.
18. As a CNA, I wanted every piece of information I could get about my patients. I never had access to medical records as a CNA, but it was part of my job duties to write my observations down on sheets of paper, which I turned over to the nurse at the nurses station for inclusion in the patients charts. In the case of Terri Schiavo, I felt that my notes were thrown out without even being read. There were trash cans at the nurses stations that we were supposed to empty each shift, and I often saw the notes in them. I made extensive notes and listed all of Terri's behaviors, but there was never any apparent follow up consistent with her responsiveness.
19. I discussed this situation with other personnel at Palm Gardens, particularly with Olga, and another CNA, an older black man named Ewan Morris. We all discussed the fact that we could be fired for reporting that Terri was responsive, and especially for giving her treatment. The advice among the staff was "don't do nothin', don't see nothin' and don't say nothin'." It was particularly distressing that we always had to be afraid that if Michael got upset, he would take his anger out on Terri.
20. I recall an incident when Olga became very upset because Terri started to get a sore spot, because it might lead to a bedsore. Michael was told about it but didn't seem to care. he didn't complain about it at all, in fact, saying "she doesn't know the difference." When Terri would get a UTI or was sick, Michael's mood would improve.
FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.
<signed>
Heidi Law, Affiant
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF PINELLAS
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30th day of August, 2003, by HEIDI LAW, who produced a Florida Driver's License as identification.
<signed Thomas A. Brodersen>
Notary Public
My Commission expires:
<Notary seal of Thomas A. Brodersen>
http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/terri/aff.htm <http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/terri/aff.htm>
Whether she lives or dies is not a big concern of mine... I'm more concerned with Congress grandstanding on this issue, and with the means by which she is being "allowed" to die. Wouldn't some sort of painless lethal injection be much more humane than starving her to death? It could take her TWO WEEKS to die.
Didn't President Bush, well Governor Bush at the time, sign legislation in Texas that give the hospital the final decision on cases such as this? Or something like that. He wanted the courts out of these decisions now he is favor of the congress getting involved?
Is this a flip-flop?
I though conservatives for "less government" intervention in our lives?
And I heard that here in Texas, just last month or so the feeding tube was removed from a young against the wishes of the mother.
Where was Tom DeLay then?
I am not advocating one side or the other, but I encourage you to read the affadavits of the nurses in my previous post. It just might change your mind. I don't think all of the facts in this case have been presented just yet.
I just don't think the government should have stepped in on this issue.
How many more "looks" do the the courts need to have on this case?
My point is I don't want the government getting in on this.
I really think they are opening a bad can of worms here. Will every family with an issue like this demand equal time for their issue?
Let's say that Terri Schiavo is in there somewhere. Can you imagine what a it would be, to be a living brain inside that body? At some point you have to consider the patient's quality of life.
I told the wife to give me a year, 2 tops and if I'm not out of it then pull the plug.
But I don't think I could pull the plug on my own child so on that I can understand where the parents are coming from.
I'd hate to take the feeding tube from my kids too, but you have to think of what they might be going through and whether they'd be better off dead, to put it crudely.
I was very tempted to write a long and (most probably) profane response to this...but I realize it just doesn't matter. You'll never listen to me anyway, regardless of proof or tone of voice.
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