Friday, June 17, 2005
A little Terri update
While most media coverage focused on the autopsy's conclusion that Terri's brain at the time of death was "severely atrophied," the report also concluded that she was not terminally ill, that she had a strong heart, and that the cause of death was dehydration.
Terri's family issued a statement on Thursday regarding the report: "Terri was dehydrated to death before our eyes. The moral shame of what happened is not erased because of Terri's level of disability. No one would say that 'blind people' or 'brain-injured' people should be put to death. That would be an irresponsible and heartless position to take. Tragically, that is what happened to Terri. As a society, it seems that we have lost our compassion for the disabled."
The family also pointed out that the medical examiner ruled out bulimia and heart attack as causes for Terri's condition and called on Michael Schiavo to return funds that were paid out as part of a malpractice suit against her doctors which had claimed that bulimia was the cause.
Many of the pro-lifers who lobbied on behalf of Terri against those who wanted to allow her to be dehydrated and starved to death said the autopsy was ultimately irrelevant. "The results of Terri Schiavo's autopsy provide some answers concerning her physical condition," said American Life League president Judie Brown, "but in no way do these findings justify the cruel death by dehydration that was imposed on a living human being."
Austin Ruse, president of the Culture of Life Foundation, said, "Terri was severely brain-damaged. All she needed to continue living was food and water. Some, including those she trusted, concluded that these basic life-sustaining necessities should be taken from her.
"We should remember that it took Terri two long weeks to die of thirst. We would not do this to a dog. We owed our sister more than this. We owed Terri much than this. In Terri's case, we abdicated our moral responsibility."
Terri's family issued a statement on Thursday regarding the report: "Terri was dehydrated to death before our eyes. The moral shame of what happened is not erased because of Terri's level of disability. No one would say that 'blind people' or 'brain-injured' people should be put to death. That would be an irresponsible and heartless position to take. Tragically, that is what happened to Terri. As a society, it seems that we have lost our compassion for the disabled."
The family also pointed out that the medical examiner ruled out bulimia and heart attack as causes for Terri's condition and called on Michael Schiavo to return funds that were paid out as part of a malpractice suit against her doctors which had claimed that bulimia was the cause.
Many of the pro-lifers who lobbied on behalf of Terri against those who wanted to allow her to be dehydrated and starved to death said the autopsy was ultimately irrelevant. "The results of Terri Schiavo's autopsy provide some answers concerning her physical condition," said American Life League president Judie Brown, "but in no way do these findings justify the cruel death by dehydration that was imposed on a living human being."
Austin Ruse, president of the Culture of Life Foundation, said, "Terri was severely brain-damaged. All she needed to continue living was food and water. Some, including those she trusted, concluded that these basic life-sustaining necessities should be taken from her.
"We should remember that it took Terri two long weeks to die of thirst. We would not do this to a dog. We owed our sister more than this. We owed Terri much than this. In Terri's case, we abdicated our moral responsibility."
