A Must Read - ATTORNEY’S LAST VISIT WITH TERRI SCHIAVO
The Empire Journal has obtained an exclusive, first hand last visit narrative by Barbara Weller who with David Gibbs III of the Gibbs Law Firm of Seminole, Fl., is representing the Schindler family in their efforts to save Terri’s life. [click here]
Here is an extended excerpt:
The most dramatic event of this visit happened at one point when I was sitting on Terri’s bed next to Suzanne. Terri was sitting in her lounge chair and her aunt was standing at the foot of the chair. I stood up and learned over Terri. I took her arms in both of my hands. I said to her, “Terri if you could only say ‘I want to live’ this whole thing could be over today.” I begged her to try very hard to say, “I want to live.” To my enormous shock and surprise, Terri’s eyes opened wide, she looked me square in the face, and with a look of great concentration, she said, “Ahhhhhhh.” Then, seeming to summon up all the strength she had, she virtually screamed, “Waaaaaaaa.” She yelled so loudly that Michael Vitadamo, Suzanne’s husband, and the female police officer who were then standing together outside Terri’s door, clearly heard her. At that point, Terri had a look of anguish on her face that I had never seen before and she seemed to be struggling hard, but was unable to complete the sentence. She became very frustrated and began to cry. I was horrified that I was obviously causing Terri so much anguish. Suzanne and I began to stroke Terri’s face and hair to comfort her. I told Terri I was very sorry. It had not been my intention to upset her so much. Suzanne and I assured Terri that her efforts were much appreciated and that she did not need to try to say anything more. I promised Terri I would tell the world that she had tried to say, ”I want to live.”
Suzanne and I continued to visit and talk with Terri, along with other family members who came and went in the room, until about 2:00 p.m. when we were all told to leave after Judge Greer denied yet another motion for stay and ordered the removal of the feeding tube to proceed. As we left the room, the female police officer outside the door was valiantly attempting to keep from crying.Just as Terri’s husband Michael has told the world he must keep an alleged promise to kill Terri, a promise remembered a million dollars and nearly a decade after the fact; I must keep my promise to Terri immediately. Time is running out for her. I went out to the banks of cameras outside the hospice facility and told the story immediately. Now I must also tell the story in writing for the world to hear. It may be the last effective thing I can do to try to keep Terri alive so she can get the testing, therapy, and rehabilitative help she so desperately needs before it is too late.
About four in the afternoon, several hours after the feeding tube was removed, I returned to Terri’s room. By that time she was alone except for a male police officer now standing inside the door. When I entered the room and began to speak to her, Terri started to cry and tried to speak to me immediately. It was one of the most helpless feelings I have ever had. Terri was looking very melancholy at that point and I had the sense she was very upset that we had told her things were going to get better, but instead, they were obviously getting worse. I had previously had the same feeling when my own daughter was a baby who was hospitalized and was crying and looking to me to rescue her from her hospital crib, something I could not do. While I was in the room with Terri for the next half hour or so, several other friends came to visit and I did a few press interviews sitting right next to Terri. I again raised her window shade, which had again been pulled down, so Terri could at least see the garden and the sunshine from her lounge chair. I also turned the radio on in her room before I left so that when she was alone, she would at least have some music for comfort.
Just before I left the room, I leaned over Terri and spoke right into her ear. I told her I was very sorry I had not been able to stop the feeding tube from being taken out and I was very sorry I had to leave her alone. But I reminded her that Jesus would stay right by her side even when no one else was there with her. When I mentioned Jesus’ Name, Terri again laughed out loud. She became very agitated and began loudly trying to speak to me again. As Terri continued to laugh and try to speak, I quietly prayed in her ear, kissed her, placed her in Jesus’ care, and left the room.
Terri is alone now. As I write this last visit narrative, it is five in the morning of March 19. Terri has been without food and water for nearly 17 hours. I’m sure she is beginning at least become thirsty, if not hungry. And I am left to wonder how many other people care
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| Posted by tim at March 19, 2005 12:26 PM | Subscribe with Bloglines |
http://www.blogicus.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1252
I'm sorry, but this is completely absurd. The woman has no cortex, has no ability to understand anything, has never voluntarily responded to any stimulus, yet all of sudden she's now talking??? THe length that some people will to advance their beliefs in the court of public opinion is nothing short of utterly disgusting. As a Catholic, and as a human being, I am deeply offended by this type of nonsense.
Posted by: Patrick at March 19, 2005 06:39 PMAll GOP leader's like President Bush and Senator McCain want is, to have life florish. It appears that those trying to kill Terri are the judge, her husband and his girlfriend. These are the trends that Democrats Kerry and Hillary Clinton are trying to promote in America. That life can be taken, that abortion and killing of Terri is the best way to kill unwanted humans. Let Terri's life and last days be with her family, and that the decision not be made by a greety husband trying to raise he and his girlfriends two illegal children.
Posted by: Roger at March 20, 2005 12:23 PMWhat is remarkable is the continued assertion that Terri has not cerebral cortex despite the numerous medical health care givers who have testified that she does responds.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/johansen200503160848.asp
Terri’s diagnosis was arrived at without the benefit of testing that most neurologists would consider standard for diagnosing PVS. One such test is MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). MRI is widely used today, even for ailments as simple as knee injuries — but Terri has never had one. Michael has repeatedly refused to consent to one. The neurologists I have spoken to have reacted with shock upon learning this fact. One such neurologist is Dr. Peter Morin. He is a researcher specializing in degenerative brain diseases, and has both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Boston University.
In the course of my conversation with Dr. Morin, he made reference to the standard use of MRI and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans to diagnose the extent of brain injuries. He seemed to assume that these had been done for Terri. I stopped him and told him that these tests have never been done for her; that Michael had refused them.
There was a moment of dead silence.
"That’s criminal," he said, and then asked, in a tone of utter incredulity: “How can he continue as guardian? People are deliberating over this woman’s life and death and there’s been no MRI or PET?” He drew a reasonable conclusion: “These people [Michael Schiavo, George Felos, and Judge Greer] don’t want the information.”
Posted by: tim at March 20, 2005 02:02 PMThanks for the information, Tim. It is amazing, the things that are being brought to light about Terri's care and medical treatment, or lackthereof.
Posted by: Jenna at March 20, 2005 04:34 PMI'm sorry, but this is completely absurd. The woman has no cortex, has no ability to understand anything, has never voluntarily responded to any stimulus, yet all of sudden she's now talking??
Duh. As any good pro-Terri blogger will tell you, Galen was right that the soul and its humours reside in the spleen. Terri may not have a brain, but as far as we can tell the brain is a worthless organ. Some have claimed that the brain may balance the humours, but this is mere speculation.
Posted by: jpe at March 20, 2005 04:41 PMThank you for posting this. I've been crying all weekend over this. It's totally heartbreaking to see the wicked rule.
Posted by: Stacy Harp at March 20, 2005 07:11 PMI would like to say that I am very proud to say we have a President that cares for life. I truly believe that in this day and time we need caring people and it's not all about the laws. Please give Terry back to her parents. Her husband apparently has a agenda to have her die and why? It's obvious. What's he hiding? My mother has died with bone cancer and Hospice took care of her along with me. Never once did they say to stop feeding her and giving her nourishment.The difference, in this case, is my mother could be fed by mouth. She was not on any life support or medicine except pain medication. Her body finale shut down. Terry's body has not showed any sign of shutting down, but will , if not fed and watered. I believe her husband put her with hospice because you basically sign a paper that no intervention and care can be given to make her better. If he was awarded money to have strides made to see if anything could be done to help her, then why is she with hospice? He signed that right away, once she is placed with hospice. She has no medical issue other than she cannot feed and take care of herself. That is a disabilty. Also, if I am correct on this issue, Hospice takes no money other than medicare if you have no insurance. Apparently he likes this because no money comes out of his pocket and he has her just the way he wants her. No therapy, No medical care to see if she can get better, Just laying their day by day hoping that without therapy her heart or some other organ like her kidneys will shut down. This is horrible. Hospice is for terminally ill patients, not a disability with no other illness, period. Is their any reason why the courts cannot look into this husbands intentions? I believe he is scared of what they may find out. All I can say is she needs to go to her parents who love her and want to take care of her. Am I the only one who has a gut feeling about the motives of the husband? Carolyn
Posted by: Carolyn at March 21, 2005 08:33 AMI would like to say that I am very proud to say we have a President that cares for life.
Hmm. Ya think?
Posted by: jpe at March 21, 2005 11:24 AMthank you so much! this is truely heartfelt. I wish the media would be broadcasting this story. let us all pray for divine mercy in that courtroom. amen!
Posted by: deb at March 21, 2005 01:47 PM