The Terri Schiavo thing

[=D.C.L.I=Everest]

I take it that everyone knows about this? If not, short sketch: Terri Schiavo is an American woman that\'s been braindead for 15 years after she lost oxygen input to her brain after some accident. Her husband has been given the right to let her die in peace, but a lot of people - including the parents - contest the judge\'s ruling, and look for aid from higher powers.

So what do we think? Ready, set... Go!

(I\'ll form my opinion later on, I\'m curious as to what others think of this matter.)

[tomcat ha]

What do they want? The brain is already dead. The person is no longer here.

[Albert Wesker]

I searched the internet a lil and I think you left out some facts evert,

Quote:Terry Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990 following a heart attack. The brain damage left her unable to care for herself so for the last 13 years she’s had a feeding tube in her for nutrients and fluids.

Terry was awarded a substantial malpractice settlement for the improperly diagnosed potassium deficiency that led to the heart attack and collapse which damaged her brain. The settlement was for continuation of her care and rehabilitation, among other things.

Terry is now in a hospice. Several doctors, including those appointed by the courts, have pronounced her to be in a \"persistent vegetative state\". However Terry parents have hired doctors that claim that Terry has a consciousness.

Terry is unable to eat or swallow, and is being kept alive by means of a feeding tube. Her husband, Michael Schiavo has sought for years to remove the feeding tube and allow Terry “die naturally”. In other words to starve to death.

First, the question is does Terry have a right to die? If her brain was in fact dead, and she were unable to breath without artificial respiration, then there would be little question. Indeed the cessation of brain functions has long been held as justification for removal of life support.

But in the case of Terry, her brain is still functioning, though at a very low level - she cannot swallow food, or communicate with those in the room. Most doctors say she is in what they call PVS or “persistent vegetative state\"

Despite this, she apparently is still able to make eye contact and respond, though in primitive ways, to those in the room. - or is she? There is great controversy over this. Terry\'s parents (who are fighting to prevent Terry\'s feeding tube from being removed) illegally made a video tape of Terry that appears to show Terry responding to outside stimulus

Source

I didnt quote the whole article, you can read it at the source.

Wesker

[[JR]]

tomcat ha Wrote:What do they want? The brain is already dead. The person is no longer here.

You obviously didn\'t read carefully enough.

The parents of Terry Schiavo are convinced there is still conciousness there, and have been trying to proove it.

Personally, I would allow her guardian to make the decision. As the person closest to her, he is the person who can make the best decision. And it is important that the decision is made. Image yourself in Terry\'s position, unable to do anything and (maybe?) only barely communicate with people close to you with very very simplistic signals. Personally I would find that a living hell, and if that is the case for Terry also, it is important that her guardian Michael is allowed to do what he thinks is best for her, and allow her to die with some dignity.

Quote:19 judges in 6 courts have studied the case at length and concurred that Michael is indeed acting on Terry\'s best interest.

Quote:If Terry dies, her husband Michael will then receive the balance of the remaining money, though there is little left. Nevertheless, if Michael stands a significant financial gain, does he really have Terry’s true interests at heart? Is his role as guardian suspect because he stands to profit from her death? Terry\'s parents say so, but Michael points out that he\'s willing to donate Terry\'s money to charity.

These two points sum it up for me. Michael is acting in the best interests for Terry, and doing what he thinks best, with no gain for himself, apart from maybe loosing the weight and pressure of having to look after someone in that condition 24 hours a day. And as I said, in Terry\'s position I would hope someone would make the same decision for me. What point is there in living if you can\'t do anything except processs food. As for the communication story, I think it is very weak.

Quote:Indeed, of nearly 4 and a half hours of video taken by Terry parents, they are only showing a few seconds that \"appear\" to be conscious moments.

Which most probobly means it was fluke. If anyone was able to communicate with Terry, it would be Michael her husband. As even he can not believe the story of her being able to communicate, when surely he would be the one most excited by that, I would say he is probobly right.

[The_Punisher]

Terry is far from being a vegetable or brain dead. Read into it further if you want the truth.

[=D.C.L.I=Everest]

[JR Wrote:]Image yourself in Terry\'s position, unable to do anything and (maybe?) only barely communicate with people close to you with very very simplistic signals. Personally I would find that a living hell,...

Well the thing is, with her being a plant and all, she obviously doesn\'t grasp the situation she\'s in. That\'s why she probably won\'t suffer if her food supply is cut off: the body only processes it to keep itself alive. But what\'s the use it the person can\'t function beyond that? I\'m with JR on the arguments, so I won\'t repeat them.

Also, I don\'t like the way that politicians are getting involved. A judge\'s ruling should not ever be debated by politicians. It\'s in conflict with the separation of powers principle. But that\'s a different thing altogether...

Furthermore: the first person that drags concepts such as \"God\" into this discussion, will be flamed back to the stone-age

[Crazy_Ivan]

Brain dead or not

it has become a political issue, and they are going to drag it as long as possible

[Za_Goobinator]

I find this whole thing stupid... If someone has been like this for 15 years, there is most likely no chance of her getting better and being able to live a normal life. So why do her parents want to keep her alive? Because they are so closed minded that they can\'t see that she is as good as dead? I think having your child as a vegetable for 15 years is harder than letting her die...

So just let her die god damnit!

[isoFlux]

if she\'s brain dead, she has the right to die. and her husband is the person to make that decision. i dont see any reason why she she should be forced to live.

[[JR]]

The_Punisher Wrote:Terry is far from being a vegetable or brain dead. Read into it further if you want the truth.

Please feel free to expand on this yourself for those of us who don\'t have your sources.