Schiavo's parents lose appeal

By Maya Bell
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 21 2005, 11:43 AM EST

The parents of severely brain-damaged Terri Schiavo lost another
crucial court appeal today - the day before a court order that could
lead to the removal of her life-sustaining feeding tube.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland denied Bob and Mary
Schindler's motion to delay issuing an order it plans to release at
1 p.m. on Tuesday. That order could allow Terri's husband, Michael,
to seek removal of the feeding tube.

The Schindlers, however, are expected to ask Pinellas Circuit Judge
George W. Greer for a stay to allow them to appeal again to higher
courts. If Greer issues that stay, the tube will stay in place.

The legal twists were the latest in the heart-wrenching case of
Schiavo, a Clearwater woman who collapsed from a chemical imbalance
and suffered severe brain damage 15 years ago. (Note from
saveterrislife website owner: Not true, see evidence in my last
post, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/saveterrislife/message/63
and other posts on this website!)

Michael Schiavo contends his wife had told him she would not want to
be kept alive artificially, and the courts have consistently ruled
she cannot recover from what doctors call a "persistent vegetative
state.'' (Note from saveterrislife owner: Also totally untrue!
Terri never said any such thing, nor does she want to die, and she
is not in a Persistent Vegetative Case, though the corrupt court
ruled by Judge george Greer used a phony definition, not the Florida
statute definition, to falsely and illegally rule that Terri is in a
PVS!)

But the Schindlers contend that their daughter, who left no written
instructions about her wishes, could improve with treatment.

In seven years of legal wrangling, the Schindlers have won few court
rulings.

But, in the past, the Schindlers have succeeded in delaying or
reversing the removal of that tube with a flurry of last-minute
appeals. In October 2003, they also scored an unprecedented victory
in the court of public opinion.

That's when, reacting to an avalanche of calls and e-mails to his
office, Gov. Jeb Bush pushed through a law that empowered him to
step in and order the tube re-inserted.

But Terri's Law was struck down as unconstitutional, however, and
the Schindlers' options appear to be running out.

But, assisted by right-to-life activists, they promise another
public-relations campaign and, given the history of this protracted
and gut-wrenching right-to-die case, nobody can say with certainty
when - or how - it will end.

Maya Bell can be reached at 305-810-5003 or
mbell@....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/orl-bk-
schiavo022105,0,6845878.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines