By Derek Varsalona
Imagine that you are walking back to your dorm room form classes one day. Without notice you abruptly collapse. Hours later, you find yourself at NUMC (Nasssau University Medical Center) hooked up to feeding tubes. Now the feeding tubes become your life support. Would you want to stay on life support or have your parents or partner tell your doctors to pull the plug? Would you want a judge who you don’t know to tell your family and lawyer whether you have the right to live or die? Well, this is the same case that Terri Schiavo is in at the moment.
Terri Schiavo, is a 41-year old woman who is fighting for her life on feeding tubes in a hospital bed. On February 25, 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed. Now, Terri’s life has been in the hands of Judge George Greer, who has been hearing the case: Schiavo v. Schindler for 11 years. He just recently denied Terri’s parents, Robert and Maria Schindler an emergency stay. By doing so he gave Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband the right to take Maria off life support. In a statement, Hon. Greer claimed, “the court is no longer comfortable granting stays simply upon filing new motions and petitions since there will always be new issues that can be plead.” With this ruling the Schindler family has 18 days to try to have another court hear the case and extend the stay. If they don’t have the wish granted, Michael Schiavo will be able to remove the feeding tubes from his ailing wife immediately.
Before we can move on any further in this matter, we must clear up the four myths and four realities of the case at hand. First, it is a myth that Terri is in a Coma or a Coma-like state. The reality is that not one of Terri’s doctors even suggested this. Actually, there is a debate amongst the doctors. ” Some doctors believe that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state while others believe that Terri is “minimally conscious,” which would mean that Terri has a clue as to what is going on around her. She lights up with a smile when she hears her mother’s voice. Second, it is a myth that Terri is on life support or that Terri needs assistance of medical equipment to stay alive. The fact of the matter is that Terri is a healthy woman who happens to have a disability. She is capable of knowing what is going on around her. Terri breathes on her own and only receives nutrient through a feeding tube. This is the same exact way they feed a baby. It is the same exact way they feed hospital patients if they cannot feed themselves naturally.
It is time for the media to give Maria and the entire Schiavo family, including her husband, justice by reporting the facts of Maria’s current medical condition. By not doing so, they are doing a great disservice to their readers, viewers, and/or listeners. As for me, I would want no one pulling the plug on my life and now the doctors and the courts have that in writing. Support Life.