Terri Schiavo Totally Explained

Everything about Terri Schiavo totally explained

Theresa Marie Schindler "Terri" Schiavo ("SHY-vo"; December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005) was an American woman who suffered brain damage and became dependent on a feeding tube. She collapsed in her home on February 25, 1990, and experienced respiratory and cardiac arrest, resulting in extensive brain damage, a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state (PVS) and 15 years of institutionalization. In 1998, Michael Schiavo, her husband and guardian, petitioned the Pinellas County Circuit Court to remove her feeding tube. Robert and Mary Schindler, her parents, opposed this, arguing she was conscious. The court determined that Schiavo wouldn't wish to continue life-prolonging measures. This controversy stretched on for seven years and included involvement by politicians and advocacy groups, notably pro-life and disability rights ones. Before the local court's decision was carried out, on March 18, 2005, the governments of Florida and the United States had passed laws that sought, unsuccessfully, to prevent removal of Schiavo's feeding tube. These events resulted in extensive national and international media coverage.
By March 2005, the legal history around the Schiavo case included fourteen appeals and numerous motions, petitions, and hearings in the Florida courts; five suits in Federal District Court; Florida legislation struck down by the Supreme Court of Florida; a subpoena by a congressional committee to qualify Schiavo for witness protection; federal legislation (Palm Sunday Compromise); and four denials of certiorari from the Supreme Court of the United States.
She died at a Pinellas Park hospice on March 31, 2005, at the age of 41. Some have since maintained that her death constituted judicial murder. Terri's parents alleged that her husband was abusive and that this had led indirectly to her condition.

Early life

Theresa Marie Schindler grew up in the Huntingdon Valley area of Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the eldest of three children of Robert and Mary Schindler. Her father was of German descent and her mother was of Italian descent. Her younger siblings were Robert Jr. (Bobby) and Suzanne (now Suzanne Vitadamo). By her senior year in high school, Schiavo was a height of 5 feet, 3 inches (160 cm) and a weight of around 200 pounds (90 kg). In 1981, she graduated from Archbishop Wood Catholic High School. After her graduation, Dr. Ickler, the family physician, suggested the NutriSystem diet and she lost about 55 pounds (25 kg).
Schiavo met her husband in 1982 in a sociology class at Bucks County Community College. He was her first boyfriend. After dating for five months, the couple became engaged. When they were married on November 10, 1984, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Southampton, Pennsylvania, Schiavo weighed 140 pounds (64 kg). They moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in April 1986, into her parents' condo. Her parents moved to St. Petersburg three months later. Terri worked as an insurance claims clerk for the Prudential insurance company, and Michael was a restaurant manager.
In May 1989, when Terri's weight was 121 pounds (55 kg), Dr Prawer, the family physician, referred Terri to Dr. Igel, an obstetrician-gynecologist, for amenorrhea.

Initial medical crisis

On the morning of February 25, 1990, at approximately 4:30 a.m. EST, Schiavo collapsed in a hallway of their St. Petersburg apartment. Firefighters and paramedics arriving in response to Michael's 9-1-1 call found her face-down and unconscious. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse. They attempted to resuscitate her, she was defibrillated several times, and she was transported to the Humana Northside Hospital. There she was intubated, ventilated, and eventually given a tracheotomy. The long period without oxygen led to profound brain injury ("anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy" noted at autopsy), severely damaging those parts of the brain concerned with cognition, perception, and awareness.
   The cause of her cardiac arrest has never been determined. For a time, it was believed that her cardiac arrest had been caused by an imbalance of electrolytes in her blood. On admission to hospital, her serum potassium level was noted to be very low, at 2.0 mEq/L; the normal range for adults is 3.5–5.0 mEq/L. Her sodium and calcium levels were normal. Electrolyte imbalance can be caused by losing fluids. Her medical chart contained a note that "she apparently has been trying to keep her weight down with dieting by herself, drinking liquids most of the time during the day and drinking about 10–15 glasses of iced tea." Iced tea is a mild diuretic; that is, it's a food that causes fluid loss. However, the low potassium could have been a spurious result caused by the intravascular administration of fluids during the attempt to resuscitate her. It is unclear whether she'd bulimia.
   Schiavo's husband later filed and won a malpractice suit against her obstetrician, Dr. Stephen Igel, on the basis that the physician failed to recognize and diagnose bulimia in her. In November 1992, the jury awarded $1 million. By February 1993, Schiavo had the money from the lawsuit.
   Schiavo remained comatose for two and a half months. When she emerged from the coma, Schiavo regained a sleep-wake cycle, but didn't exhibit repeatable and consistent awareness of herself or environment. While initially fed by means of a nasogastric feeding tube, she eventually received a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube—inserted through the abdominal wall.
   Dr. Garcia J. DeSousa, a board-certified neurologist in St. Petersburg, Florida, cared for Schiavo during her initial admission to Humana; both he and Dr. Victor Gambone, an internist and Schiavo family physician, independently made the diagnosis of persistent vegetative state (PVS) within approximately one year after Schiavo's cardiac arrest. Other neurologists—Drs. Jeffery M. Karp, James H. Barnhill, and Thomas H. Harrison—also examined Schiavo over the years and made the same diagnosis; they also shared a very poor opinion about her chances for recovery. Dr. Cranford testified in 2005 that nothing in the medical records suggested disagreement among Terri’s physicians about the underlying diagnosis. The legal record, however, shows Michael's claim that Terri felt pain.

Rehabilitation efforts

Schiavo came home to her family in September; however, after becoming overwhelmed with her needs, the family sent her back to the College Park facility. In November, Michael took her to the University of California, San Francisco for an experimental procedure involving the placement of a thalamic stimulator implant in her brain. The experimental treatment took several months but was unsuccessful. Michael returned to Florida with her in January 1991 and admitted her as an inpatient to the Mediplex Rehabilitation Center in Bradenton, Florida. While there, he later said that he often took "her to parks and public places in hopes of sparking some recovery". On July 19, 1991, Schiavo was transferred to the Sabal Palms Skilled Care Facility, where she received neurological testing and regular speech and occupational therapy until 1994.
Schiavo's husband trained and became a respiratory therapist and emergency room nurse. In 2004, he was hired as a nursing supervisor at the Pinellas County Jail in Florida.
In mid-1993, just months after Michael and Terri received the money for her rehabilition (in February, 1993 later wrote a report stating that Michael's decision had been based on consultation with his wife's physician and was "predicated on his reasoned belief that there was no longer any hope for Theresa's recovery."

Five years of family conflict

From 1998 to the end of 2002, the Schindlers were locked in a struggle in the courts, first to decide if Schiavo should be removed from life support and then the appeals by her parents to block this determination. This legal struggle received no notable publicity. This phase started with her husband's initial petition to have the feeding tube removed and involved four legal decisions of note. Michael didn't directly make the decision about whether Terri should live or die. He petitioned the court, asking it to act as Terri's surrogate and determine what she'd decide to do if she were able. The court determined that Terri wouldn't wish to continue life-prolonging measures. While Michael remained interested and visible in the proceedings, he'd conceded control to the court and the Schindlers now faced the decision of the court. In many ways, the legal status at the end of these five years was the same as immediately after these initial court decisions, but up until the end of this time, the story had received little coverage in the media, and thus it was still a family affair.
One objection the parents had was to Schiavo dying by dehydration. Terri Schiavo was never diagnosed as terminally ill. However, numerous studies have shown that for terminally ill patients who choose to die, deaths by dehydration are generally peaceful, and not associated with suffering, when supplemented with adequate pain medication. So most people attribute her experience as an "end of life" experience, which it was not.
Schiavo's husband insisted that she'd expressed her wishes not to be kept on life support with no hope for improvement. During a trial in 2000, testimony was heard from witnesses on both sides to establish Schiavo's wishes regarding life support. The court determined that she'd made "credible and reliable" statements that she wouldn't want to be "kept alive on a machine," based on expert testimony, finding that Americans don't want to live "with no hope of improvement," and that her condition in a persistent vegetative state had "long since satisfied" the requirement that there be no hope of improvement.

Petition to remove feeding tube

In May 1998, Terri's husband, Michael, filed a petition to remove Schiavo's feeding tube, which her parents opposed. Richard Pearse was appointed by the court as a second guardian ad litem (GAL), and on December 29, 1998, reported "Dr. Jeffrey Karp's opinion of the ward's condition and prognosis is substantially shared among those physicians who have recently been involved in her treatment". Pearse concluded from Karp's and Dr. Vincent Gambone's diagnosis of PVS Title XLIV, Chapter 765, §101(12). This includes the "absence of voluntary action" and an "inability to communicate or interact purposefully."
Pearse found that there was no possibility of improvement but that Michael's decisions might have been influenced by the potential to inherit what remained of Terri Schiavo's estate. Due to a lack of a living will and questions regarding Michael's credibility, Pearse recommended denying his petition to remove her feeding tube. The issue of conflict of interest raised by guardian ad litem Pearse attached to the Schindlers as well, he reported, since, had they prevailed in the various litigation over guardianship, they as the presumed heirs-at-law would have inherited the remainder of Mrs. Schiavo's estate upon her death. (or "2nd DCA") and came to be known by the court as Schiavo I in its later rulings.

Oral feeding and the Second Guardianship Challenge

In March 2000, the Schindlers filed a motion to permit oral feeding of Schiavo, which isn't considered a life-prolonging procedure under Florida law. Since clinical records indicated that Schiavo wasn't responsive to swallowing tests and required a feeding tube, The Medical Examiner in his postmortem report was more definitive and concluded that Schiavo couldn't have swallowed and thus couldn't have received sufficient nutrition or hydration by mouth to sustain life.
In 2000, the Schindlers again challenged Michael's guardianship. Their new evidence cited that he'd relationships with other women and that he'd failed to provide appropriate palliative care and treatment for Theresa. The Schindlers further suggested that he was wasting the assets within the guardianship account by transferring Schiavo to Pinellas Park, Florida hospice "after it was clear that she wasn't 'terminal' within Medicare guidelines" for hospices. By this time, while still legally married to Terri Schiavo, Michael was in a relationship with Jodi Centonze, and had fathered their first child. Michael denied wrongdoing, stating that the Schindlers had actively encouraged him to "get on with his life" and date since 1991. Michael said he chose not to divorce his wife and relinquish guardianship because he wanted to ensure her final wishes (not to be kept alive in a PVS) were carried out. The court denied the motion to remove the guardian, allowing that the evidence wasn't sufficient and in some instances, not relevant. It set April 24, 2001 as the date on which the tube was to be removed.

Three appeals – Schiavo II

In April 2001, the Schindlers filed a motion for relief from judgment citing new evidence of Schiavo's wishes. Judge Greer denied the motion as untimely under Rule 1.540(b)(5) of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. The 2nd DCA upheld Greer's decision but remanded the issue in order to give the Schindlers an opportunity to file a new motion. On April 24, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for the first time. The Schindlers filed a civil suit against Michael alleging perjury, which was assigned to another court. The judge, Frank Quesada, issued an injunction against removal of feeding tube until this was settled. The feeding tube was reinserted on April 26. On appeal by Michael, the 2nd DCA reversed Judge Quesada's order. In the same time frame, Michael filed a motion to enforce mandate of the guardianship court (that the feeding tube be removed). The 2nd DCA denied the motion. (These three decisions, all published in a single order by Florida's Second District Court of Appeal, came to be known by the court as Schiavo II in its later rulings.)

Challenging the PVS diagnosis – Schiavo III

After the failure of challenges to Michael's guardianship and to the ruling on Schiavo's end-of-life wishes, the Schindlers adopted the position that Schiavo wasn't in a PVS and began to challenge that diagnosis in court. Schiavo's parents claim that their daughter didn't meet the definition of a persistent vegetative state, and was in a "minimally conscious state" instead. Her parents argued that at times her actions indicated responses to external stimuli, not instinctive or reflex behavior. For example, the Schindlers claimed that their daughter smiled, laughed, cried, moved, made childlike attempts at speech, and attempted to say "Mom" or "Dad"; or "yeah" when they asked her a question. They claimed that when they kissed her, she looked at them and sometimes puckered her lips.
On August 10, 2001, on remand from the 2nd DCA, Judge Greer heard a motion from the Schindlers claiming that new medical treatment could restore sufficient cognitive ability such that Schiavo herself would be able to decide to continue life-prolonging measures. The court also heard motions from the Schindlers to remove the guardian (Michael) and to require Judge Greer to recuse himself. Judge Greer denied the motions and the Schindlers appealed to the 2nd DCA.
On October 17, the Court of Appeal affirmed the denials of the motions to remove and recuse. The Court of Appeals acknowledged that their opinion misled the trial court, and they remanded the question of Schiavo's wishes back to the trial court and required an evidentiary hearing to be held. The court specified that five board certified neurologists were to testify. The Schindlers were allowed to choose two doctors to present findings at an evidentiary hearing while Michael could introduce two rebuttal experts. Finally, the trial court itself would appoint a new independent physician to examine and evaluate Schiavo's condition. (These decisions, all published in a single order by the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, came to be known by the court as Schiavo III in its later rulings.)

PVS diagnosis ruling – Schiavo IV

In October 2002, on remand by the Second District Court of Appeal, an evidentiary hearing was held in Judge Greer's court to determine whether new therapy treatments could help Schiavo restore any cognitive function. In preparation for the trial, a new computed axial tomography scan (CAT scan) was performed, which showed severe cerebral atrophy. An EEG showed no measurable brain activity. The court viewed a six-hour tape of Schiavo and concluded that her vegetative condition was factual and not subject to legal dispute.
In accordance with the 2nd DCA's instructions, five doctors were selected to provide their expert testimony to the trial: two by Schiavo's parents, two by Michael, and one to have been selected by mutual agreement of the parties:

The Schindler family selected Dr. William Maxfield (a radiologist) and Dr. William Hammesfahr (a neurologist).
Michael Schiavo selected Dr. Ronald Cranford and Dr. Melvin Greer (both neurologists).
Because the parties failed to agree, the court selected Dr. Peter Bambakidis (a neurologist).

These five doctors examined Schiavo's medical records, brain scans, the videos, and Schiavo herself. Drs. Cranford, Greer, and Bambakidis testified that Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state. Drs. Maxfield and Hammesfahr testified that she was in a minimally conscious state.
As part of the court-ordered medical exam, six hours of video of Schiavo were taped and filed at the Pinellas County courthouse. The tape included Schiavo with her mother and neurologist William Hammesfahr. The entire tape was viewed by Judge Greer, who wrote, Schiavo "clearly doesn't consistently respond to her mother". From that six hours of video, the Schindlers and their supporters produced six clips totaling almost six minutes and released those clips to public websites.
Judge Greer ruled that Schiavo was in a PVS, and was beyond hope of significant improvement. The trial court order was particularly critical of Hammesfahr's testimony, which claimed positive results in similar cases by use of vasodilation therapy, the success of which is unsupported in the medical literature. This ruling was later affirmed by Florida's 2nd District Court of Appeal, which stated that "this court has closely examined all of the evidence in the record," and "we have... carefully observed the video tapes in their entirety." The court concluded that "...if we were called upon to review the guardianship court's decision de novo, we'd still affirm it." (This decision by the 2nd DCA came to be known as Schiavo IV in later rulings.)

State involvement: Terri's Law

Around the start of 2003, the Schindlers began to create more publicity by lobbying for their case to keep their daughter alive. They selected pro-life activist Randall Terry as their spokesman but continued to pursue their available legal options. On September 11, 2003, the Schindlers petitioned the court to forestall removal of the feeding tube to provide for "eight weeks' therapy". Accompanying the petition were four affidavits from members of the Schindler family and one from Dr. Alexander T. Gimon. At the hearing, the Schindlers' counsel read into the record additional affidavits from three speech professionals and two nurses. On September 17, Judge George Greer denied the petition, and wrote that "the Petition is an attempt by Mr. and Mrs. Schindler to re-litigate the entire case. It isn't even a veiled or disguised attempt. The exhibits relied upon by them clearly demonstrate this to be true." Regarding (Nurse) Iyer's statements, Greer wrote that they were "incredible to say the least" and that "Ms. Iyer details what amounts to a 15-month cover-up April 1995 through July 1996 which include the staff of Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center, the Guardian of the Person, the guardian ad litem, the medical professionals, the police and, believe it or not, Mr. and Mrs. Schindler... It is impossible to believe that Mr. and Mrs. Schindler wouldn't have subpoenaed Ms. Iyer for the January 2000 evidentiary hearing had Iyer contacted them in 1996 as her affidavit alleges", September 17 2003.
   On October 15, 2003, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed. Within a week, when the Schindlers' final appeal was exhausted, the Florida Legislature hastily passed "Terri's Law," giving Governor Jeb Bush the authority to intervene in the case. Bush immediately ordered the feeding tube reinserted. Bush sent the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to remove Schiavo from the hospice. She was taken to Morton Plant Rehabilitation Hospital in Clearwater, where her feeding tube was surgically reinserted. She was then returned to the hospice. Part of the legislation required the appointment of a guardian ad litem (GAL), Dr. Jay Wolfson, to "deduce and represent the best wishes and best interests" of Schiavo, and report them to Governor Bush. Wolfson's report didn't change Michael's role as her legal guardian and didn't otherwise obstruct him legally. and the Schindlers, represented by the conservative American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), appealed the right to participate in the "Terri's Law" case, with the court scheduling an oral argument date for June 14. The Schindlers' other attorney, Pat Anderson, was concurrently challenging Michael Schiavo's right to be her guardian, and, on June 16, she made a petition for writ of Quo Warranto, a pleading that asks "by what right" someone acts in an official capacity.
   On May 5 2004, Baird found "Terri's Law" unconstitutional, and struck it down. Bush appealed this order to the 2nd DCA, but, on May 12, they issued an "Order Relinquishing Case for Entry of Final Judgment and Order to Show Cause Why this Proceeding Should Not be Certified to the Supreme Court As Requiring Immediate Resolution." The 2nd DCA, in sending it directly to the Florida's Supreme Court, invoked "pass through" jurisdiction.
   The Florida Supreme Court then overturned the law as unconstitutional.
Final motions
From about the start of 2005, publicity for this case again began to grow and climaxed in the last half of March with Schiavo's last days, dominating the national news through most of that month. Jesse Jackson went to Florida to support and argue on behalf of the Schindler family.
   The Schindlers filed two motions in an effort to forestall the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube. No stay was granted by the appellate courts, and on March 18, 2005, her feeding tube was removed for a third time.
Motion details
On February 23, 2005, the Schindlers filed a motion for relief from judgment pending medical evaluations. The Schindlers wanted Schiavo to be tested with an fMRI and given a swallowing therapy called VitalStim. The motion was accompanied by thirty-three affidavits from doctors in several specialties, speech-language pathologists and therapists, and a few neuropsychologists, all urging that new tests be undertaken. Patricia Fields Anderson, the Schindler family attorney, still held out hope "that Terri might be able to take nourishment orally, despite past findings that she's incapable." Judge Greer formally denied the motion and ordered the "removal of nutrition and hydration from the ward" . Anderson argued that Greer didn't specify "artificial nutrition and hydration" versus "oral nutrition and hydration" and stated that "the withholding of food and water...was not ordered by the Court but by Michael Schiavo." In his order, Greer also set a time and date for the removal of the feeding tube: "1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2005."
   On February 28, the Schindlers filed a motion, asking for permission to attempt to provide Schiavo with "Food and Water by Natural Means." This second motion asked for permission to "attempt to feed" Schiavo by mouth. Judge Greer denied the second motion on March 8, saying "it has become clear that the second motion is part and parcel of the previous motion on medical evaluations. The same declarations are being used for both motions and the motion appears to be an alternative pleading to the previous motion. Both are asking for an experimental procedure." The following day, Greer denied the first motion as well, citing that an affiant doctor for Michael cautioned that fMRI was an experimental procedure that should be conducted in an academic setting, because Schiavo had already undergone swallowing tests and failed, and because VitalStim had only been performed on patients who were not in a PVS. Greer noted that "[m]ost of the doctor affidavits submitted are based on their understanding of Schiavo's condition from news reports or video clips they've seen. Many are obviously not aware of the medical exams undertaken for the 2002 trial..." It is contempt of Congress to prevent or discourage congressional witnesses from testifying. The purpose of the subpoenas was thus to postpone the feeding tube removal.
   Greer told congressional attorneys, "I have had no cogent reason why the (congressional) committee should intervene." He also stated that last-minute action by Congress doesn't invalidate years of court rulings. Although Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senator Rick Santorum, and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, brought the possibility of sanctioning Greer on charges of contempt of Congress, Congress didn't attempt to enforce the subpoenas or take any action against Greer.
Palm Sunday Compromise
Governor Bush and Congressional Republicans anticipated Greer's adverse ruling well before it was delivered and worked on a daily basis to find an alternative means of overturning the legal process by utilizing the authority of the United States Congress. On March 20, 2005, the Senate, by unanimous consent, passed their version of a relief bill; since the vote was taken by voice vote, there was no official tally of those voting in favor and those opposed. Soon after Senate approval, the House of Representatives passed an identical version of the bill S.686, which came to be called the "Palm Sunday Compromise" and transferred jurisdiction of the Schiavo case to the federal courts. The bill passed the House on March 21 at 12:41 a.m. EST. President Bush flew to Washington D.C. from his vacation in Texas in order to sign the bill into law at 1:11 a.m. EST. As in the state courts, all of the Schindlers' federal petitions and appeals were denied, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari, effectively ending the Schindlers' legal options.
   At the same time, the so-called Schiavo memo surfaced, causing a political firestorm. The memo was written by Brian Darling, the legal counsel to Florida Republican senator Mel Martinez. It suggested the Schiavo case offered "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base (core supporters) and could be used against Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Florida, because he'd refused to co-sponsor the bill. Nelson won re-election in 2006.
   On March 24 2005, Greer denied a petition for intervention by the Department of Children & Families (DCF) and signed an order forbidding the department from "taking possession of Theresa Marie Schiavo or removing her" from the hospice and directed "each and every and singular sheriff of the state of Florida" to enforce his order. The order was appealed to the 2nd DCA the following day, which resulted in an automatic stay under state law. While the stay was in effect, Florida Department of Law Enforcement personnel prepared to take custody of Terri and transfer her to a local hospital for reinsertion of the feeding tube. Once Greer was made aware of the stay, he ordered it lifted and all parties stood down. Governor Bush decided to obey the court order despite enormous pressure from the political right. If Bush (or the Florida Legislature) had ignored Greer's order by attempting to remove her from the hospice, a confrontation between the Pinellas Park Police Department and the FDLE agents could have ensued. In jest, one official said local police discussed "...whether we'd enough officers to hold off the National Guard."
Death
On March 26, 2005, Bob and Mary Schindler announced that their legal options had been exhausted. The next day, Schiavo was given the Anointing of the Sick ("Last Rites"). In accordance with the Catholic ritual of Viaticum, she received the Eucharist for the last time; it had been administered to her once through her feeding tube just before it was removed. The Eucharist, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, can be received under the consecrated species of either bread (referred to as the host) or wine. As her tongue was too dry to receive a small piece of the host, she received under the species of wine, one drop placed on her tongue.
   On the day of her death, Terri Schiavo's brother Bobby Schindler and sister Suzanne Vitadamo had been in the room visiting their sibling for about 10 minutes when a hospice administrator notified Michael Schiavo that his wife was in her final stages. Michael Schiavo requested the hospice staff to remove her siblings from the room and wouldn't allow her family to see her further.
   Terri Schiavo died at 9:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 31, 2005, with her husband Michael at her side. According to their spokesman, Schiavo's parents hadn't been allowed into her room during her last hours. When notified that their daughter had died, the couple hurriedly came to the hospice. The Schindler family wasn't allowed into the room while Michael Schiavo was there, but was admitted once he'd left.
Autopsy
After her death, Schiavo's body was taken to the Office of the District 6 Medical Examiner for Pinellas and Pasco counties, based in Largo, Fla. The autopsy occurred on April 1 2005. It revealed extensive brain damage. The manner of death was certified as "undetermined". The autopsy was led by Chief Medical Examiner Jon R. Thogmartin, M.D. In addition to consultation with a neuropathologist (Stephen J. Nelson, M.D.), Dr. Thogmartin also arranged for specialized cardiac and genetic examinations to be made. The official autopsy report
   Stephen J. Nelson, M.D., the Board-certified neuropathologist who examined her nervous system at autopsy, cautioned that "neuropathologic examination alone of the decedent's brain – or any brain for that matter – can't prove or disprove a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious state."
Burial
Schiavo's body was cremated following the autopsy. Her parents offered a memorial Mass for her at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Gulfport on April 5. Father Frank Pavone, founder of Priests for Life, delivered the main homily (Audio: MP3 Format).
   On May 7, Schiavo's parents made public a complaint that they hadn't been informed of when and where the ashes of their daughter had been (or were to be) buried by Michael Schiavo. He was under court order to provide this information to them.
   On June 20, the cremated remains of Terri Schiavo were buried. The Schindlers' attorney stated that the family was notified by fax only after the memorial service; by then, the family had already started getting calls from reporters. The ashes were interred at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida.
   The epitaph, shown at right, reads:
� Schiavo / Theresa Marie / Beloved Wife

   Born December 3, 1963 � Departed this earth / February 25, 1990

   At peace March 31, 2005 � (Dove with olive branch)

   I kept my promise

Public opinion and activism

In 2004, Pope John Paul II stated that health care providers are morally bound to provide food and water to patients in persistent vegetative states. This led to a challenge in 2005 by Schiavo's parents, who requested a new trial about whether their daughter, as a devout Catholic, would wish to go against the Church's teaching. David Gibbs III, the lead lawyer for Terri Schiavo’s parents, supported Vatican statements which condemned her treatment as euthanasia. Judge Greer rejected their request.
   The Terri Schiavo case held the attention of both American and international audiences and had major political ramifications. A number of opinion polls were carried out, particularly on the question of federal involvement in the Terri Schiavo case, with conflicting results. The case drew notable figures on both sides of the debate, as well as many pressure groups and public protesters. Although the vast majority of protests were nonviolent, two of the more extreme acts included death threats aimed towards Michael Schiavo.
   On March 11, 2005, media tycoon Robert Herring (who believes that stem cell research could have cured Schiavo's condition) offered $1 million to Michael Schiavo if he agreed to cede his guardianship to his wife's parents. The offer was rejected; George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo, described it as offensive, adding that Michael had rejected other monetary offers, including one of $10 million.
   During the final stages of the court battle in March 2005, around 30 individuals made a variety of complaints to the DCF, alleging various abuses. These included Terri Schiavo being in pain from recent dental work, her not having had any dental work for years prior to that, and sensory deprivation. DCF investigators found the claims to be groundless, stating that there were "no indicators" of abuse in any of the cases and concluding that "the preponderance of the evidence shows that Michael Schiavo followed doctors' orders regarding Ms. Schiavo's diagnosis of being in a persistent vegetative state and that he provided her with appropriate care."

Terri Schiavo in popular culture

The television show South Park has an episode where Kenny McCormick is placed in a situation similar to Terri Schiavo entitled "Best Friends Forever". It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.

The television show Arrested Development's season three episode "Family Ties" includes parallels to the Schiavo case.

In the television show Eli Stone, episode "Waiting For That Day", Eli drafts a living will, claiming that he doesn't want to risk being "Terri Shiavo'ed" following his surgery for a brain aneurysm. Further Information

Get more info on 'Terri Schiavo'.

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