On March 18, 2005, Judge George W. Greer’s order to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. It took nearly two-weeks. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network marks the final, horrific days of Terri Schiavo's inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

Vatican Weighs in on Schiavo Case

Published: 03/23/2005

(CNN) -- It is rare for Vatican officials to publicly discuss ongoing legal matters. But in the case of Terri Schiavo -- a brain-damaged American woman who has been kept alive for 15 years -- they have taken the unusual step of harshly criticizing the removal of her feeding tube. They say the procedure amounts to nothing less than a ruthless way to kill a person. "It is euthanasia," says Javier Lozano, of the Pontiff's Council for Health. Schiavo is at the center of a legal battle over her life -- a battle between her husband and parents, and between politician and judges. On Tuesday, a U.S. federal judge denied an emergency request to reinsert Schiavo's feeding tube. CONTINUE

On March 18, 2005, Judge George W. Greer's order to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. It took almost two-weeks. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network marks the final, horrific days of Terri Schiavo's inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

U.S. Supreme Court Denies Schiavo Appeal

Published: 03/22/2005

(First Baptist) – The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday morning again refused to get involved in the Terri Schiavo case, apparently exhausting all legal options in federal court for Schiavo's parents. Without comment the justices refused to order the re-insertion of Schiavo's feeding tube. The news came one day after Schiavo's parents lost twice at the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. If Schiavo's feeding tube is not re-inserted, she will die of starvation and dehydration within a matter of days.

Now, the only hope for Schiavo's parents -- Bob and Mary Schindler -- seemingly rests with Florida state officials. The Miami Herald reported Wednesday afternoon that Florida state officials are considering taking Schiavo into custody and re-inserting her feeding tube.

The newspaper reported that officials may use a law that allows the state to take a "vulnerable adult" into custody if "there is a demonstrated need for protection." CONTINUE

On March 18, 2005, Judge George W. Greer's order to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. It took almost two-weeks. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network marks the final, horrific days of Terri Schiavo's inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

House Passes Bill That Could Save Schiavo's Life, President Bush Signs Bill

Published: 03/21/2005

(First Baptist) – In an extraordinary and historical action the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation in the early morning hours March 21 that could save Terri Schiavo’s life, and President Bush signed it into law. It passed at 12:42 a.m. EST time by a vote of 203-58. The bill provides Schiavo’s parents the opportunity to appeal the case to a federal court, which would give a complete review of the facts.

In essence, the judge would be starting over, with new witnesses and new evidence allowed. The narrowly tailored bill applies only to Schiavo’s case. Bush signed the bill less than an hour after it passed the House. Supporters of the bill hope that a federal judge will order the re-insertion of Schiavo’s feeding tube, which was removed March 18.

A federal judge was scheduled to hear the case at 3 p.m. EST Monday. CONTINUE

On March 18, 2005, Judge George W. Greer's order to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. It took almost two-weeks. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network marks the final, horrific days of Terri Schiavo's inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

Renowned Neurologist: Schiavo Can Eat, Not in 'Persistent Vegetative State'

Published: 03/20/2005

(First Baptist) – A doctor close to the Terri Schiavo case told the Florida Baptist Witness that the 41-year-old disabled woman could actually be fed orally if it were allowed. "The important thing for people to understand is that she can eat and swallow right now," said William Hammesfahr, a neurologist who has examined Schiavo.

He is in many of the videos circulated through the news media showing that Schiavo is at times responsive and aware. "They are truly withholding food from a person who is awake, alert, and can eat and swallow," Hammesfahr said.

After spending at least 10 hours with Schiavo several years ago, he told Florida Judge George W. Greer that she can improve with therapy. CONTINUE

On March 18, 2005, Judge George W. Greer's order to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. It took almost two-weeks. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network marks the final, horrific days of Terri Schiavo's inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

Viewing Videotape, Senator Frist Disputes Doctors' Diagnosis of Schiavo

Published: 03/19/2005

(Washington Post) – Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a renowned heart surgeon before becoming Senate majority leader, went to the floor late Thursday night for the second time in 12 hours to argue that Florida doctors had erred in saying Terri Schiavo is in a "persistent vegetative state." "I question it based on a review of the video footage which I spent an hour or so looking at last night in my office," he said in a lengthy speech in which he quoted medcal texts and standards. "She certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli." CONTINUE

On March 18th, 2005, 6th Circuit Court Judge of Florida, George W. Greer, order to have Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube removed was enforced, essentially sentencing Terri to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. Beginning today, March 18th, and for the next 13 days, the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network will mark the final, horrific days of Terri’s inhumane death, not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.

Congressional Intervention Fails to Spare Terri Schiavo

Published: 03/18/2005

(WND) – Doctors removed Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube carrying out her estranged husband’s requested court order allowing the brain-damaged woman to starve to death over the objections of her parents. Barring an intervention, Terri Schiavo is expected to live another week to 10 days.

Reports conflict over whether Michael Schiavo was present when the tube was removed. A spokesman for Michael Schiavo told BayNews9 TV in Tampa, Fla., Michael Schiavo was in attendance, that a prayer service was held first and then Michael called him after doctors completed their work. “He was hard to understand,” said John Centonze, the brother of Michael Schiavo’s live-in fiance Jodi Centonze, with whom Schiavo has two children.

“He was pretty emotional, upset and crying about it,” said John Centonze. “You know, he still loves her. That was the love of his life.” However, Michael Schiavo’s attorney, right-to-die advocate George Felos, told reporters at a news conference televised by WFTS-TV that a “representative of Michael Schiavo” was present in his stead.

Michael Schiavo, who has been living with Jodi Centonze for 10 years, has said he will marry her after his wife’s death. CONTINUE

(The Corner) – We keep hearing how legalized assisted suicide is unstoppable. And yet, over the last twenty-five-plus years, it is stopped again and again and again.

We also hear that only conservatives oppose legalization, when in fact, many liberals also understand that assisted suicide is bad medicine and even worse public policy.

The thing is: Stories of all those assisted suicide defeats are barely reported, and soon disappear into the ether as the “unstoppable” story line appears again. CONTINUE

(HealthDay News) -- Brain scans may reveal which children will take longer to recover from a traumatic brain injury, according to a new small study. Damage to white matter in the brain -- seen with brain imaging -- appears to be associated with slower recovery, researchers found.

"Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability in children, but it's very difficult to predict long-term outcome and which kids might need more aggressive treatment," said study author Emily Dennis.

"While the severity of the injury certainly plays a role in this, there's still a lot of uncertainty -- you frequently have two patients with similar injuries who have different recoveries," said Dennis, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

The study included 21 children, aged 8 to 18. They had been hit by a car, hurt in a car crash, or had fallen from skateboards, scooters or bikes. As a result, they suffered moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). CONTINUE

(The Corner) – In my The War on Humans, I warned that radical environmentalists wanted to accord human-type “rights” to “nature.” The idea is to prevent development and human exploitation of natural resources.

Under these laws, anyone can sue on behalf of “nature,” and courts have to give the rights of the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees “equal consideration” to the needs or desires of humans.

Toward this end, New Zealand granted the Whanganui River the rights of “personood.” CONTINUE

(Catholic Herald) – The Hawaii Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to advance a bill permitting physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Called the Medical Aid in Dying bill, SB 1129 passed with 22 votes in favour, three against. Two of the affirmative votes were cast “with reservations.”

The bill now goes to the state House of Representatives where it will be debated and voted on in committee before going before the full body. The proposed law would allow an adult Hawaii resident diagnosed with a terminal illness and determined to have six or fewer months to live, to request a prescription for a lethal dose of medication to be self-administered to end his or her life.

The legislation has prompted a vigorous and passionate public debate over the past few months as both advocates and opponents shared experiences of dying friends and relatives and their own illnesses. CONTINUE

(Gulf Breeze News) – It was just six and a half years ago when folks in Gulf Breeze were planning fundraisers to support Anna Pope after she was severely injured in a car crash, leaving her in a coma with an uncertain outcome. Now Pope is planning her own benefit to help those who are suffering with Traumatic Brain Injury.

On Saturday, March 18, she is organizing a pancake breakfast and garage sale at the Gulf Breeze Community Center for the Brain Injury Association of Florida.

“I’m actually doing great,” Pope said. “I went back to school, and I am active in Toastmasters, which I am the president of. I’ll be delivering a speech tonight.” CONTINUE

(Wesley J. Smith / The Corner) – U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee wrote a book in 2007 opposing the legalization of assisted suicide. I reviewed that book for First Things, and noted that while he splendidly considered the (then) legal precedents and philosophical questions, (to my dismay) Gorsuch did not deal with the politics of the issue.

Now, assisted suicide advocates are citing that book as a reason to prevent the eminently qualified appeals court judge from being confirmed, for example, in this Washington Post piece, in which the author worries about Gorsuch stripping ”one of the most sacred rights as a human being,” e.g. the supposed right to have a doctor help make one dead.

Assisted suicide is hardly a “sacred” human right. Despite all the ruckus both pro and con about the issue (including by me), after decades of advocacy–supported with millions of advocacy dollars by George Soros and others–only a handful of countries and five states plus DC have enacted statutes that allow doctors to legally write lethal prescriptions. CONTINUE

(Dr. Margot Cleveland / The Federalist) – The Day Without A Woman strike leaders want women to take the day off from work (ridiculously resulting in the shuttering of several schools today), avoid shopping, and wear red. They also posited three questions to guide strikers’ thoughts: 1. Do businesses support our communities, or do they drain our communities? 2. Do they strive for gender equity or do they support the policies and leaders that perpetuate oppression? 3. Do they align with a sustainable environment or do they profit off destruction and steal the future of our children?

But given the Premier Partners of the Women’s March include, among others, abortion boosters Planned Parenthood and NARAL, the strikers would be better served using their day off for some serious introspection. A good place for them to start: Remembering the women the world is without today given the policies and priorities the organizers of A Day Without A Woman promotes. These include the following. CONTINUE

(Orange County Register) - An Irvine girl who suffered severe injuries after a tree fell on her during a recent storm is out of her coma and celebrated her 14th birthday Wednesday with her family and friends.

After going through brain surgery and being in a medically induced coma for more than a week, Teresa Johnston opened her eyes on Sunday, her sister Misha Johnston said in a phone interview. She can now open and close her eyes and slightly move her hands, arms and legs, her sister said.

She also nods when nurses ask her if she recognizes family members in the hospital room. “I was amazed,” Misha Johnston said. “I felt signs of life after eight days. During those days, everything was on the line. So to see the signs of life, I started crying again.

“Now there’s hope. There’s a huge sign of hope.” CONTINUE

(One News Now) - Joe Williams collapsed in a hospital emergency room nearly eighteen months ago and suffered a major disability as a result. He has responded to therapy that needs to continue, but a caregiver has sought to have him taken off life support.

He went without food for two weeks before Life Legal Defense Foundation intervened. Foundation director Alexandra Snyder tells OneNewsNow that the organization is fighting attorneys representing the other side.

"One of whom is Jon Eisenberg," she says, "who was the attorney for Michael Schiavo and who ultimately succeeded in getting Terri Schiavo killed, death by dehydration.” CONTINUE

(Deutsche Welle) - Germany's federal court ruled on Thursday that people "in extreme circumstances" should have legal access to drugs to end their own lives.

The federal administrative court in Leipzig ruled in favor of "the right for a patient who is suffering and incurably ill to decide how and when their life should end" provided the patient "can freely express their will and act accordingly."

The purchase of deadly drugs in Germany is forbidden, but the court found that the right of self-determination meant there should be exceptions for extreme cases "if, because of their intolerable life situation, they had freely and seriously decided to end their lives" and if there were no palliative-medical alternatives. CONTINUE

(AL.com) – Kenneth "K.J." Jones never expected a short trip to the store to become the longest journey of his young life.

It started soon after the 15-year-old got into the car with his older sister on Dec. 30, 2016. The car collided with two other vehicles in a crash on Troy Highway near Montgomery that left all three vehicles totaled. K.J.'s side took the biggest hit, an impact that left a crater of buckled metal from the roof of the car down to the wheel well.

Soon after the accident, K.J.'s mom Angela Jones received a call from someone who recognized her company's logo on the car. She learned both children had been hurt, and that K.J. had been flown to Children's of Alabama by helicopter. CONTINUE

(Davis Enterprise) – To celebrate their fifth anniversary in late November, John Youmans and Rose Cholewinski donned their wedding-day clothes and walked hand in hand through their kitchen while a caregiver played the “Wedding March” on her phone.

It was a simple gesture that bore significant meaning for the Davis couple, who just a few months earlier were in a state of touch-and-go as Youmans battled to recover from a broken neck and brain injury he suffered in a bicycling accident last summer.

“He’s come a long way,” Cholewinski, owner of SwimAmerica in Davis, said of her businessman and philanthropist husband, a partner at Hallmark Properties. “He’s a fighter for sure.” CONTINUE

(Kare11) – Proponents of medical aid in dying are renewing efforts at the Minnesota State Capitol, but concede their effort is more about creating a dialog given the current political climate.

"It is not euthanasia, it is not assisted suicide," Sen. Chris Eaton, a Brooklyn Center Democrat, told reporters at a Capitol press conference Wednesday. "Individuals seeking medical aid in dying do not want to die. Their goal is to relieve suffering that progresses only to inevitable death."

Eaton's End-of-Life Options Act of 2017 would allow persons to end their own lives if they have a documented terminal illness, have less than six months to live, still have full decision making capacity and are able to self-administer the drugs. It would require approval of two physicians, and the request for the drug would have to be in writing. CONTINUE

(LifeNews.com) - Quebec is about to embark upon a debate on the involuntary euthanasia of demented elderly after a 55-year-old man in Montreal allegedly smothered his Alzheimer’s stricken wife and posted what he had done on Facebook. Michel Cadotte was charged with second-degree murder after his 60-year-old wife died in an assisted care facility.

He said on Facebook that he had “cracked” and “consented to her demands to help her die.” Although the facts are not clear yet, the media has reported that the woman requested medical aid in dying but was refused.

Under Quebec’s 2015 law, euthanasia for the demented is specifically excluded. “A person who makes a request for medical assistance in dying must be capable of consent,” Jean-Pierre Ménard, a Montreal medical lawyer, told the Montreal Gazette. CONTINUE

(The Republic) - Walking onto his home basketball court, Levi Sallee asks for a ball and breaks into a smile as his mother, Michelle, gently tosses one to him on the Columbus Christian Crusaders’ home court.

“Use a chest pass, Mom,” Levi Sallee teases, as he begins to demonstrate how to properly shoot a jump shot to his mother. “You bend your knees, get your hands up like this …” and as he shoots the ball, it’s all net. “Are you trying to teach me basketball?” his mother asks.

The moment is just one of many the Sallee family is cherishing as Levi continues to astonish his care staff, family friends and classmates with his continuing progress. CONTINUE

(Wesley J. Smith / The Corner) – In his apologetics for infanticide, Princeton bioethicist Peter Singer has used a baby with Down syndrome as an example of a killable infant based on utilitarian measurements. (He actually supports infanticide because babies–whether disabled or not–are, in his view, not “persons.”)

To Singer, moral value primary comes from intellectual capacities, and that means that developmentally and cognitively disabled human beings (also, the unborn and infants) have less value than other human beings, and indeed, a lower worth than some animals.

Were society to ever adopt Singer’s bigoted anti-human exceptionalism views, it would mark the end of universal human rights, opening the door to tyrannical pogroms against the most weak and vulnerable–you know, the kind of people that the Singers of the world deem resource wasters. CONTINUE

(WFMY News 2) – Richard Allen Tucker was well aware of the words on his sweatshirt as he underwent therapy at Orange Park Medical Center’s rehabilitation center, less than four weeks after being shot twice in the head during a robbery at a Jacksonville convenience store.

The 53-year-old former high school science teacher and radio disc jockey stops tossing a purple ball with physical therapist Molly Dunn to smile. He laughs at the phrase, “When my ship came in, I was at the airport,” on the shirt and says he wishes he had been anywhere else on Jan. 4.

That’s all he remembers about the day his job as a store clerk hit the “pause” button.

“Obviously I would rather have the event not been something that happened. It’s not something I concentrate on or really even give it more deep thought than the few times I have been asked about it,” Tucker said. “… I know what I have been told, I know what I have seen in news clips they put together. I know the conversations I have had with friends and family, so I am well aware of what’s happened and I understand.” CONTINUE

(Street Sense) – “Hands off DC,” chanted a group of almost a hundred District residents gathered near the U.S. Capitol Building Monday, Feb. 13. The “Hands Off D.C.” demonstration was held as the House Oversight Committee voted on whether to invalidate a D.C. law legalizing assisted suicide.

Joined by local city officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, they rallied in an effort to tell Congress to respect D.C.’s voters.

Even though the law passed through local D.C. government under the Home Rule Act, D.C. has to submit all of its laws to Congress for oversight. If both chambers pass a disapproval resolution and the president signs it within 30 legislative days, the legislation becomes legally null. CONTINUE

(Wesley J. Smith/The Corner) – Assisted suicide pushers are–to put it kindly–disingenuous. For example, they often offer smooth assurances about “safeguards” to protect against abuse.

Yet, new legalization schemes often dilute the traditional already-as-thick-as-water limitations in place where lethally prescribing is now legal. For example, most laws require doctors to diagnose and prescribe lethally. But a bill in New Mexico would open those who can help kill to nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants.

Generally a suicidal person needs to be terminally ill in US proposals (not so internationally), defined as 6 months left to live. (Some people so diagnosed never die of their condition, or live for years.) CONTINUE