(LifeNews.com) – I often wonder the extent the general public is aware of the significant changes that have occurred within the American healthcare system.

When my family established the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network in response to my sister Terri’s 2005 death, it was for the purpose of serving the medically vulnerable. We could not have anticipated the calls for help we would receive. But since that time, there has been a marked decline as far as families receiving medical treatment they are seeking for those for whom they are advocating.

I don’t think it would surprise anyone that the cause of this is precipitated by the desire on the part of hospitals, physicians, and insurance companies to decrease costs by keeping patients in the healthcare system for as short a time as possible, even if that means denying lifesaving or sustaining care.

Indeed, I could give dozens of accounts of families who have called us for help that would send chills down your spine, but consider a call we received just last month – the story of Tabetha Long. It’s an amazing story of perseverance and recovery, but also an alarming example of how far we’ve drifted from properly caring for our medically vulnerable. CONTINUE