Terri Schiavo case
The Terri Schiavo case emerged as a significant and contentious legal battle in the United States during the mid-2000s, focusing on issues related to end-of-life care, living wills, and the rights of patients in a persistent vegetative state. Terri Schiavo suffered cardiac arrest in 1990, leading to her prolonged condition in which she was unable to communicate. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, sought to have her feeding tube removed in 1998, sparking a fierce five-year legal struggle against her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, who opposed the decision. The case involved numerous court rulings and public interventions, including a controversial law passed by the Florida legislature that allowed Governor Jeb Bush to intervene on her behalf, ultimately deemed unconstitutional. After extensive legal proceedings and public debate, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for the final time in March 2005, and she passed away on March 31, 2005.
The case generated widespread discourse around the ethical implications of end-of-life decisions and the role of government in such personal matters. Following her death, advocacy efforts continued under the banner of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, which aims to support families facing similar situations. Schiavo’s story has had a lasting impact, influencing ongoing conversations about medical ethics and the rights of individuals in vulnerable states.
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Terri Schiavo case
A US court case in which the husband and parents of Terri Schiavo argued about whether to keep her on life support
The Terri Schiavo case captivated America in the mid-2000s. The high-profile case for Schiavo’s life sparked heated debates about living wills, euthanasia, and end-of-life issues. Schiavo had suffered from cardiac arrest in 1990 and had been in a vegetative state for several years when her husband petitioned to have her removed from life support, sparking a grueling five-year court battle with her parents.
Terri Schiavo had been in a vegetative state for eight years when her husband, Michael, petitioned to have her feeding tube removed in 1998. She had made no living will, and as a result, the state had designated her husband as her legal guardian. Schiavo’s parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, were against this petition and took Michael Schiavo to court in early 2000. The court heard a great deal of testimony about Terri’s feelings on the subject of artificially prolonged life and ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo, ordering his wife’s feeding tube removed on April 24, 2001.
A myriad of appeals, petitions, and civil suits by the Schindlers followed as they attempted to keep their daughter on life support. The Schindlers wanted Michael Schiavo to divorce their daughter, thereby forfeiting his guardianship and his inheritance of $700,000 in trust that Terri had received from a malpractice suit. Her husband insisted that his wife would not want to go on living a wholly dependent life and refused to relinquish his guardianship.
The Schindlers filed a civil suit against Michael Schiavo on charges of perjury. Schiavo’s tube, which had been removed two days earlier, was reinserted while the case was reviewed. An evidentiary hearing was called in October 2002, and five neurologists examined Schiavo to determine her cognitive abilities. The court did not find sufficient evidence of mental cognition and affirmed the initial diagnosis that Terri was in a persistent vegetative state.
The feeding tube was once again removed in October 2003. A few days later, Florida governor Jeb Bush ordered the tube to be reinserted after the state legislature passed a special law known as Terri’s Law, which granted the governor the right to intervene in the case. This law was eventually deemed unconstitutional, and Schiavo’s feeding tube was removed for a final time on March 18, 2005. Despite the involvement of President George W. Bush, the Supreme Court repeatedly declined to intervene in the case. Schiavo died on March 31, 2005. An autopsy conducted by a medical examiner shortly after her passing revealed the extent of the severe and irreversible brain damage that Schiavo had suffered.
Impact
Terri Schiavo’s death incited massive public debate and crusading. As a result, issues such as end-of-life decisions, living wills, and euthanasia were illuminated and widely discussed. The case also encouraged debates about government intervention in cases such as Schiavo’s. It remains one of the most deliberated cases in American history. Propelled especially by this highly publicized story, some medical experts and neuroscientists have been conducting extensive research into whether brain scans can truly convey the capabilities of consciousness for someone declared to be in a vegitative state. Meanwhile, Schiavo's family has continued running an organization in her name, the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, dedicated to supporting others in the struggle for maintaining the rights of loved ones in vulnerable physical states. The organization planned a gala and a mass to honor the tenth anniversary of Schiavo's death in March 2015. The case was brought into the media again during discussions of Jeb Bush's potential candidacy for the 2016 presidential campaign.
Bibliography
Copeland, Larry, and Laura Parker. “Terri Schiavo’s Case Doesn’t End with Her Passing.” USA Today, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2005. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.
Fuhrman, Mark. Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo’s Death. New York: Morrow, 2005. Print.
Haberman, Clyde. "From Private Ordeal to National Fight: The Case of Terri Schiavo." New York Times. New York Times, 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 5 Feb. 2015
Nohlgren, Stephen. “Schiavo Tapes: Snippets, Then Not Much.” St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay Times, 10 Nov. 2003. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.