Surgery to stunt girl's growth raises ethical questions

[Fandango 1,440]

Well lets hope that the "fundies" don't start harrassing the family for it, like they did with Terry Schiavo.

Yes, let's sum up the gov't sanctioned starvation of a brain damaged woman purely as a 'fundie' agenda. If you think about it...take her off the feeding tube...fine...then prevent her from trying to eat or drink anything where she lingers for days slowly dying of dehydration and starvation? Having a deputy by your bed to make sure your parents don't put a juice-soaked rag up to your lips so that you're more comfortable? Not cool.

Regardless how you feel about right to die or not (and I actually believe in the right to die in some instances)...no one...and I mean NO ONE deserved that. Saddam is getting pity for 2 minutes....this woman was tortured for weeks & if you did that to a death row inmate who killed hundreds of ppl...it'd be 'inhumane'

So with all due respect, please see the bigger pic where Terri was concerned and stop making it another cog in the 'I hate conservatives and here's why' routine.

There were several angles to that story - not least that it was the ultimately the decision of the courts (as opposed to the executive branch of State and Federal government) who ruled on the case for several years before the story actually hit the headlines (i.e. after it was announced that the feeding tube was to be removed) - with, I might add, the expert testimony of medical professionals.

It's interesting that a person can go from being iredeemably brain-damaged (after years of expert diagnosis and observation on the part of medical personnel - which again were a big part of the court's decision) to possibly being "awake and aware" within the span of a couple of news headlines.

Let's be clear here - christian fundamentalists (however you choose to define the term) did harrass Terri's husband (not helped by the media who characterized the guy as a cynical golddigger) - dying flowers were laid on his lawn, and he and his new wife were verbally abused on several occasions. Dozens of people set up camp in front of the hospital - praying, crying and tearing their hair with the usual tedious televangelist zeal.

The political furore over it was a red herring and a typical example of government grandstanding - though in this case there was a specific constitutional issue that made the government's actions in the case particularly contemptible. Not least that had Jeb Bush gone ahead with his plan to take Terri into protective custody you would have had two branches of law enforcement facing off in the hospital with conflicting orders. Civil wars have been started for less...

So no - the story per se was not a "fundie agenda" but it was made one, by State and Federal government attempting to interfere with years of court rulings for purely political gain.

Erekose, I worked on the Terri Schiavo campaign for the last two years of her life. I'm prolly more versed in the workings of what's gone on than most.

The bottom line is.....no matter WHO bothered whom....a brain damaged woman was dehydrated and starved to death as ordered by law. Next of kin wanna remove her feeding tube? Fine...but if she wants to sip a rag of oj then she damn well shouldn't have a sheriff deputy preventing it. Hah, killing Saddaam like that would be too 'cruel and unusual' The ACLU would have been all over it if Saddaam were treated like that in the states, yet they stood impotent and unwilling for a brain damaged woman.

FACT: Michael Schiavo testified in the malpractice suit & he and his lawyer at the time estimated Terri's life into her late 40s/50s. His judgement award was based on the cost of Terri's care for the rest of her life During this time, Michael went to nursing school to obtain his degree for it to be easier to care for Terri. Doesn't that sound odd when immediately after her settlement, he's gunning for her to be put down?

FACT: After he got the money is when he first vocalized that Terri gave him a verbal advance directive. After the $$ he got for her lifelong care. Don't you find it odd?

FACT: Doctors from all over the world offered their services on swallow therapy. They were denied. He stopped all rehabilitive care....she hadn't had a pap smear, nor a dental exam in years.

FACT: Despite the claims of 'oh her cortex is liquefied'....the specialized tests required to gauge the exact extent of her damage...were never done. Never. Even though a judge ordered it illegal that a human being be fed. Shouldn't the tests have been ordered even for the hell of it? I mean do you think the parents would have been so adamant about it if there were no room for speculation? Granted, there may have been results that came out AFTER the fact....but shouldn't they have been done before? What kind of ppl are we that we all watched this & people made their minds up without being sure???

FACT: She was put in hospice. Even though it requires a doctor's certification that the patient be deemed 'terminal' She was never deemed terminal. So there's medicare fraud. Oh..and the hospice? His lawyer was the Chaiman of it. And obviously hospice is not aggressive in treatment or anything like that...it's pretty much a 'just make em comfy til they kick the bucket' So she languished in there for years all the while the taxpayers are paying the money even though Michael's using her settlement designated for her lifelong care to pay a lawyer who's gunning for her to be put down without the right tests being done. Oh...and it's also law that any legal guardian of someone in Terri's position be required to file guardianship reports with the court. He went years without filing them and the judge never said a thing.

FACT: She was such a supposed cabbage that she'd cry in cramp pain every month when flo came to town. And she'd be given pain meds. Oh, and when she was starving to death? She was medicated with morphine. Why give a brain dead cabbage morphine for pain she supposedly can't feel? To be 'sure'??? Well shouldn't we have been sure before her torture and execution were ordered?

I seriously could go on and on and on re:this issue, but I'm going to try to stop myself. Anyone can message me if they'd like links and proof of anything I've said. I firmly believe that if she were proven to be an absolute cabbage, I'd staunchy support her right to die....but I'm sorry...under these circumstances? no effing way. I resent you boiling it down the 'oh those fundies and Terri Schiavo' or whatever it is you said. Libs and conservs will kill each other till the end of time and play this lil game of who's the azzhole of the day....but please, for the love of God or whatever you believe in (or not), stop exploiting the suffering of a brain damaged woman and her family all for the 'oooh the fundies bothered Michael'. This was not about right to die...that fiasco was about the nation's complete lack of protecting one of our own from being treated worse than sh!t on the end of your shoe.

I apol for the hijack and now I'm tired so I'm going to bed

Edited January 5, 2007 by LisaD

[Thingee 0]

I saw on the news tonight they said they removed her uterus becoz she was at risk to develope uterine cancer.

This is gonna get the attention of the Terri Schiavo wackos, watch. It's easy for them to criticize becoz it's not their whole day and life spent caring for this kid.

She's a vegetable. Let her parents decide what's best, even if that's letting her die.

Until you're in that situation, some people have no clue how hard that is.

My 2nd son died at 4 days old. We took him off life support, a ventilator. He probably could have survived being born premmy 7 months but he had severe brain damage. Similar to this girl and he also was blind and would have had seizures.

It was at Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii and I don't second guess my decision ever.

It was the best thing. I couldn't have given my 2 other sons the life they have if I was caring for their brother full time.

Just cause a person's body is alive doesn't make it a life.

I'd want to die. Watch the video 'One' by Metallica. from the movie 'Johnny get your gun'

First I want to say I'm terribly sorry for your loss. Secondly, I want to say I commend your bravery. Letting go of a loved one is often the hardest thing in the world to do.