Throughout most of the whole Terry Schiavo thing, I managed to avoid most of the publicity and turn a deaf ear to conversations about her. It isn’t because I didn’t care, I honestly just got tired of hearing about it. Most people agreed that she was a vegetable, and that her husband had the right to decide what happened; which he ultimately did. I did pay more attention at the end, when she was finally “set free”, and I not only felt better for Terry and her husband, I actually believed that this would allow her parents to finally move on. But I guess I was wrong.
In this article that I read today on CBS news, they talk about the parent’s reaction to the autopsy, which, keep in mind, was performed by a team of pathologists, who have specialized doctorial degrees and years and years of training and experience in pathology.
Here is what one of those doctors said:
“She wouldn’t recognize anybody’s face, wouldn’t recognize anyone’s voice. wouldn’t respond to stimuli in anything but a reflexive way,” said Dr. Douglas Miller.
and still…
Bob and Mary Schindler disputed the results, insisting their daughter interacted with them and tried to speak.
My problem here lies with Terry’s parents. They also mentioned that they may seek legal action. Against who? God?? Because it is obvious that it was well past Terry’s time, and I think that this clinging on behavior is extremely detrimental to the parents. Not to be heartless, but I believe it would be better if they just let this go, and try to move on. She is dead. A lawsuit isn’t going to change that. MOVE ON!!! With that being said, I know that it is hard to loose a loved one. It is even harder to watch them suffer for a long time, before they die. But as this autopsy says, Terry was completely brain dead. She didn’t even know if she was suffering, so it isn’t the same thing. So my advice to the parents is to do what Terry’s husband is doing… move on with your life. If this experience has taught us anything, it is that life is precious, and it may not last very long.
Oh yeah… if that ever happens to me… pull the plug.