TERRI SCHIAVO's STORY The Euthanasia debate is quite controversial. Many people have their own opinions but to truly understand euthanasia and decide if you’re for or against it, it is important to look at real life story. This is the story of Terri Schiavo of Florida, USA.
Terri Schiavo’s case was so controversial that the whole world soon became involved with it, taking sides and forming support groups and mass debates occurred around the entire world and even attracted US president, Bush. In 1990 Terri suffered from a heart attack, which left her brain damaged and totally unable to take care of herself. After 13 years and with few signs or hope of recovery, Terri’s husband was granted the right to remove Terri’s feeding tube and ultimately sign off her death warrant.
Schiavo’s husband believed that Terri’s quality of life was non existent and claimed that Terri wouldn’t have wanted to have live in that state. The major debate is whether life can be measured in a quantifiable aspect. Terri was said to be, by doctors, in a ‘persistent vegetative state’ and was only kept alive because of an artificial feeding tubes. For 13 years Terri did not leave her bed and her husband fought against her family to have her feeding tube removed and let Terri die quickly.
Terri’s parents believed that she was still well and truly alive. The ethical battle between these two parties started.
The leading steps to this much struggled and sought out debate are rather horrifying and cruel since Terri was twice granted the right to death, starved for a few days and then hooked back onto life support at her parents will. In June 2003, Shiavo’s husband won the right to have Terri’s tube removed but after President Bush’s interference (pushed forth by popular support against Terri’s death) the tube was re-instated.
Terri’s tube was eventually removed (for the third time) and thirteen days later she died of dehydration. However this is not death by voluntary euthanasia, as she was not ‘killed’ but rather taken off medical support. To be taken off medical support is already a legal act; however advocates of euthanasia fought to give Terri the right to terminate her life in a peaceful manner. Had euthanasia been legal Terri could have died instantly rather than by an almost two weeks of dehydration and starvation. Terri’s case has lead pro-euthanasia activists one step closer to achieving the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia.
HOW DO I KNOW THIS?•
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http://www.terrisfight.org/index.html•
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http://www.terrisfight.org/involved.html and get involved in activism, volunteering and fighting for the rights of the elderly and sick
