Attorney: Terri cried at news
Claims brain-injured woman said she wants to live
World Net Daily | March 19, 2005
An attorney for Terri Schiavo said the severely brain-injured woman cried and yelled out that she wants to live after being told today her life-sustaining feeding tube was about to be removed by court order.
Barbara Weller was in Terri Schiavo's room at the Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park, Fla., when the encounter took place, according to activist Randall Terry, who spoke with WorldNetDaily from outside the building as demonstrators continued a vigil.
If true, the report apparently refutes the court's finding that Terri Schiavo is in a "persistant vegetative state" and cannot currently express her wishes. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, contends she had indicated she would not want to live in such a condition, but parents Robert and Mary Schindler dispute that and suspect he is responsible for the 1990 incident in which oxygen to her brain was temporarily cut off, causing severe brain damage.
Weller essentially told Terri Schiavo, "You had better say you want to live or they will kill you. Just say you want to live."
Schiavo responded with a drawn out, "IIIIII," then screamed out "waaaaaaaa" so loudly that a police officer stationed outside the room came in.
The officer then ordered Weller removed from the room, according to Terry.
The event was witnessed by Terri Schiavo's sister Suzanne Vitadamo and Suzanne's husband Michael.
"I talked to Suzy and Michael, and they both said it was unbelievable," Terry said. "It was very articulate, for Terri, but they also say this is normal [for her to communicate]."
Terry explained the family says Schiavo often is talkative, though similar to a 10-month-old.
"The words usually are not discernable, but she's responsive to commands, uses slow diction and her voice lilts to show emotion and context," he said.
Weller teared up after hearing Schiavo respond today, Terry said, and indicated Schiavo was crying.
Terry has established a website, helpterri.com with information about how to get involved, including phone numbers of lawmakers and details of a rally and lobby-training sessions to be held next week in the Florida capital, Tallahassee, beginning Monday.
"We need people there Monday night, people who have never lobbied before, to come, and we're going to be begging the [Florida] Senate to get its act together," Terry said.
Doctors removed Terri Schiavo's feeding tube today to carry out her estranged husband's requested court order.
Barring an intervention, she is expected to live another week to 10 days.
The tube removal came after a Florida judge blocked an eleventh-hour end-run waged by members of House and Senate panels, ruling the device can be removed immediately.
Early this morning, the House Government Reform Committee decided to launch an investigation into the case and issued subpoenas that order doctors and the administrator at the hospice facility not to remove her feeding tube and keep her alive until the investigation is complete.
At the same time, the Senate Health Committee also requested Terri and Michael Schiavo appear at an official committee hearing March 28.
As a result, minutes before the 1 p.m. EST deadline for the tube removal passed Pinellas Circuit Court Judge David Demers ordered the feeding tube remain in place while presiding Judge George Greer addresses the matter of the congressional subpoenas in a court hearing.
But an hour later, Greer disregarded the subpoenas and again ordered the feeding tube pulled.
