http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145332,00.html
This is so sad. 41 year old Mrs. Schiavo went into cardiac arrest 15 years ago after a bout with bulimia. Her electrolites went crazy and she went into a coma, coming out of it with brain damage. Now, 15 years later, her husband wants her feeding tube removed, so she can die. He said she didn't want to be kept alive artificially.
Her parents are fighting it with their whole hearts, insisting that if she has the proper therapy she can recover. They're saying that he exploited her and abused her and now is living with his girlfriend and 2 children by her, and wants rid of Terri. They want a judge to grant a divorce from him, and they want to take care of her.
I don't understand the big problem here. Why won't her husband just let them have her? Why would he rather let her die now? She's been around for 15 years like this, if she didn't want to be kept alive artificially, why did he allow the tube to be put in her 15 years ago? Why the change of heart all these years down the road?
I just don't understand. I don't see a feeding tube as artificial life. To me it's just a different way for her to eat. I was always under the impression, artificial life would be a coma patient on a respirator and feeding tubes, in a hospital with absolutely no hope for a future, and absolutely no quality of life. Hell, look at Chris Reeve.. he was on a respirator for years and there wasn't anything artificial about his life. In my mind, the feeding tube for Mrs. Schiavo is no diffrent from a prothesis, an artificial arm or leg.. not artificial life.
I don't know everything about the case, but from what I've seen and read, I think her husband just being a hard-ass.
Posted by juel at March 4, 2005 08:12 PM