VIEW FINAL PHOTOS FROM FLORIDA
PINELLAS PARK, FL — The following is the text of the statement read by Terri Schindler Schiavo’s sister, Suzanne Vitadamo; and brother, Bobby Schindler, in front of the Woodside Hospice, in Pinellas Park, Florida, at a 4:30 PM, press conference.
As you are aware, Terri is now with God and she has been released from all earthly burdens. After these recent years of neglect at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and care for her, she is finally at peace with God for eternity. We are speaking on behalf of our entire family this evening as we share some thoughts and messages to the world regarding our sister and the courageous battle that was waged to save her life from starvation and dehydration.
We have a message for the volunteers that have helped our family:
Thank you for all that you’ve done for our family. Thank you to the hundreds of doctors who volunteered to help Terri. Thank you to the fifty doctors who provided statements under oath to help Terri. Thank you to the lawyers who stood for Terri’s life in the courtrooms of our nation. From running our family’s website, to driving us around, to making meals, to serving in so many ways?thank you to all of the volunteers who have been so kind to our family through all of this.
We have a message for the supporters and people praying worldwide:
Please continue to pray that God gives grace to our family as we go through this very difficult time. We know that many of you never had the privilege to personally know our wonderful sister, Terri, but we assure you that you can be proud of this remarkable woman who has captured the attention of the world. Following the example of the Lord Jesus, our family abhors any violence or any threats of violence. Threatening words dishonor our faith, our family, and our sister, Terri. We would ask that all those who support our family be completely kind in their words and deeds toward others.
We have a message to the media:
We appreciate your taking Terri’s case to the nation. Please afford our family privacy to grieve at this time. The patience and graciousness of the on-site media here at hospice has been deeply appreciated by our family.
We have a message to the many government officials who tried to help Terri:
Thank you for all that you’ve done. Our family will be forever grateful to all of the outstanding public servants who have tried to save Terri.
We have a message to all of the religious leaders who tried to help Terri:
Thank you to all people of faith who demonstrated love for Terri and strength of conviction to defend the sacredness of all human life as a precious gift from God. Our family is highly honored that the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, would speak out so boldly on behalf of our sister, Terri.
We have a message of forgiveness:
Throughout this ordeal, we are reminded of the words of Jesus on the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Our family seeks forgiveness for anything that we have done in standing for Terri’s life that has not demonstrated the love and compassion required of us by our faith.
We have a message to parents worldwide:
Our family would encourage parents to spend time with their children and to cherish each and every moment of each and every day with them as a precious gift from God.
We have a message to Terri from her family:
As a member of our family unable to speak for yourself, you spoke loudly. As a member of our family unable to stand under your own power, you stood with a grace and a dignity that made your family proud. Terri, we love you dearly, but we know that God loves you more than we do. We must accept your untimely death as God’s will.
Terri, your life and legacy will continue to live on, as the nation is now awakened to the plight of thousands of voiceless people with disabilities that were previously unnoticed. Your family intends to stand up for the other “Terri’s” around this nation and we will do all that we can to change the law so others won’t face the same fate that has befallen you.
We have a final thought to share:
Our family had hoped this day would never come, but as it has now arrived, we ask ourselves a question in these incredibly sad circumstances: What would the Lord Jesus ask us to do in a moment like this? In John’s Gospel, Jesus responded to the questions of the rabbis, who asked why a man had been born blind. He said: “it is so that the works of God might be made manifest through him.”
God’s plan for Terri is unfolding before our eyes. Our prayer at this time is that our Nation will remember the plight of persons with disabilities and commit within our hearts to defend their lives and their dignity for many generations to come.
My husband & I would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family of Terri for her passing away. Your family & many others are held in the highest eteem for your fight for “LIFE”. We know that with the grace of God something good will come from Terri’s death. She is our newest little maryter. May she rest in peace. Thank you God for her life. Our prayers are with you.
Yours in Christ,
Robert & Jacqueline Messinger
Prior to this moment,I have been deeply sickened by the way this story has ended. Now, I have come to realize this is truly the begining. Terri will never be forgotten, and in fact, I believe she will be fully “alive” now through those whose lives she has touched. She could not speak when she was here, but through us she will deafen those who refused to listen. She could not walk when she was here, but now, through us, she will stand up and work tirelessly to awaken others who turned the other way. Terri will live a full life through us. The life that she was unjustly robbed of by the hands of Michael. Terri is with God now and no one can ever hurt her again. We must all work to never let those who murdered Terri forget what they have done. We cannot allow them to suppress it as if it never happend. Hopefully someday, they will accept what they have done and repent to God for their terrible sin. They are not allowed to forget her, we need to allow her to live through us. God bless the Schindler family. You are all true heros.
Deepest sympathy,
Heather Schneider
sorry
I would like to say how sorry I’am for your loss of your Terri. As a parent and a christian I don’t know if I could be as full of GODS love , I would have been a little like Peter in his young days and used a sword instead of prayer, I think michael showed is what this countrie is turning to and away from ,and your family showed us that having faith in GOD is the most important thing we can do , and second is our family,and I pray GOD will build around your fanily a hedge of protection one satan can not get through to cause any doubt ,Terri is home with our LORD ,and be assured Michael will one day stand before our LORD and have to make and account of his life and actions,I would not won’t to be in his shoes. Please keep trusting in our LORD and be at peace
yours in CHRIST Wayne
To Terri’s parents,
It was a pleasure to advocate, pray for, and stand in front of Hospice in steadfast support for the LIFE of your beloved daughter, Terri Schindler. I love you guys . . . and Suzanne, and Bobby.
“Grace and dignity”, the President of the United States commended you for these 2 traits, in the midst of your personal tragedy. As a long time supporter of Terri, I would like to add that I witnessed your “love and forgiveness” over the last 2 years. I was present in 2003, when the feeding tube was removed. And in both 2003 and 2005, your lack of “bitterness and revenge” spoke louder to me — than any sermon ever could.
Personally, I will follow your admonition, and in memory of Terri and your bravery, I will continue to fight, and fight hard for the right of “individuals living with disabilities.” Life is precious. All life is sacred. If I had to pick a person to spend time with, Terri certainly would be higher on my list than ____, or ____, or _________.
Who would have thought that after working so “dag gone hard” to earn a PhD (1997) in Special Education from USF in Tampa, Florida, that 8 years later (March, 2005)in Pinellas Park, Florida I would be a stone’s throw from the murder of a person with a disability?
I was totally helpless . . . unable to prevent her long, painful starvation.
No amount of education could persuade a judge or the Florida Senate to stand for life.
Death occurred. I am deeply saddened.
God have mercy, and give grace to all.
Dr. Mary Porta
Co-teacher
Pinellas County Schools
Thank God for Living Wills to keep everyone out of a person’s or family’s private life!
please know that my family feels sorrow for yours. just want you all to know your in our prayers.may god comfort you in your time of sorrow.he is so mighty and able. god bless each and everyone of you.
My heart and my prayers go out to you and your family. My family and my co-workers I know send theirs also. I cannot imagine your pain having to stand by and watch your daughter slip away because another held her life in their hands. I know we were appaled at the insanity of it all! We just want you to know we are prepared to keep our Terri alive by volunteering to do whatever we can to keep others from this terrible atrosity
I have, and will continue to keep your family and the repose of the soul of Terri in my prayers. I have arranged for a mass to be said for her at one of the local Catholic churches. The horror of these past few weeks is beyond words. May the Blessed Virgin Mary give you comfort during this time of the physical loss of your most precious daughter/sister, just as she lost her Son to a cruel death. May the Risen Christ give you hope. Blessings,
I feel Micheal should have let her parents take care of her, espically when he started a new relationship and went on with his life,his rights should have stoped at that time.Then to not let her family be with her during her final moments was wrong. Also, not to let her be buried here in Florida with her real family.I feel he’s a poor excuse of a man and a so called husband.He should be jailed for starving Terri because if you or I didn’t feed our children we would go to
jail.This is just my opinion.
steve
so you think “government interference” is constituted by the president, legislature, or governor trying to save a human life?
think again.
or more accurately – THINK.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GuestColumns/LaRue20050401.shtml
PLEASE UTILIZE US – WE HELP FOR FREE !!
Hello, we are a collective group consisting of 10 free yahoo online groups which joined forces in the aftermath of the murder of Terri Schiavo. We offer support, links, and post correct information and updates regarding the case free, we’re just individuals who have grouped together as a collective of 10 online Yahoo groups.
We want to extend our support to you and please email us with any updates and we will make sure all the members get them. We are currently working to get 1,000 members collectively as soon as possible. Membership is FREE and we are there to support the efforts of the Schindler family and all the brave and courageous supporters for the life of Terri and the fight that continues.
If you want to refer people to our support groups to help take some of the email load off you, please feel free to do so, we are 24 hours and someone is always on for those who want to pour out their hearts or just get together with others in a group effort to help. We know that Terri is with God now, but we also know the fight continues. We consist of ages 18-50 years old and from all walks of life and we HELP FOR FREE !!! We need to help as much as we want to help.
-Chris & Monique, Group Owners & Moderators
Terri_Schiavo Yahoo Collective Group
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/terri_schiavo
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/TerriSchiavoWasMurdered
You can list the 2 most active groups above.
Complete List of all collective groups are listed below—and we are growing everyday: WE ARE GOOD FOOT SOLDIERS !!!
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/terri_schiavo
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/TerriSchiavoWasMurdered
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Michael_Schiavo_And_Legal_Murder
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rememberterri
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/saveterrislife
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/terri_schindler
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/terriscampaign
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/whitedoveweavers
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/SeanHannity
To the Schindler family,
I had the privilege of standing and interceding for Terri and your family in Pinellas Park for about the last week of Terri’s life here.
Words cannot express how your courage and strength under the circumstances moved me; or the horror and sorrow I feel in this loss.
I am continuing to pray for you in this via dolorosa of yours, confident that God is walking it with you just as He walked it for you centuries ago, and that Terri’s death, inhumane, cruel, unjust and senseless as it was, will not be in vain and that changes will be made to end the scam, holocaust and other evils that her death has exposed.
God bless you now and always,
jl5
thanks for an eloquent post.
A WORD OF EXTREME CAUTION: Anyone who has, especially in response to the outrage perpetrated against Terri and the Schindler family, gone out and gotten a “living will” or is considering doing so: This would now be accurately called a “lemming will”, as so many people seem to be rushing, like lemmings, to their “directed” deaths as planned and played by the Euthanasia movement’s pied pipers. DON’T DO IT; DON’T BUY THE LIE. Terri was not “allowed to die with dignity”, she was viciously, unjustly and cruelly murdered. Death with dignity in her case, especially, would have been to give her parents custody of her care, and let God take her in HIS time, in HIS way. (Hint: His way is never to put an innocent person to death.)
It is especially cruel, and unjust to Terri’s memory and family, as well as the human family as a whole, to exploit her brutal murder to further the agenda that destroyed her, and is loathsome to her own beliefs, those of her real family, and those of all thinking people of conscience. The “living will” is an invention of the prodeath movement created and calculated to condition Americans (and others) into letting the state & medical professions arrogate to themselves the right to kill people based on their own, anti-Christian “quality of life” judgments. (Can you see the lions being loosed in the arena? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist…) DON’T BUY THIS LIE. The American Life League (all.org) has well-researched information on this. They also have a LOVING WILL, and end-of-life/incapacity advance directive alternative to the prodeath’s living/lemming will that respects the loving will of God, and is intended to counter, rather than usher in, the Nazi-like “Final Solution” Phase 2. Right to Life also has a similar directive called the “Will to Live”, as does the Human Life Alliance (see humanlife.org).
We strongly recommend that all these options be examined, and the most protective one put into effect immediately, to help protect ourselves, our loved ones, our nation and, hopefully, our world from the scam and holocaust on which Terri’s case has shed such searching, prolonged light.
Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light…
it should be noted that your loving will is no different than a living will. la living will can be written to provide all the legal protections your loving will promises, and actually hold up in court since a loving will is not a real legal document. just saying
The ideological differences between a lemming (a.k.a. “living”) will and a loving will have already been stated, and anyone wanting further info can get it.
As far as the former being legally superior to the latter, no doubt this is the desire of the prodeath crowd, just as the death culture has sought for years to discredit/delegitimize crisis pregnancy centers for saving babies from murder, which is the point of a loving will, though the prodeath crowd had other intentions in creating the “living will”.
If “living wills” are so legally ironclad, and not subject to interpretation/overriding by prodeath goons in legal/medical clothing, then the fight over Mae Mae Magouirk, whose “living will” directives, as they do not permit the death that her granddaughter thinks she should have, would not be the contest it has been lately.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU RECEIVED LIFE SUPPORT FROM SOMEONE; PROMOTE LIFE SUPPORT FOR OTHERS.
I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter Terri. I hope that the autopsy will provide you with the answers to all of the questions. I have read so much, and I do not know what all is true and not true…………… I do find it a shame that Terri had to die with such kaos and little peace around her. I have learned a valuable lesson, I will most definately be doing a living will.
dawn
if you learn nothing else from all of this, you should know one thing – TERRI DID NOT NEED TO DIE. your statement that is was a shame she “had to die” with what you term chaos and such around her misses the whole point by a country mile.
terri was killed, and the autopsy won’t answer any real questions to which answers aren’t already known. it will only show how she died and that was by starvation. but she did NOT have to die. it was forced upon her by her self-centered callous death-obsessed “husband”.
Integrity
A great deal of ink has been spilled in discussing the tragedy of Terri Schiavo’s coercive euthanasia. But one of the most insightful pieces I have read was not written by a journalist, a bio-ethicist, a lawyer, a politician, a preacher, or a TV talking head. It was written by a mom. Stephanie Hubach submitted the following letter to the editor of her local community newspaper in Pennsylvania. Her wisdom, discernment, and discretion is all too evident at a time when such things are all too rare:
The American Heritage Dictionary defines integrity as “completeness, unity.” For human beings, living with integrity means living consistently with all of the aspects of our humanity. It implies exercising our personal freedoms while at the same time owning the limits within us and those rightly set upon us; practicing appropriate autonomy while concurrently embracing our role in community; expressing our independence while simultaneously living interdependently with others.
Why did Terri Schiavo’s story so capture the interest of Americans in recent weeks? It was, in part, because we all struggle with the tension between these aspects of our humanity. In the last century we saw the harvest of bitterness reaped in communist countries where all decisions were made in the name of the supposed collective good of society, while crushing the human spirit’s need for expression and freedom. At the same time, there is a growing uneasiness with the American mindset that the fullest expression of the human spirit consists exclusively in personal freedom, personal fulfillment, and personal autonomy. When we lose the tensions between freedom and responsibility, between individuality and community we begin to lose our identity—and our way.
Many arguments made in support of removing Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube were based on the underlying assumption that the preservation of personal autonomy was the highest moral good in this case. An editorial in last week’s paper stated that “the only justifiable debate, therefore, is what Terri’s wishes would be in this situation.” But is it? Is that an integrated view of the human person? When a person struggles with severe depression and attempts to end their life, we intervene if at all possible. Is that disrespecting their autonomy, or embracing our role as a community? At the time—knowing what they know about their current state in life—the suicidal individual chooses to no longer live. We intervene, not because we can guarantee improvement to their condition, but because we value them as human beings and are committed to their care. We intervene as it is humane to do so—which is to say that it is kind, merciful and compassionate.
Kindness, mercy and compassion are costly acts of community and interdependence. They require something of us. They make us more than we would be otherwise—more than we would be if left alone, self-absorbed in our private world of autonomy. Twenty-first century American society is a culture that glorifies the exercise of personal choice. But we seem to have forgotten that one can also make a choice to be committed to others. We need to recover a commitment to a different kind of choice, the choice to live connected lives that are characterized by mercy. St. Gregory of Nyssa once defined mercy as “a voluntary sorrow which enjoins itself to the suffering of another.” Sorrow and suffering are two of the common threads of the human experience that bind us across generations, income brackets, races and ability levels.
Whose life will you choose to enter into today? If we each make a choice to live with integrity—to embrace all aspects of our humanity—we will begin to find ourselves again and, perhaps, our way in the process.
Diminished Lives
Never will I sit motionless while directly or indirectly apology is made for the murder of the helpless. In securing any kind of peace, the first essential is to guarantee to every man the most elementary of rights: the right to his own life. Murder is not debatable.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in Mankind;
And therefore never send to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
John Donne (1571-1630)
Do unto others as if you were the others.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
All the starry hosts of heaven and of earth declare with one voice the glory bestowed on these sublime creatures of the Living God, these creatures made just a little lower than himself. We can do no better than to acknowledge our acceptance of Him by our acceptance of them.
Dympna of Gheel (c. 770-795)
If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life in the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
Emily Dickenson (1830-1886)
The accursed everyday life of the modernist is instinct with the four sins crying to heaven for vengeance, and there is no humanity in it, and no simplicity, and no recollection.
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)
The Modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; but their truth is pitiless. And thus some humanitarians care only for pity; but their pity–I am sorry to say–is often untruthful.
G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
– from Dr. George Grant’s blog at kingsmeadow.com