Schiavo Tried to say “I Want to Live”, Parents Claim in Court Filing
Terri Schiavo’s parents landed back at the Pinellas Court Saturday, after a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday night against reinserting her feeding tube
Terri Schiavo’s parents landed back at the Pinellas Court Saturday, after a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday night against reinserting the feeding tube that supplies the disabled woman with nutrition and hydration.
In a replay of the events that happened early last week, the justices ruled against the parents’ plea to appeal a federal judge’s decision not to reinsert the tube on Friday. The federal judge in Tampa rejected the parents’ argument that Terri’s due process and religious rights are being violated by the removal of her feeding tube.
With their daughter’s health waning – her tube was removed more than a week ago – and with nearly all legal routes exhausted, the parents made a fresh new claim on Friday evening to possibly convince the same judge who ordered for the tube’s removal to reconnect it.
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Mary and Bob Schindler claimed their daughter tried to say “I want to live” just minutes before her feeding tube was removed last Friday. The Schindlers say their daughter replied with “AHHHHH” and “WAAAAA” when she was asked to repeat the phrase “I want to live.”
Court doctors said Schiavo’s previous utterances were involuntary moans consistent with someone in a “persistent vegetative state”. However, the Schindlers rebuff the claim that their daughter is in PVS, and say she is in fact aware of her surroundings and has the possibility of recovering from her contention.
However, after nearly eight days without food or water, the Schindlers said they fear their 41-year-old daughter will slip away from them within days.
"Terri is weakening. She's down to her last hours. Something has to be done and has to be done quick," said Bob Schindler, who visited his daughter Friday morning. After a later visit, he added: "I told her that we're still fighting for her, and she shouldn't give up because we're not. But I think the people who are anxious to see her die are getting their wish."
According to Barbara Weller, the Schindlers’ attorney, Terri’s tongue and eyes were bleeding and her skin was flaking off by Friday.
Another attorney for the Schindlers, David Gibbs III, urged Greer to act quickly because he expected “Terri to step into eternity this Easter weekend.”
George Felos, the attorney for Michael Schiavo – Terri’s husband who claims his wife did not wish to be kept alive “artificially” – said the parent’s new file “crossing the line” into an abuse of the legal system because it is purely based on “emotion”.
Meanwhile, outside the hospice, the 24-hour vigils that began on March 18 continued. Supporters of Terri, however, became more forceful with eight more people – including a 10-year-old boy and 13-year-old twin girls – being arrested Friday for trying to bring her water.
"I don't want her to die," Joshua Heldreth, 10, from North Carolina, said before his arrest. "I'm not afraid because God is with me."
They are expected to face trespassing charges.
In more serious arrests, FBI agents took into custody a North Carolina man who allegedly sent an e-mail threat by offering a $250,000 bounty for Michael Schiavo's death and $50,000 for that of a judge in the case. The FBI did not identify the judge.
Richard Alan Meywes allegedly sent the e-mail Tuesday to two Tampa-area news organizations and the host of a national conservative talk show, the FBI said.
Meywes was arrested at his home on Friday evening on charges of solicitation of murder and transmission of a threatening communication via interstate commerce, authorities said. If convicted, Meywes could face up to 15 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines.
Separately on Thursday, police arrested an Illinois man they said robbed a gun store in Seminole, Florida as part of an attempt to “rescue Terri”.
Michael W. Mitchell, 20, faces charges of attempted armed robbery, aggravated assault and criminal mischief, said Marianne Pasha, spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, to CNN.
