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February 15, 2005

Why Euthanasia is wrong

I'm in the airport waiting to board my plane, and I was surfing around the web - I found this article

Brain Damaged Woman Talks after 20 Years

Sarah Scantlin was an 18-year-old college freshman on Sept. 22, 1984, when she was hit by a drunk driver as she walked to her car after celebrating with friends at a teen club. That week, she had been hired at an upscale clothing store and won a spot on the drill team at Hutchinson Community College.

After two decades of silence, she began talking last month. Doctors are not sure why. On Saturday, Scantlin's parents hosted an open house at her nursing home to introduce her to friends, family members and reporters.
A week ago, her parents got a call from Jennifer Trammell, a licensed nurse at the Golden Plains Health Care Center. She asked Betsy Scantlin if she was sitting down, told her someone wanted to talk to her and switched the phone to speaker mode:
"Hi, Mom."

The human body is a remarkable thing. This woman, considered horribly brain damaged can speak again - go read the entire article.

It should make the husband of the Florida woman, Terri Schiavo, who is in the same kind of vegetative state as Sarah was, reconsider his desire to have his wife killed by denying her food.

At the very least, those judges who deem Terri's life not worthy of living should fly to Kansas and ask Sarah what she thinks of their ideas.

UPDATE: Seems I'm not the only blogger who sees the similarities between Sarah's and Terri's stories. See LaShawn Barber's post.

In fact, all these bloggers are blogging to help save Terri's life:



And, say a prayer for Terri. Killing her by starvation is absolutely evil.

Posted by Beth at February 15, 2005 7:28 AM

Comments

But it won't - because Schiavo wants the money set aside to care for his wife, so he can marry the girlfriend he's got kids by.

Posted by: John of Argghhh! at February 13, 2005 9:15 AM

That guy just creeps me out. Have been lurking a lot on alt.support. autism lately, since I figured out that *I* am prolly "differently brained*. Terry's a cause celebre over there, with folks producing all kinds of evidence of some kind of consciousness in her, evidence seemingly suppressed in the MSM. Read some of Amanda Baggs' ("Sgabb the Slug") posts and see how sharp, and knowledgeable, and articulate she is, and then consider that she can't talk, has *lots* of other problems, and was nearly killed by bullying institutional shrink minions when she was young. There are folks who are talking about aborting potentially autistic foeti, just so they can have only "normal" kids. Guess they think we'd have been better off without Newton, and Heaviside, and Cavendish, and Tesla, and Einstein, and ...n.

Posted by: Justthisguy at February 13, 2005 3:49 PM

I'm so glad you posted this. I've been following Terri's story for over a year and been following it closely. What pisses me off to no end is the absolute LIES her so-called husband (who has been living with his girlfriend the last 8 years or so and has 2 kids with her) is telling and the mainstream media is saying about Terri. If you go to her family's website www.terrifight.org you will see how alert she really is. She is not in a coma or braindead. Her only crime is that she has to be fed intraveneously. Big deal. Alot of people are like that. Alot of people who have surgery also have to be fed intraveneously, but you don't see us starving them. You're absolutely right. It's evil, sick, and completely Nazi-ish.

Posted by: Sirena at February 15, 2005 5:49 PM

Sorry, it's www.terrisfight.org (typo in last posting).

Posted by: Sirena at February 15, 2005 5:57 PM

Maybe we can rescue Terri if we take away the husband's two excuses: greed and fear of prosecution.

Lots of people would donate $50 or $100 to a fund to buy his interest in the million dollars he would inherit if she dies. We could also petition Jeb Bush to grant him immunity from prosecution if it turns out that the husband inflicted the wounds that caused Terri's problems.

Maybe the BIG blogs could run with these ideas!

Posted by: Bud Brown at February 17, 2005 9:56 PM

I don't think teri's husband is being honest either. He seems like a sleaze.

But I have to say, one day, I would rather die if doctors think I am in an irreversible coma without any cognitive powers than take the chance that in 20 years I might talk. I wouldn't want to do that to my family. That's why I disagree with you're conclusion that euthanasia is always wrong.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2005 11:53 AM

Beth, Thanks for posting this; I join you in prayer for Terri.

--Will

Posted by: WillyShake at February 18, 2005 1:17 PM

GOD bless you Terri. Happy Easter to you and your family Loads of love .Lee

Posted by: lee at March 13, 2005 10:41 AM

i am praying for terri god have mery on her be with her help fight for what is right dear holy sprit. that is sad that her husband have live with that lady for 8 year the right should be ya'll which is of the parent. please if i can help call i leave in alabama i will support the parents of terri and her family god bless you terri kathy sheehan

Posted by: kathy sheehan at March 19, 2005 10:16 AM

Shame, shame, Criminal's have a better chance of fair treatment and yet A loving family can't even help their own. He has moved on with his life let her parents take care of her for gods sake. This is immoral. unjust, illegal, God Help her my family will pray for her and her family. Love the Teixeira family California

Posted by: Kimbelry Teixeira at March 24, 2005 9:12 PM

How can one justify such an act? Never a Mri, Never petscan? I have seen miracles working in a hospital. I have seen familys pray, and not give up. I have seen familys being told the child is a vegtable no brain waves and months later the child is walking. I have seen children awaken from being in a coma from a long term coma. Brain swollen, with a screw to relieve the pressure.
Yes the child has a weak side but can walk and talk. It sounds like
Terri hasn't even ever had a fighting chance. People on death row are beig treated better than poor
Terri. If I were the Judge or lawyer in this case I would start fighting for criminal charges,
THIS IS ILLEGAL, HOW CAN I HELP. GOD BLESS YOU TERRI, AND ALL THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. KIM FROM CALIFORNIA, ILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU!

Posted by: Kimbelry Teixeira at March 24, 2005 9:22 PM

Scott Peterson killed his wife and we call it murder. Terri's husband is killing her with the help of our courts and they call it normal death process. HOW CAN IT BE NORMAL TO STARVE. IF SHE WERE A DOG OR A CAT MICHAEL WOULD GO TO JAIL.
HANG ON TERRI ,WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU.

Posted by: nee at March 25, 2005 11:11 PM

Dear Terri,
My prayers are with you, and may the Grace Of God be with you and with your loveones.
It is incredable that anyone would listen to the so called husband, let alone the cort!
Everything we do in life has a price, here is a small reminder; Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; Which taketh away the life of the owners thereof! And Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you. That whosesoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement! Why is he still playing a role in her life, when he has been involved with someone else for 8 years!! My Hopes, Wishes and Prayers are that Terri find the streght thrugh all our prayers and that The Lord Jesus Christ grants her a miracle of full life. So she can really know who her husband really is!

Posted by: Graciela Matthews at March 26, 2005 7:40 PM


They treat animals better than Terri.
If her husband needs money to support
his madam---then he needs to get a job.
Hope he can sleep at night--but then when
you don't have a heart or brains
He'll get his just reward--vengence is
mine says the Lord

Posted by: maureen at March 26, 2005 10:13 PM

I think this is a horrible travesty in killing
Terri Schiavo, just because Judge Greer,
believed in what Michael Schiavo said she
wanted. I thought in a court of law you have
to have documentation but not in Judge greers
court. You just need a feeding tube to be
called in a vegatative state. Even a lay
person can see she is reacting to her parents
Maybe judge greer is brain dead. maybe thats
why he ruled this way. That doctor that
looked at her said she is not in a vegatative
state, but most people could tell that just
by looking at the video.I feel sorry for her
parents who have to watch her being starved
to death just because of Michael schiavo who
has moved in with his life, leave her to the
parents to watch her. Whats this with cremating her body, what did Michael give her
anyway, so there isn't any evidence?

Posted by: Bonni at March 28, 2005 4:00 PM

We wish to send you our deepest condolences
of the passing of your beloved daughter Terri
who is now in the hands of her CREATOR.

We watched with horror and disbelief of this unfolding tragedy,not only for your selves but the USA and the judicial system which beggars total and utter disbelief.
Wishing that JUSTICE will be served especially for Terri.

Posted by: James&Jan Hope at April 1, 2005 5:20 AM

I join Mr. and Mrs. Hope, and all others posting on this site, on sending you deepest condolences on the passing of your beloved daughter Terri who is now in the hands of her CREATOR.

I am also terrified and can hardly belief the outcome of this tragedy,not only for Terri Schilnder-Schiavo rip and her family, but the USA and the world. Our judicial system, the one of a nation based on the most solid Christian foundation, to which all eyes turn for guidance, has mow set its worst precedent ever: APPROVE A CRIME ON AN INNOCENT DISABLED PERSON. This means that DISABLED, INCAPACITATED PERSONS OF ALL AGES AND ELDERS are going to be seen as THE DISCARDS of the world. And anyone who puts an end to their life will be doing good to humanity. HOW TERRIFYING! GOD PROTECT US ALL! for WE NEVER KNOW WHO, WHEN, HOW SOMEONE CAN TURN INTO ONE OF THEM.

I am talking by experience, for my bed-bound mother RIP stayed in bed for approximately 6 months in and out of hospitals. All that time DOCTORS, NURSES and other healthcare personnel KEPT TALKING ABOUT PLACING MY MOTHER UNDER COMFORT CARE-HOSPICE, MOST OF THEM WANTING ME TO LEAVE HER WITHOUT FEEDING AND HYDRATION DEVICE. My mother rip refused to have peg tube surgery, and I respected her wish. But admitted intra-venous feeding and hydration. Several times they attempted to convince me to remove it from her. I WAS EVEN SENT TO A CODE OF ETHICS COMMITTEE, AND FORCEFULLY DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL WITH HER because I REFUSED to leave her without some resource of feeding and hydration, and for having complained about MISTREATMENTS on the part of nurses who NEGLECTED my mother rip because of her condition.

As Mr. and Mrs. Hope said above..
Wishing that JUSTICE will be served especially for Terri. Not only for her, but FOR ELDERS AND DISABLED PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

May God bless and protect them all.

Posted by: M B Gonzalez at April 1, 2005 7:06 PM

I think this was nothing more tham a court order for murder. It is a sad day in this country, when Judicial can tell the President and Congress to take a HIKE.

Isn't congress the voice of the people? Do we not elect them?

The courts knew about the adultery and how all of this was a conflict of interest. The courts fail Terri!

My PRAYERS goes out to Terri's Father, Mother,
sister and brother.

D.Pizzino

Posted by: D.Pizzino at April 4, 2005 1:34 AM