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Terri Herself Attempts to Say 'I Want to Live', Chicago Leafleted for Terri

CHICAGO/PINELLAS PARK, March 23, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of America's best-known pro-life groups is blitzing downtown Chicago with leaflets in an attempt to correct media misrepresentation of Terri Schiavo's condition. "The public has been grossly misinformed about Terri Schiavo's condition and prognosis," said Joseph M. Scheidler, National Director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League. "We're taking to the streets to make sure Chicagoans learn the truth about Terri, the young woman in Florida who is being starved to death."

Scheidler, who has been making headlines for years with his court battles with various abortion groups, said that the group is especially concentrating on rush-hour foot traffic at major train stations for their information campaign.

"Many American families face situations similar to Mrs. Schiavo's when a loved one is incapacitated," said Scheidler. "It is important to understand the value of each and every human life, no matter what the circumstances may be. Terri Schiavo deserves the love and care her parents want to give her and she deserves our respect as a member of the human family."

Scheidler is offering the flier, which can be downloaded from Pro-Life Action League's website, to pro-lifers "to help spread the truth about Terri Schiavo, and has offered the flier being used in Chicago for anyone to copy and distribute to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors."

Terri's condition is consistently described as that of a 'vegetable' by news media. But the definition of 'persistent vegetative state' has been disputed by bioethicists for years. Some doctors believe that there is no such condition and that what is known to medical science about the human brain is too unreliable to trust such blanket labels.

Terri's nurses have testified and gone to the media with their eye witness accounts of Terri's ability to interact with staff and visitors and respond to spoken words - such as opening her eyes wide upon request - and her attempts to speak and communicate.

In an extraordinary account, Terri's attorney, Barbara Weller, tells of her last visit with her client. On the day of the order to remove the feeding tube, Terri's family accompanied by Weller, went to Terri's room and told her the news of her death order.

Empire Journal reports that when asked by her parents and their attorneys if she wanted to live, Terri Schiavo made two attempts to say "Yeah," then began to cry when told that her husband, Michael Schiavo, would be removing her feeding tube on orders of Judge Greer, which would result in her death by starvation.

Barbara Weller along with David Gibbs III of the Gibbs Law Firm of Seminole, Florida, is representing the Schindler family in their efforts to save Terri's life. Weller writes for the Empire Journal, "The most dramatic event of this visit happened at one point when I was sitting on Terri's bed next to Suzanne. Terri was sitting in her lounge chair and her aunt was standing at the foot of the chair.  I stood up and learned over Terri.  I took her arms in both of my hands.  I said to her, 'Terri if you could only say "I want to live" this whole thing could be over today.'  I begged her to try very hard to say, 'I want to live.'"  Weller wrote that she was shocked at what happened next. "Terri's eyes opened wide, she looked me square in the face, and with a look of great concentration, she said, "Ahhhhhhh."  Then, seeming to summon up all the strength she had, she virtually screamed, "Waaaaaaaa."  She yelled so loudly that Michael Vitadamo, Suzanne's husband, and the female police officer who were then standing together outside Terri's door, clearly heard her."

Weller relates that at this point, "Terri had a look of anguish on her face that I had never seen before and she seemed to be struggling hard, but was unable to complete the sentence.  She became very frustrated and began to cry.  I was horrified that I was obviously causing Terri so much anguish.  Suzanne and I began to stroke Terri's face and hair to comfort her.  I told Terri I was very sorry.  It had not been my intention to upset her so much.  Suzanne and I assured Terri that her efforts were much appreciated and that she did not need to try to say anything more.  I promised Terri I would tell the world that she had tried to say, 'I want to live.'"

Read Empire Journal exclusive:
http://www.theempirejournal.com/0319052_attorneys_last_visit_wit.htm

Download Pro-Life Action League's flyer:
http://www.prolifeaction.org/

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