TAMPA, Florida, April 30, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The parents of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo, Bob and Mary Schindler, have filed Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto against Schiavo’s husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo. “Quo Warranto” is a legal term that questions “by what authority” someone acts—in this case, Schiavo’s parents question the authority that Michael Schiavo has as guardian over their daughter, and by what authority he denies them access to her.
Last month, mysterious needle marks were found on Schiavo’s body. Michael Schiavo’s lawyer, George Felos, implicated Schiavo’s parents, her most recent visitors. Michael Schiavo immediately banned all visitors to Schiavo; her parents have been denied access to her from the following day, March 30, to the present time. Recently, a lawyer for Michael Schiavo has written to inform the parents that 5 of Schiavo’s teeth have been removed. The information has perplexed the parents, who have repeatedly called for improved dental care for her. Schiavo, 38, suffered a heart attack during an unexplained 1990 seizure that cut off oxygen long enough to leave her in her present state. Michael was appointed her legal guardian in 1990. As part of his responsibilities as guardian, Michael Schiavo was mandated to provide an annual care plan for his wife—something he has never done. The parents argue that Michael Schiavo’s failure to provide the court-mandated annual care plan disqualifies him as a competent guardian. The parents petition outlines the reality that, despite the absence of a court-approved care plan, Michael Schiavo has persistently denied Schiavo any therapy, and has isolated her socially. Ultimately, Michael Schiavo wants Terri Schiavo dead. Michael has repeatedly called for a termination of his wife’s life by having her feeding tube removed—a battle he almost won in 2003 before Florida Governor Jeb Bush stepped in and created a new law to have her feeding tube re-inserted. The parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, say their daughter “reacts to them with tears and smiles and moves her head.” They believe she could be rehabilitated with new and aggressive therapy, discontinued early on by the husband.
The Schindler’s Petition seeks to challenge whether Florida law applies to Terri Schiavo while she lives, in other words, all prior court battles have focused on her “right to die.” If she is to live, her parents want the legal right to care for her properly, and to continue treatment they feel has benefited her. Visit the Schindler’s web-site: https://www.terrisfight.org/development.html