Contact: Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, 727-490-7603, info@terrisfight.org

MEDFORD, N.Y., April 12, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network is honored to announce that New Beginnings Community Center of Medford, NY, will be dedicating their center to the memory of Terri Schindler Schiavo.

New Beginnings is a state of the art outpatient rehabilitative facility for Veteran's, Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors and other cognitively and physically disabled persons. It is designed to provide rehabilitation, management and recovery services in an exceptional, stimulating and safe environment.

"We are dedicating New Beginnings Community Center in Terri Schindler Schiavo's memory," said Allyson Scerri, New Beginnings Founder and President. "This is our way of honoring Terri's memory, her battle for proper treatment as a cognitively disabled person, and all others who did not have the chance for rehabilitation," she added.

"We are truly blessed by the vision of New Beginnings Community Center. We believe that this grand opening will set an example for health care facilities across the country to begin to fully understand that just because someone experiences a cognitive disability, and their physical appearance may change, their human dignity does not," stated Bobby Schindler, Executive Director of Terri's Life & Hope Network and brother of Terri Schiavo.

One of the goals at the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network is to partner with care centers that provide assistance for brain injured individuals and support for their families.

"This is a very special event for our family and our network. We are delighted to know that New Beginnings will be a great resource and safe haven for those that have experienced a brain injury. The underlying message is that there always remains hope for these patients and their families," stated Suzanne Vitadamo, Director of Development of Terri’s Life & Hope Network and sister of Terri Schiavo.

"We remain optimistic that this will be the first of many extended health care facilities to embrace a 'safe haven' concept of care which will not deny any treatment or therapy to the cognitively disabled and traumatic brain injury survivors," Vitadamo added.

The family of Terri Schiavo will be participating in this special dedication, at the grand opening on Sunday, April 17, 2011 in Medford, New York at 1:00 PM. To learn more about New Beginnings Community Center, visit their website www.nbli.org.

All are invited for an afternoon of entertainment, great food, and special guests. It will be an excellent opportunity to tour the new state of the art facility and meet the people of New Beginnings, their providers, and special guests.

The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network was established by the family members of Terri Schiavo to protect the rights of people with cognitive disabilities. It has communicated with and supported more than 1,000 families, and has been involved in hundreds of cases since Terri's death. Terri's Life & Hope Network was the recipient of the Gerard Health Foundation Life Prizes Award for their efforts in protecting the value and dignity of the profoundly brain injured. You can visit Terri's Network (terrisfight.org) to learn more about their life saving work.