Contact: Bobby Schindler, Co-Executive Director, Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, 855-300-4673
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 25, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ — It is not insignificant that a question about the state-sanctioned, court-ordered death of Terri Schiavo by dehydration made it into the top tier of questions at last night’s Republican presidential debate.
Although Terri Schiavo’s death occurred in 2005, what happened to her continues to take place every day in health care facilities across our nation. Indeed, the courts and the pro-euthanasia movement used her case as a catalyst to advance policies that ultimately contributed to the debate surrounding “Obamacare.” Every candidate missed an opportunity last night to make this important connection.
We are grateful to and recognize the two candidates who attempted to defend Terri’s right to life, although further clarification of her medical condition is warranted as this debate continues. Terri Schiavo was not dying, she was not in a coma, and she was not brain dead. Terri was not on a respirator, nor was she in a vegetative state. Terri was a woman with a brain injury who needed assistance with nutrition and hydration through a feeding tube.
The elderly, persons with cognitive disabilities, and other medically vulnerable individuals continue to have their medical rights denied every day, with some facing decisions by health care institutions to withdraw basic care, including food and water.
“These lives need to be defended and protected, and we applaud former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for recognizing the obvious by saying last night: ‘We offer federal safeguards for condemned murderers, why not a helpless woman whose parents just want to care for her for the rest of her life?’” said Bobby Schindler, Co-Executive Director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network and Terri’s brother.
“We also applaud Senator Rick Santorum for standing by Terri and our family in 2005, calling for judicial review and stating during last night’s debate that he ‘would do it again,’” added Schindler.
According to the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, approximately 20 million Americans, nearly seven percent of the U.S. population, are affected by some form of brain injury. Among them are hundreds of thousands of people living with conditions similar to Terri’s, including members of our military returning home with traumatic brain injuries. Now more than ever, our country needs a president who respects life at every stage and is willing to protect the most vulnerable among us.
The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping persons with disabilities and those who are incapacitated or facing potentially life-threatening situations. For more information visit: lifeandhope.com.