Currently, food and liquids are being refused Terri Schiavo. They are being refused by Michael Schiavo. They are not being refused by doctors. They are not being refused by nurses. They are not being refused by the hospice facility in which Terri is being treated. The Florida Legislature, US Congress, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and US President George W. Bush are not refusing her access to food and liquids. The Florida state courts, federal 11th Circuit and the US Supreme Court are not refusing her food and liquid. Only one person is refusing to let her have nutrition, and that is her husband, Michael Schiavo. As her caretaker, this is his right under certain conditions.

The medical condition attributed to Terri that allows this to occur is called "Persistent Vegetative State." Commonly refered to as PVS, this means that Terri is incapable of any activity other than basic involuntary actions such as breathing and a heartbeat. As a PVS patient, Terri should not be able to respond to any commands. She should be unable to show emotional responses to people, situations, music or happenings around her. She should be unable to swallow food. In short, as a PVS patient, Terri Schiavo should be capable of breathing, meaningless grunts and groans, drooling, and virtually nothing else.

Nurse Heidi Law has stated that she has witnessed Terri saying the words, "Mommy," "Momma," and "help me." If Michael is right, then Nurse Heidi Law is a liar. Nurse Law also testified in an affadavit that she had fed Terri Jell-o and given her a wet washcloth with ice chips, seeing both voluntary swallowing and emotional response. This too must be a lie, and a lie under oath in a legal document at that, if Michael Schiavo is correct.

Nurse Carla Sauerlyer says she heard Terri say "pay" in reference to pain when she was in discomfort. She also says she has heard "Haaii/Hi," "Mommy," and "help me." She says she heard Terri say "help me" hundreds of times. If Michael is right, then Nurse Carla Sauerlyer is a liar.

Terri's Mediplex records state that Terri said "stop" in reference to one medical procedure being done to her. If Michael Schiavo is correct, then these records have been falsified.

Terri's family members have reported hearing Terri say "ugh-hugh" meaning yes, "ugh-ugh" meaning no, "yea" which she reportedly re-learned to speak in 2002, and "no." If Michael Schiavo is correct, then Terri's family members are liars.

If Michael Schiavo is correct, and Terri Schiavo is indeed in a persistent vegetative state, then none of these spoken words are possible, and voluntarily swallowing Jell-o is likewise impossible.

Being unable to eat voluntarily is very important. As long as Terri cannot be fed by mouth, then nutrition must be provided through medical means, this being a feeding tube that leads directly to the stomach. Withholding medical care from a PVS patient would logically, and presumably ethically, include such feeding. If, however, Terri can be fed by mouth, then refusal of such feeding would be neglectful.

The actual PVS condition is important, as well. If Terri Schiavo is merely brain-damaged, but is still capable of speaking, eating, recognizing family members, emotional response and responding to commands, then her life cannot simply be terminated at the will of her caretaker. One cannot simply refuse nutrition to a person, even if the person's mental state is that of a child.

There are no claims that Terri's condition is terminal. She is not due to die because of her condition. She is not brain-dead. She is not on a respirator. She is not in a coma. She is, Michael says, a PVS patient. PVS is the only condition claimed which would allow Michael to withhold nutritional care and let her die.

If Terri Schiavo is indeed in a persistent vegetative state, videos of her following a balloon with her eyes would have to be faked. If Terri Schiavo is in PVS, videos of her responding to, and speaking to, her mother would have to be faked.

Lying nurses. Lying family. Faked videos. Falsified affadavits. Falsified records.

So, is Michael Schiavo right?

Hard to say.

That's why I fall on the side of life.

This post has been crossposted at Blogger News Network