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September 9, 2006

Media and Scientists Said 'Vegetative Brain Shows Surprising Activity' - Yet Court Refused Tests for Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo's parents respond to scientists discovery that PVS patients show brain activity.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- Newspapers and wire services today reported, 'Vegetative' Woman's Brain Shows Surprising Activity -- Tests Indicate Awareness, Imagination.

"According to all the tests, the young woman was deep in a 'vegetative state' -- completely unresponsive and unaware of her surroundings. But then a team of scientists decided to do an unprecedented experiment, employing sophisticated technology to try to peer behind the veil of her brain injury for any signs of conscious awareness.

The family of Terri Schindler Schiavo argued in court, pled to the public and the media, and petitioned lawmakers to allow similar tests to be preformed before making the irreversible decision to starve Terri to death. The pleas of the Schindler family were rebuffed by Judge George Greer, who became the final medical authority in Terri Schiavo's diagnosis. The decision was court-ordered starvation.

Terri's father, Robert Schindler, comments, "This new case is not surprising to our family. We are seeing a growing amount of evidence indicating that the diagnosis of 'Persistent Vegetative State' (PVS) is often misdiagnosed, resulting in dangerous and potentially fatal consequences for people with brain injuries, as documented in this new account of a brain injured woman. The danger of this diagnosis is that it is being used as a reason to kill innocent people with disabilities, like Terri. We believe that this PVS diagnosis is inhumane and it should be abolished."

Christian Newswire

Posted by Mary at September 9, 2006 7:08 AM

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• Woman Awakes From 'Vegetative State' After 6 Years (Updated) - Mar 08, 2007
• Experimenting with live patients - Oct 22, 2006
• Family of brain-damaged woman denied custody - Oct 19, 2006
• Whose ethics? - Oct 11, 2006
• No Longer in a Permanent Vegetative State - Oct 10, 2006
• Terri Schiavo's brother responds to misguided op-ed - Sep 21, 2006
• Why is Terri Schiavo always the exception? - Sep 14, 2006