Friends, many of you were with us during the battle for Terri Schindler Schiavo's life five years ago. We're delighted that the foundation established in her name continues to the good work and will commemorate her death with a "Life and Hope" concert:

Country Legend Randy Travis Headlines the April 11 show in Indianapolis with Opening Act Collin Raye 

The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation is excited to announce the first annual Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert to be held at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This concert showcases two award-winning Country stars in a rare appearance together on the same stage! It promises to be a fabulous music show, long to be remembered by country music fans! The concert comes just days after the fifth anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death and will benefit the Foundation established by her family.

With one of the most recognizable voices in country music and over twenty-five years on the country music charts, Randy Travis is one of the top-ten selling solo country artists of all time. Collin Raye has produced five Platinum Albums, and fifteen #1 hits. But perhaps the closest to Collin's heart is his granddaughter, Haley, who is afflicted with a rare degenerative brain disorder. Collin has worked tirelessly to help find a cure for Haley and has helped other families who are faced with similar situations.

The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert will be Sunday, April 11, 2010, 7 PM at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, IN. Tickets are now available through LiveNation.

Funds raised through ticket sales and sponsorships for this event will allow Terri's Foundation to honor her legacy in many ways. Most importantly, it will allow the foundation to continue protecting the lives of vulnerable persons who are in jeopardy of having their lives hastened.

"I see that all the time," he continued, " and it simply is not true. They say that she was on artificial life support, without explaining to people what artificial life support means. There's this perception out there that Terri was on a machine - that people like Terri need machines to keep them alive."

"It's still being reported by the mainstream media," Schindler told CNSNews.com on Thursday. "There's things that are being said that were simply not true."

Terri Schiavo died in March of 2005 when a Florida judge ordered the removal of her feeding tube, a move that was requested by her then husband, Michael Schiavo who had custody of her. The case made headlines and was the subject of a public feud on right to life issues. Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler had fought for two years to try and prevent their daughter's death.

Bobby Schindler claimed that the autopsy report following his sister's death showed that she was in good physical shape when her feeding tube was removed, and that the pathologist indicated that Terri could have "quite easily lived a normal life span."

"Terri died because we took away her food and water," Schindler stated, "just like we would all die if our food and water was taken away."

"It took almost two weeks."

According to Schindler, the media continues to report that Terri was brain-dead, that she was on artificial life support, and that she was unresponsive and blind.

"These are simply not factually correct," Schindler stated to CNSNews.com. "It's patently false. If Terri were alive today she could be here to 'March for Life' with us. All she needed was a wheelchair, and we could have taken her anywhere. But there's the perception out there that these people basically need to be bed-ridden, and that they are unable to be taken anywhere. It's just not true."

The family of Robert Schindler, Sr. releases the following statement:

Robert S. Schindler, Sr., of Gulfport, Florida, father of the late Terri Schindler Schiavo, passed away August 29, 2009 from heart failure at Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Robert fought valiantly to save the life of his brain- injured daughter Terri in the landmark right to life case that culminated in her imposed death by court-ordered starvation and thirst on March 31, 2005. After Terri's death, along with his wife Mary, daughter Suzanne (Schindler) Vitadamo and son Bobby Schindler, he founded the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation in St. Petersburg dedicated to supporting other families faced with the same need to fight for the rights of their disabled or otherwise vulnerable loved ones.

Robert was born in Philadelphia on October 23, 1937 and was 71 years of age. Proceeded in death by his daughter Theresa Schindler. He is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Suzanne Vitadamo (Michael), son Bobby Schindler and granddaughter Alexandra.

A Mass of Christian burial with visitation preceding will be scheduled to take place in Philadelphia, PA. Times and location will be announced at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, 5562 Central Avenue, Suite 2, Saint Petersburg, FL 33707, phone (727) 490-7603.

Jill Stanek and LifeNews have more.

"Mr. [Derek] Humphry said the network's protocols were deliberately written to avoid illegality. 'The person does everything themselves,' he said. ''They don the hood. They tie it around their neck. They reach forward. They turn on the gas.'''

Quoted in yesterday's New York Times. Humphry is chairman of the "Final Exit Network's" advisory board. The group promotes Humphry's suicide manual, "Final Exit."

Two weeks ago I wrote about "Alleged Assisted Suicide Ring Busted." If you're interested you can find out what my take on the Final Exit Network at http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/Feb09/nv022709.html.

The assisted suicide lobby has no more faithful friend, no more aggressive advocate or vociferous cheerleader than the Times. We've long since come to expect that the publication whose motto is "all the news that's fit to print" would only print news about assisted suicide that says it "honors" patient's wishes and avoids having it done "underground or covertly, with hushed tones," as Barbara Coombs Lee, the president of pro-euthanasia Compassion and Choices, told the Times yesterday.

Robbie Brown's "Arrests of Right-to-Die Officials Focus New Attention on Assisted Suicide" is far more balanced than the usual legalize-this-now-or-you-are-an-uncaring-cad malarkey we are accustomed to reading in the Times. Having read the 1,104-word-long piece you'd know, for example, that "Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation [GBI) say the network, which says it has 3,000 dues-paying members in the United States, actively takes part in suicides, an act that is illegal in every state except Oregon and Washington."

And that ''The law is clear, and they clearly violated it,'' said John Bankhead, a spokesman for the GBI. And that, according to the group's literature, "members receive services including 'counseling, support and even guidance' on suicide, in exchange for an annual $50 fee."

Ever more significantly the story lets the reader know early on, "The arrests raised questions about whether the group, which has helped some 200 people commit suicide since 2004, merely watched people take the leap into death, or pushed them over the edge."

As you know from our account and the Times story yesterday, an investigator with the GBI posed as a cancer patient. The Network agreed to help him commit suicide and actually went through a dry run.

'''Mr. [Thomas E.] Goodwin [president of the group] got on top of the agent and held down both of his hands,' Bankhead told the Times, "which investigators say would have prevented him from removing the mask if he had changed his mind during a real suicide."

The eight-month-long investigation began when the family of a Georgia man, John Celmer, who committed suicide in June, got suspicious. Celmer's wife, Susan, found one of the letters he had sent to the Final Exit Network "as well as release forms he had signed for the group," the Los Angeles Times reported.

Eventually, four members were arrested, included Goodwin, and medical director, Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert. They were charged with assisted suicide, tampering with evidence, and violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.

The group is arguing their actions were above board. ''Assisted suicide is Jack Kevorkian putting a needle in someone with a deadly substance,'' Jerry Dincin (who became the network president after the arrests) told the Times. ''We provide information that we think is protected under the First Amendment.''

As for Goodman's actions, Humphry said members (called "exit guides") do often hold the person's hands "but for support, not restraint."

How do they die? By asphyxiation. A hood (the "exit bag") is placed over their heads and helium is pumped in until the patient loses consciousness. Death can take 10 or 20 minutes longer.

So, how "discriminating" was the Final Exit Network when approached by people asking to be assisted to die? "Of the 200 applications for death, Dr. Lawrence Egbert approved them all," the Atlantic Journal-Constitution reported over the weekend.

Stephen Drake of the group Not Dead Yet, cut to the chase. "It's like approaching somebody who is on the ledge of a building and giving them a shove instead of pulling them back."

A new documentary about the life and death of Terri Schiavo presents facts that the mainstream media distorted. Schiavo was killed in a painful starvation and dehydration euthanasia death over the course of nearly two weeks when her former husband won a court order to kill her.

Though the media maintained the disabled woman was in a persistent vegetative state experts say she was in a minimally conscious state and her family indicated she repeatedly interacted with them.

Now, Franklin Springs Family Media has put out a newly-released documentary called The Terri Schiavo Story that it says provides previously unexplored facts of the case through in-depth interviews with participants in the saga.

The documentary is hosted by author and speaker Joni Eareckson Tada, who became personally involved in the case in 2005 and is herself disabled because of a diving accident.

more here

The family of a 12-year-old New York boy is entangled in a legal fight with Children's National Medical Center over whether doctors can cease life support because they believe he is brain-dead.

The dispute involves Motl Brody of Brooklyn, who was diagnosed with a severe form of brain cancer. The boy has been under the care of the Northwest Washington hospital for about six months. His tumor grew progressively worse, and doctors there pronounced him dead Tuesday night after tests showed no signs of brain activity.

His parents, Eluzer and Miriam Brody, are trying to prevent the hospital from taking him off life support because they say their faith does not define death as cessation of brain function alone. The parents, Orthodox Jews, have retained a lawyer who says that the boy's circulatory and respiratory systems are functioning, although with mechanical and other assistance.

BlogsforTerri remembers...

We've learned many things, or at least realized and appreciated more deeply truths that were rarely tested. Life is precious and its value is independent of a person's capabilities or health status. All individuals, no matter how severe or hopeless their illness, have the basic right to nursing care, emotional support, food, and water. Our critics have a hard time understanding that diminished capabilities or suffering does not change the dignity of the individual's life.

Many have adopted a utilitarian standard on which to evaluate the acceptability of a person's life. Severe brain damage is therefore seen as dehumanizing rather than just disabling. When we asserted that Terri's life was intrinsically valuable, antagonists responded viciously, caustically attacking in the most vile and aggressive manner. Again, we were surprised.

Although Michael Schiavo has received his fair share of criticism, the battle is not about him. He could be a faithful and caring husband or the devil incarnate. Neither scenario adds to or detracts from the fact that Terri Schiavo was killed, her life purposefully ended following the ruling of a U.S. Court. Michael was no doubt exploited by euthanasia activists and was a useful pawn in their pro-death agenda. Perhaps one day he will come to regret his decision to end his wife's life and his unfortunate role in the rise of euthanasia and his position as an icon of the movement's progress.

Although many of our friends (understandably) responded in despair, we were delighted that others pressed forward, realizing that the lessons of Terri's life and death provided an understanding of greater truths, of the grace of God and the value He places upon each individual. Truth brings hope and hope produces vision.

We are seeing vision from individuals who have suffered the most vitriolic criticism of all, the Schindler family. Their steadfastness during this week of extreme exposure is simply inspiring.

BlogsforTerri remains committed to the battle, beginning with education and promotion. Look around you and consider the future of your loved ones. How many will be subjected to the coming storm of active euthanasia if we don't do something now. Next time it will be easier. It always is.

Let the injustice of Terri's death build within us a resolve to protect the weak and defenseless and fight for the dignity of human life.

Jack Kevorkian, who spent eight years in prison for his role in an assisted suicide, will take on another crusade Monday: a race for Congress....

Kevorkian, 79, is expected to run as an independent. He was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder in the Sept. 17, 1998, death of Thomas Youk, 52, of Waterford. Youk had Lou Gehrig's disease. Kevorkian has said he participated in at least 130 assisted suicides during the 1990s. He was released from prison in June.

The Delaware Pro-Life Coalition is leading the fight to keep Lauren from being murdered by order of the state. They organized a prayer vigil yesterday afternoon near the Arbors Rehab Center in New Castle, DE [map]. If you would like to help out, the point of contact is Bess McAneny, 302-593-7876, bmcaneny@aol.com.

The Family Research Council is providing a first class meeting facility just a few blocks from the annual March for Life, the massive pro-life event which draws tens of thousands of pro-lifers (some estimate the crowd at well over 100,000) . A morning session is scheduled before the March with over a dozen well-known pro-life speakers including Kevin McCullough (MC), Jill Stanek, Judie Brown, Eric Scheidler, Barbara Curtis, Dawn Eden, Phill Kline, Michael New, Michael Illions, Maggie Datiles, Michelena Fredenburg, Peter Shinn and Rep. Chris Smith.

Yes, it will be action-packed and lively!

An afternoon session from Noon to 4 PM will be held in a luxurious room close to the Capitol building overlooking the March for Life. Internet access will be provided for live-blogging and a 50-inch flat screen monitor will broadcast the Rally and March for Life as it occurs. In addition, several pro-life leaders will be available for interviews and commentary.

If you plan to attend, please let us know by registering at Blogs4Life.com. Space in the afternoon session is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

More Information: Blogs4Life.com

read the rest

As dozens of pro-life advocates rallied outside, assisted suicide crusader Jack Kevorkian delivered an angry and rambling speech. Although he can only talk about euthanasia in a limited fashion, he advocates the legalization of assisted suicide and blasted President Bush, calling him a tyrant.

"I am a physician. I knew how to do it. ... I did it humanely," Kevorkian told 4,867 students and faculty.

(...) "We have a criminal group in Washington. We have a bunch of cruel dictators," he said. "Everyone should refuse to vote. That would send the tyrant a message."

(...) Kevorkian, who was paid $50,000 for his speech, said assisted suicide was a medical procedure -- something the law shouldn't be concerned with it.

(...) "It's got to be decriminalized and the law has to step out of the picture," said Kevorkian, wearing his signature blue sweater.

He told the audience that he would be violating the terms of his parole to discuss euthanasia in an expanded sense. His attorney, Mayer Morganroth looked on during the speech.

However, he said that Greece and Rome used assisted suicide and said the ancient cultures are ahead of ours, even though America exists in a modern time.

The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation was critical:

The Terry Schindler Schiavo Foundation also submitted a petition with more than 5,000 signatures asking UF to cancel the speech. The foundation was established after the death of Terry Schiavo, a Florida woman who died in 2005 after being removed from a feeding tube in a high-profile battle between the woman's husband and her parents and siblings.

"My concern is this, you are paying a convicted murderer $50,000," said Bobby Schindler, Terry's Schiavo's brother. "It is poor judgment that would allow this man to speak."