And if she was looking the other way, i would stand there and say, terri, its mommy. She would turn right around and look at me, okay . Right at me, and nobody believed me. Well, thats their problem. Gentle Choral Music she was there. She could hear me. She knew i loved her. She wanted to be there. Gentle Choral Music hi sweetheart. Hi. It doesnt matter what was wrong if she just laid there for the rest of her life. All i wanted to do was love her and take care of her. Hi babe. But then everything changed. Terri. [interviewer] you got a letter in the mail. Do you remember what the letter said . Just that they wanna kill my daughter. dramatic music [news reporter] the battle over Terri Schiavo has come to involve state judges, federal judges, the Supreme Court, the congress, and even the president of the United States. [voiceover] you have to understand what the fear of death is. What are you so afraid of . Why do we feel so negative and so helpless . We are afraid of the unknown. [pastor] god determines when life begins and when it ends, not anybody else. Shes not a vegetable and she needs to be loved. Why do you wanna kill her . [protestors] Let Terri Live. Let terri live. Let terri live. Terri schiavo, a woman that most americans have never heard of. Let terri live. Let terri live. Now at the center of another cultural debate in america. [protester] this is the rise of christian fascism. Let her die in peace Escalator WhirringFootsteps Tapping gentle music [anita] i covered the Terri Schiavo case for the tampa bay times, and it really, really resonated with everybody. It seems to me like this case is starting another debate. When does life end . We now define life with squiggles of Electrical Phenomena and pieces of paper, and this case shows us our own feelings about our mortality. We are afraid to let her go because we are afraid of our own mortality. You know, who is to decide what is a good life and whats not . And i think that everybody has their own view on that. I would never pull the plug on anybody, because theres always the chance that they might be alive again. Even if somebody, even if a doctor tells you that they wont be. I think there is eventually a better life for people, but they need to move on to that better life, so i believe very much in pulling the plug. And so when i was writing, i struggled a little with whether it was a righttodie case or a right to life case. Totally different, but it was both of those things. Birds Chirping gentle music Traffic Rumbling i first heard about Terri Schiavo back in 2000 when i got an anonymous tip that i should go to a certain courtroom to see a trial that was about to start. It was in probate court, which is generally people you know, dealing with wills and, you know, people, what happens after they die, so i didnt know at all what it could be, and so i just kind of wanted to sit down and just listen for a little while. lawyer and judge Speaking Faintly and i had never seen anything like it. lawyer Speaking Faintly terris very difficult to take care of. She needs a lot of care. It was this family that was divided. [lawyer] and provide oral evidence. [anita] bitterly divided over this woman, terri. To say indistinct after her accident, she couldnt talk. And so they were trying to basically piece together what she wouldve wanted. lawyer Speaking Faintly you know, it was this whole trial about someone who wasnt in the courtroom. [lawyer] have you noticed any improvement in theresa schiavos mental condition . No. Ever . No. [anita] and everybody wanted to know what terri was like. I believe she understands. I believe that she knows that im there. The schindlers were positive that she was conscious, that she was thinking and feeling. She started tracking me with her eyes. But Michael Schiavo was confident that she was gone. [production staff] you ready to roll, fred . Ready . I am. Okay. Speeding here. You know when it gets into this story, sometimes you lose the perspective of time. This has been going on for a very long time. 10 years. Is there any way to express what these 10 years have been like for you . Somebody that i loved, gentle music somebody that i adored was taken away, ripped out of my life, and to see her in this condition, its awful. Static Buzzes after it happened, i remember going to visit her, and how emotionally upset i would get when i would see her like that. I guess when you see the movies, you see someone in a coma and then the next day they wake up and everything and theyre fine. You know, i didnt understand anything about brain injury, so theres probably part of me that thought that, okay, one day im just gonna walk in and terris gonna be, hey bobby, how you doing . gentle music People Chattering Faintly and when that wasnt happening, yeah, i mean that was tough. Because i knew terri before that as, i mean, just funloving, wonderful sister. Gentle Music Continues growing up, we were very close. We were just 13 months apart. Some referred to that as being irish twins, so terri and i were kind of joined at the hip. He followed her everywhere. He just followed her around all over the place. laughs we had three children. Terri was the oldest, my shy one. She had a couple friends, but not a lot. And she gained weight all the way through high school. I remember terri kind of struggling with her weight. She stayed in more. She liked to draw. She had a passion for animals. She would talk about wanting to work at a zoo, eventually becoming a veterinarian. After she graduated high school, she started to lose weight, and she just became more extroverted. Really a different person. And then she was getting attention from men, and thats ultimately how she met michael. Gentle Choral Music she was 19 when they were engaged, and 20 when they got married. When michael asked to marry her, she was just overjoyed. I, theresa, take you michael, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. gentle music it was in our lady of good council, our parish. Michael wasnt catholic. He had to get a special dispensation to marry terri in the catholic church, and i remember, just a lot of dancing, you know, just a typical wedding. people cheering and clapping celebrate good times, come on were gonna have a good time tonight lets celebrate id like to thank my mom and dad and michaels mom and dad. We had a really good time. I hope Everybody Else had a good time. And what else . Say something. We love you both very much. Yeah. Thank you. People Chattering smooth music i told myself i was ok with my moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms. With my Psoriatic Arthritis symptoms. But just ok isnt ok. And i was done settling. If you still have symptoms after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. Rinvoq is a oncedaily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling in ra and psa. Relieve fatigue for some. And stop joint damage. And in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. Rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. Serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. People 50 and older with a Heart Disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. Done settling . Ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. And take back whats yours. 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To me, they were like ken and barbie. They decided to tie the knot and move here to sunny florida. They were just happy newlyweds that were looking forward to sighs a wonderful life. gentle music when terri and michael moved down to florida, that really precipitated all of us moving, cause they went first and now we gotta go because shes down there. laughs back then, we were all so close, and michael was part of the family. Terri was very happy. She kind of came into herself through florida. I did terris hair the day before she collapsed. And when it happened, i was just, i was devastated. Everybody was just heartbroken. She was ready to start her life. Water SplashingTraffic Rumbling so that was their apartment right there. I lived just, maybe, i dont even think its a quarter mile from here. So when i got the call, i was here within minutes. I just grabbed my keys and just threw a pair of shorts on and was here pretty fast. It was such a traumatic event that is something you just dont forget. Tell me about that night, that Early Morning in 1990. Yeah, i was asleep and i heard a thud, so i ran out to the hall, jumped outta bed, ran out to the hall, and found terri laying on the floor. I picked her up in my arms and i was holding her and i was shaking her. I was like, terri, talk to me. Youre scaring me. Terri, talk to me. And she wouldnt respond. Her neck and her arms and everything were just limp. So i laid her back down on the floor. I ran over and i called 911. When i got to the hospital, the mood was very grim because nobody seemed to know what happened, other than she went into cardiac arrest, and she had been without oxygen for a very long time. Its called anoxia, and i remember them telling us that she was gonna have a significant brain injury. She couldnt talk and she couldnt walk. But what happened to her . Somebody just doesnt fall down and collapse without a reason. They were trying to understand why her heart would just arbitrarily stop like that, so i think they were looking at her imbalances in her system. Because her Potassium Level was so low, they thought that could have been an indication that there was some type of eating issue. I never suspected it. I was out with terri a lot, but at the time it sounded plausible. I didnt think she had an Eating Disorder, but i think maybe she did. You know, over the years she lost a significant amount of weight. When youre with a client, youre not six feet away. Youre right up in peoples face, i mean right next to her, and youre touchin em, and its very intimate. She didnt look healthy to me. She seemed a little bit dark around the eyes. I believed there was a problem there, but she definitely kept her secret from me, and i think she kept her secret from mike, too. [doctor] its chocolate, terri. Is she much of a Chocolate Lover . [michael] she was more into fruity flavors. [doctor] what do you think about this, theresa . Device Buzzes can you hear that . Device Buzzes they said that she was in a Persistent Vegetative State. Pvs. mouse clicking the definition of pvs is no interaction, response, unable to communicate in any way. Terri Moaning all right, relax. Itll go away. Itll go away. During that time, i just remember all the focus was on trying to get terri help and getting her rehab and try to improve her condition. terri moans itll go away. Relax. terri moans itll go away. It was stressful. You know, michael was going through a lot, but he was doing just what he needed to do to try and help terri get better. gentle music she is young, beautiful, and trapped in a coma. Her only hope, experimental treatment. No doctor can tell me that theres no hope, cause i know shes in there. Shes just having problems coming out. We heard about the doctor in california that did these brain inserts. [news reporter] doctors in california Plant Electrodes at the base of the brain of coma victims to stimulate damaged brain cells. He brought her home, but they had a thing that you had to turn. This is the button you push. Just take it up at 1. 9. [mary] and it was very complicated, but he learned all that. [michael] now, terri, youre supposed to sit up. [mary] and walk out of here. He was very dedicated. Michael was very dedicated to her. Theresa, theresa, theresa. Michael and i, we got along very well, and we needed each other. Both of us were taking care of her. Michael, he would spend half day with her. Tell you what, see the big duck sticking out . Its nice out here, huh . Stretch up. Hopefully those pathways to the brain will be reestablished. [bobby] it was gonna be expensive to care for terri to cover what she was gonna need to help her. Rehab, therapy, doctors. Theresa, theresa . Cant see any scanning. And once the insurance runs out, youre only provided a certain amount of days of rehab. Once thats exhausted, you either do it yourself, find a way to pay for it, or they gotta be put in a nursing home and basically get warehoused. So michael filed a Malpractice Lawsuit against terris previous doctors, their Family Doctor and her gynecologist, because it was felt that they could have prevented her collapse. Terri had been seeing her doctor with regards to trying to get pregnant, and the doctor should have caught her Eating Disorder because they should have seen her chemical imbalances and therefore may have been able to address that before anything happened. They awarded 700,000 that was put into a trust fund for terri that was supposed to be used for her care therapy rehabilitation. But the relationship with michael abruptly changed after the settlement came in. Michael felt differently about terris care and decided that he wasnt gonna spend any more money on terris rehabilitation. [michael] sit up. There you go. Sit up in the chair. Sit up in the chair. He said that he came to the realization that terri was no longer gonna improve. He said that he was terris caregiver. Hell be making decisions and he basically informed my parents at that time that they were no longer gonna be part of the her care moving forward. Bye, bye cough. Later Chest Congestion. Hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours not coughing . Hashtag still not coughing . mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from Chest Congestion and any type of cough, day or night. Mucinex dm. Its comeback season. Liberty mutual customized my Car Insurance and i saved hundreds. With the money i saved, i started a dog walking business. Oh. [dog barks] no its just a bunny only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. With 30 grams of protein. Those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. Ahh, here, ill take that. Woo hoo ensure max protein 30 grams protein, one gram sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients for immune health. he hits his mark center stage and is crushed by a baby grand piano. Youre replacing me . Customize and save with liberty bibberty. He doesnt even have a mustache. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. At changed your mind . Ou need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. For four years, i thought she was in there. I believe she knew me and then she needed to get an eeg done, so i took her to a neurologist. He did the eeg on terri, and after the eeg was done, he pulled me into his office and he sat me down and he looked me right in the face, and he told me, she died four years ago. dramatic music i exhausted everything i could do for terri. Doctor after doctor, after doctor, and all of the rehab. The Brain Stimulator did not work. I had a meeting with all the doctors, and they said that this is terri, theres nothing more they can do for her. Then it was starting to sink in. Terri will never be terri ever again. Gentle Choral Music what . Terri Croaking what, baby . What . You know, we didnt know what michael was doing or not doing for terri. We just knew that we werent gonna be part of his life anymore. And then everything changed in 1997, when my parents received the letter. dramatic music Waves Splashing we knew that michael didnt believe terri could get any better, but we were totally blindsided by that letter. It was from michaels attorney. The gist of it was michael wanted to remove terris feeding tube. This portion of the tube is actually in the patients body going into the stomach, and then this end is attached to the feed like this. Terri, she wasnt able to swallow food, so that feeding tube was keeping her alive, and then michael was trying to actively end terris life to kill her. Thats when we knew it was gonna go to court. That was it. We never spoke to him agai