Another Opportunity Taken to
Suggest: Unlike Terri Schiavo Case
By Carrie K. Hutchens
I was reading, "Brain-Injured
Man Speaks After 6 Years" by Malcolm Ritter, AP Science Writer,
(New York - Aug 1, 2007 -AP) and I just knew somewhere in the
article, it was going to suggest that this case was unlike Terri
Schiavo's. Had to read almost to the end, but as faithful as the sun
coming up every morning and going down every evening -- there it
was. "He noted that a similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo,
the Florida woman in a vegetative state whose care triggered
national controversy before her death in 2005. That's the typical
outcome for electrical brain stimulation in vegetative states, he
said."
Oh really?
But before we go
there, let's go to the marvelous miracle that a family and young man
have been blessed with. According to the article, "A brain-damaged
man who could communicate only with slight eye or thumb movements
for six years can speak again, after stimulating electrodes were
placed in his brain, researchers report.
The 38-year-old also
regained the ability to chew and swallow, which allows him to be
spoon-fed, rather than relying on nourishment through a tube in his
belly."
Ritter goes on to
report, "The man's brain was injured during an assault, he spent six
years with only occasional signs of consciousness and no useful
movement of his limbs. In an experiment, researchers implanted
electrodes in his brain for a procedure called deep brain
stimulation, which is routinely done for Parkinson's disease and
some other illnesses."
The unidentified
young man can apparently talk and recently recited a portion of the
Pledge of Alliance. He has also gained some mobility. All of this is
wondrous news and it does make one smile to read this quote, "But
the treatment has helped him, the man's mother said in a statement.
"Now, my son can eat, express himself and let us know if he is in
pain. He enjoys a qualify of life we never thought possible," she
said."
One can assume that
this mother once thought her son was lost to her, but she wasn't
ready to give up. Neither was Mary Schindler. Unlike Mary though,
this mother's child was given a chance to improve and survive.
While I am very happy
for this young man, his mother and the rest of the family, I remain
sad for Mary Schindler and her family. How could they survive such
an ordeal as to fight desperately for their child (sibling), only to
lose at the hands of misconception and deceit that painted Terri as
a hopeless and empty vessel not worthy of saving?
The propaganda
machines were hard at work forming a false picture and assumptions
in the public's mind. As a result, an innocent woman was executed by
court order in the State of Florida. An execution that began on
March 18, 2005 and ended on March 31, 2005. An execution that
involved the agonizingly slow and horrendously painful death by
starvation and dehydration. A death that is considered cruel and
unusual punishment if applied to criminals and animals, but
apparently quite acceptable when the victim is innocent and
disabled.
Returning to Ritter's
article, he writes, "Dr. James Bernat, a professor of neurology at
Darmouth Medical School who didn't participate in the new work,
called the Nature report exciting and important. Further study is
needed to shed light on how many patients would respond and how to
identify the minimally conscious patients with the best chance of
being helped, he said.
He noted that a
similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman in a
vegetative state whose care triggered national controversy before
her death in 2005. That's the typical outcome for electrical brain
stimulation in vegetative states, he said."
I wonder if Ritter or
Dr. Bernat ever read the article about Terri's treatment? I have.
"This city has
proclaimed today Terri Schiavo day.
Last year Mrs.
Schiavo, 27, suffered a loss of potassium in her body that caused
her heart to stop beating and resulted in a coma. She underwent
surgery, performed by Dr. Yoshio Hosobuchi of the University of
California at San Francisco in December, to implant a stimulator in
her brain.
The brain stimulator
implant was a success, said her husband, Mike. Mrs. Schiavo is
slowly emerging from the coma at the Mediplex Medical Center, a
neurological care center in Bradenton, he said. She will undergo at
least a year of speech, occupational and physical therapy."
What's that?
The St. Petersburg
Times is quoting Michael Schiavo as saying "the brain stimulator
implant was a success"?
They are quoting
Michael as saying that she is slowly emerging from the coma?
How interesting!
I guess what Dr.
Bernat meant when he said that similar treatment did not help Terri
Schiavo, was that it did not help save her life in the end. After
all, we do have it documented that Michael Schiavo stated the
implant was a success and she was emerging from the coma. Guess that
little bit of information became inconvenient some where along the
line and that's why it wasn't readily shared. It certainly wasn't
readily shared after the check was in the bank. Amazing how it seems
to have worked that way.
As the sun rises each
morning and the sun sets each evening, with a success story like
this young man's, we will no doubt hear the case is unlike Terri
Schiavo's. It must be said. How else can this society live with the
fact they allowed (or caused) an innocent woman to be starved and
dehydrated to death?
Yes, we must attempt
to paint the picture pretty so we can live with ourselves and
justify the horrendous murder of an innocent young woman named Terri
Schiavo. But the truth always reappears eventually -- just like this
seemingly forgotten article from the St. Petersburg Times.
Carrie Hutchens
is a former law enforcement officer and a freelance writer who is
active in fighting against the death culture movement and the
injustices within the judicial and law enforcement systems.
