Defending Terri

"Where there is life, there is hope."

(Theresa Marie Schindler)

12/3/63 - 3/31/05

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. Genesis 1:27

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

SECTION 2. Basic rights.--All natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, to pursue happiness, to be rewarded for industry, and to acquire, possess and protect property... No person shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability.

Terri's Fight - The Hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida

While the whole world watched, an innocent woman was dehydrated to death. She had committed no crime. Those who knew and loved her begged for mercy from her estranged 'husband', from the court system, from the State of Florida, and even from the Congress and President of these United States. Across the country, many prayed, made phone calls, sent emails, and attempted to educate those around them and spur them to action. Some traveled great distances to peacefully protest in Washington, D.C., in Tallahassee, and at the hospice. It was our desire to be on hand to record the events at the hospice, and to show the scene as it would not be reported by the secular media. Our fervent hope was to be able to record the moment when the ambulance arrived to take her off to safety, and we are still stunned that it never arrived. We realize now that we have been in a deep sleep, while others have taken the burden of the battles - abortion, infanticide, euthanasia - on their shoulders. After Terri, we know that we must do all that we can to stop the march to death that is happening in our very own beloved country.

Terri's feeding and hydration tube was removed on the afternoon of Friday, March 18th. This date was chosen because the next week was school vacation in Pinellas Park, so the neighboring elementary school would not be 'disrupted' by any protests. We arrived at the hospice for the first time on Sunday, March 20th. We planned to only stay for a few hours, but once there, it was hard to leave. There were only a dozen or so protestors for life, and one for death. We watched the Schindlers arrive, only to be turned back by the checkpoint police because Michael and his family were in the room with Terri. After about an hour wait, the Schindlers were escorted in to see Terri. We learned that there were three checkpoints to be passed before entering her room. The Schindlers used the main entryway. Michael and his family and attorney had a back entryway to use, so they were not seen by us for the whole time there.

We fellowshipped at a nearby Baptist Church, whose pastor is the brother of David Gibbs, the Schindler's attorney. We spoke with Mrs. Gibbs after the service. They were hopeful that the action being planned by Congress and the President would result in her tube being reinserted by about 2:00 am that night. We left late that night, assuming that we would hear the good news by morning.

March 20 - Our first day.