I keep thinking of how tragic the whole Shiavo situation is. This personal tragedy has been turned into a circus. I really hope that her life and all the suffering were not in vain. Thou I am not "happy" that she is dead, as some have suggested, I am glad that she has passed on to a better place - a place with no political pundits using her as a football.
Initially, as a mother, my heart went out to the Schindlers - I couldn't imagine outliving a child. But then as time passed I stopped believing that what they were doing was for the good of their daughter. I realize everyone grieves in their own way, but as of late, they seem more motivated by selfishness and greed. Maybe they just got caught up in all the attention, I don't know. What I do know is that they have a chance to change some lives and prevent this tragedy from being repeated. I hope that take it. They have the attention of the whole nation. Take it to Honor Terri by helping others:
Educate families on eating disorders. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (
http://www.NatioanlEatingDisorders.org):
In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Approximately 25 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder
How about fighting for Medicare? (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/news/epaper/2005/03/31/m1a_infusion_0331.html)
Every month Wanda Mench receives a life-saving infusion of a plasma protein that boosts her weak immune system. The 46-year-old has primary immune deficiency disease, which means that for her a common cold can easily develop into a deadly pneumonia.
But as of Friday, changes by Medicare mean that the infusion will become too expensive for doctors to give to their Medicare patients. Wanda is on Social Security Disability and has no other health insurance, so the move essentially cuts her off from the much-needed treatment.
"She'll eventually get something she can't fight, and it will kill her," Heather said. "It's frustrating because this is so beyond my control. I'm not ready to lose her yet."
Or Fighting for Stem Cell Research? http://www.stemcellresearch.org
[Exert from 2002 Court Decision on Schiavo & Medical reports]
The real issue in this case, however, deals with treatment options for Terry
Schiavo and whether or not they will have any positive affect so as to
"significantly improve her quality of life". The treatment options essentially were
the vasodilatation therapy offered by Dr. Hammesfahr and the hyperbaric therapy
proposed by Dr. Maxfield. While none of the doctors are really involved in stem cell
therapy, it was discussed at great length by each of them. Perhaps one of the few
agreements between these experts is that stem cell research is currently at the
experimental stage and is years away from being accepted either medically or
politically. It would not appear from the testimony that this is a viable treatment
option at this time.
Something good could have come from all of this and I hope it does.