This year marks six years since the tragic and untimely death of Terri Schindler Schiavo by dehydration and starvation at the hands of her husband. Life Legal Defense Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff want to honor Terri’s memory by once again remembering Terri on the anniversary of her death, March 31. We will never forget Terri, nor will we forget her family’s valiant efforts to save her life.
Life Legal was privileged to assist the Schindler family in the fight for Terri’s life and as the years go by we continue to receive calls from families in similar situations. New Life Legal Defense Foundation Board Member, attorney Brian Chavez Ochoa, litigated one such case on behalf of Suzanne Emrich. Life Legal provided model pleadings to Mr. Ochoa, who filed a petition with the Superior Court in the County of Fresno, California on behalf of Ms. Emrich. The petition requested that the court order nutrition and hydration restored to her cousin, Janet Rivera, who for nine days was denied food and fluids. The petition was granted, and Ms. Rivera’s life was saved.
Some of the referrals Life Legal receives come from The Life and Hope Network, formerly the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, http://www.terrisfight.org/. The Life and Hope Network stays in touch because they know Life Legal stands ready with resources to help save the lives of helpless and vulnerable people who are under threat of forced death, usually by dehydration and starvation. Bobby Schindler, who continues to fight forced death to honor Terri’s memory said recently of LLDF:
On behalf of my family, our sincere thanks go out to Life Legal Defense Foundation for their efforts recognizing that all life, regardless of age, illness or disability, has inherent worth and is deemed sacred in the eyes of God. May you continue with your vital work defending our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.
It bears repeating that one of the lessons we learned from Terri’s case is that should you become incapacitated by illness or disability, the person who is your decision maker could mean the difference between life and death. We encourage you to honor Terri’s memory by protecting yourself with a protective medical decision document. Please visit our website and review the pro-life Advance Medical Directive and other resources we’ve made available for your protection. [Pro-Life Advance Medical Directives]
Barbara Weller, an attorney who was very active in keeping Terri Schiavo alive wrote two beautiful articles about visiting Terri. The first took place on Christmas Eve, 2004. The second took place just before Terri’s death in March 2005.
The Schindler family released a statement immediately following her death.