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Schiavo 'down to last hours'
26/03/2005 08:28 - (SA)
Pinellas Park, Florida - The judge who ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed refused late on Friday to disqualify himself from the case, after the brain-damaged woman's parents desperately launched a last-ditch effort to save her life.
Bob and Mary Schindler's lawyer, presenting fresh evidence in Pinellas County Circuit Court, attempted to show that their 41-year-old daughter is aware of her surroundings, and had attempted to articulate a desire to live.
Judge George Greer said he would rule by noon on Saturday on a second motion in which the Schindlers say their daughter tried to articulate a desire to live.
"You heard him say he will try to rule before noon, and I expect him to keep that deadline, but don't be surprised if he doesn't," court spokesperson Ron Stuart said.
Hours earlier, Bob Schindler said his severely brain-damaged daughter was "down to her last hours", after entering her second week without food and water, while his attorney said in a new legal appeal that Schiavo recently tried to say she wanted to live.
Bob Schindler walked slowly out of the hospice here after visiting his daughter, whose feeding tube was removed March 18 under a court order requested by her husband.
"Terri is weakening, she is down to her last hours," he said. "Something has to be done and has to be done quick."
Schiavo's parents this week have lost numerous court battles, including one at the US Supreme Court, against her husband, Michael Schiavo, who says his wife told him she would not want to be kept alive artificially. Her parents say she has a chance of at least a partial recovery if given the proper therapy.
'I want to live'
But in the latest motion from Schindler's lawyer, David Gibbs, attorney Barbara Weller stated:
"Mrs Weller told Mrs Schiavo that this whole matter could end if Mrs Schiavo could articular one sentence: 'I want to live.'
"In the presence of Suzanne Vitadamo (Schiavo's sister) and Suzanne's aunt, Mrs Schiavo attempted to verbalise that sentence. She managed to articulate the first two vowel sounds, first articulating 'Ahhhhhh' and then virtually screaming, 'Waaaaaa.' She became very agitated but could not complete the vocalisation attempted."
The injunction states the attempted vocalisation "is significant with regard to the question of Mrs Schiavo's end of life wishes".
But outside her hospice about 100 demonstrators, many of them Christian conservatives, appeared resigned now to her likely fate as some wore black clothes in a sign of mourning on Good Friday.
"I'm praying for her to rest in peace," said Raymond Simmons, a 35-year-old soldier from Tampa, Florida.
A 10-year-old boy and eight other people were detained as they tried to bring water to Schiavo into the hospice. Ten people, including three children, were handcuffed and taken away Wednesday trying the same thing.
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