| Regional Center for Independent Living
1641 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610
http://www.rcil.org/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2004
For more information, contact C. Jean Penner, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, at 585-442-6470 v/tty, or 585-797-7260
Green Ribbon Ceremony at RCIL Will Celebrate the Life -- and Right to Live -- of Terri Schindler-Schiavo
The Regional Center for Independent Living (RCIL) will host an outdoor green ribbon ceremony on Friday, June 4, 2004, in honor of the controversial struggle to preserve Terri Schindler-Schiavo's right to live. The cermony will be held at RCIL, 1641 East Avenue in Rochester, at 12 noon, to commemorate Terri's half-birthday. It will be free and open to the public.
Those who attend will receive green tartan ribbons; part of a national campaign to raise awareness of this issue. The color green symbolizes life, while the tartan pattern symbolizes the diversity in human life, which includes -- and embraces -- disability. Additional ribbons will be available at RCIL for members of the community, free of charge; donations will be accepted by RCIL for the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation.
This national observance -- the Life Ribbon Campaign -- encourages community supporters to wear the ribbons until Terri comes home to her family.
In 1990, Terri Schindler-Schiavo collapsed in the home she shared with her husband, Michael Schiavo. The cause of her collapse is unknown to this day. Terri receives food and water by way of a gastric feeding tube; and a battle rages currently in Florida courts, in which her husband is demanding the removal of the feeding tube, while her parents are fighting for her right to live, and challenging his right to act as her guardian.
Terri originally fell into a coma but awakened from her comatose state weeks later. She was left in what medical professionals call a "locked in state" with limited abilities to communicate or move.
To this day, Terri remains disabled. Though she is responsive to stimuli, interacts with her environment and her loved ones and is capable of communicating in limited ways, she is a disabled and vulnerable adult -- requiring protection, therapy and the route to recovery. RCIL's ceremony to honor her life will acknowledge the reality in our society that disability is too frequently equated with a "better off dead" presumption; and that this has sobering
implications for all Americans with disabilities.
"Despite any particular physical or mental impairments, life is our most precious gift," states Todd Eggert, Executive Director of RCIL, "and with this effort, RCIL is choosing to positively support Terri's right to life. Given that she is showing responsiveness and recognition of loved ones, how can anyone question that right?"
During the first months that followed Terri's mysterious collapse, she made progress. Medical practitioners noted her efforts to speak and her responsiveness. Terri, however, has not received meaningful therapy since 1991 on the orders of her husband. In 1998, Terri's husband made his initial petition to the circuit courts of Pinellas County, Florida to end her life by removing her feeding tube. If he had been successful, Terri would have died of dehydration and starvation over the course of 10 to 14 days. Terri's parents are fighting her husband, saying that her wish -- if she were able to speak -- would be for therapy and rehabilitation, rather than death from dehydration and starvation.
In the most recent developments, over the objections of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a Florida state appeals court has sent this case to the state's highest court. The Florida Supreme Court will hear the case filed by Terri Schiavo's estranged husband seeking to overturn a law Bush signed -- Terri's Law -- that saved her life.
The Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal approved a motion put forward by George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is Michael Schiavo's lawyer, asking the appeals court to let the Florida Supreme Court decide the case. But attorneys for the governor say they want the case halted while the issue of whether Michael should have the authority to speak for Terri is resolved.
Governor Bush also said that Michael's interests may conflict with Terri's, implying it may be appropriate to appoint a new guardian on her behalf. But, Felos said the matter is so important that the state's high court should decide the case.
The appeals court agreed and, in granting Felos' request, denied the Bush team an opportunity to gather further information showing that Terri would not want to be killed.
The Florida Supreme Court can either take the case or tell the appeals court to hear it and issue a ruling before deciding to hear the lawsuit.
Last August, the Florida Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal filed by Terri's family of a local judge's order allowing Michael to remove Terri's feeding tube.
For more information and actions to take please refer to the
following links:
http://www.terrisfight.org
http://www.cogforlife.org/schiavo.htm
http://heavenlyhands.net/terrislinks.html
http://www.prayforterri.net
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C. Jean Penner
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Regional Center for Independent Living
1641 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14610
585-442-6470 v/tty
www.rcil.org
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