Gator Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 In a victory for Michael Schiavo, a coroner who performed an autopsy on Terri Schiavo reported Wednesday that she suffered from an irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered as her parents insisted was possible. It also found no evidence that she was strangled or otherwise abused. advertisement "Her brain was profoundly atrophied," Jon Thogmartin, medical examiner for Florida's Pinellas-Pasco County, told a press conference. "There was massive neuronal loss, or death. This was irreversible and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons." “The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain," he added. Thogmartin was joined by Dr. Stephen Nelson, who described her condition as "very consistent with a persistent vegetative state," which is what Michael Schiavo and most doctors had contended was the case. Schiavo died March 31 at the age of 41, nearly two weeks after the feeding tube keeping her alive was removed by a court order sought by her husband, Michael Schiavo. LIVE VOTE Does the autopsy end the controversy? She was blind Thogmartin added that Terri Schiavo had been blinded by the injury and that all evidence indicated that she could not have survived without a feeding tube. “Removal of her feeding tube would have resulted in her death whether she was fed or hydrated by mouth or not,” Thogmartin said. In addition, the report said no evidence existed that Michael Schiavo tried to hasten his wife's death via drugs or other substances as her parents had alleged. But what caused her collapse 15 years ago remained a mystery. The autopsy and post-mortem investigation found no proof that she had an eating disorder, as was suspected at the time, Thogmartin said. Schiavo's death marked the end of a bitter, seven-year legal battle between Michael Schiavo and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, who desperately tried to keep her alive. Their efforts reached the halls of the Congress and made news around the world. Clues 15 years later? Neither Michael Schiavo nor the Schindlers have responded to the report yet, but on Tuesday Terri Schiavo's brother, Bobby Schindler, said his family was eager to see if the results would indicate what went wrong when her heart stopped beating for several minutes at her St. Petersburg apartment Feb. 25, 1990. The cause of her collapse has never been definitely proven, but testimony in a 1992 civil trial indicated that she probably was suffering from an eating disorder that led to a severe chemical imbalance and a heart attack. The Schindlers, though, don't believe she had an eating disorder and have accused Michael Schiavo of abusing his wife, a charge he vehemently denies. "Our family would really like to know what caused Terri's collapse," Bobby Schindler said Tuesday. "I don't know what they can and can't find 15 years after the fact. If we could get some of our questions answered as to how Terri ended up the way she did, that would be helpful." 'Smear campaign' alleged During the long legal battle, the Schindlers unsuccessfully sought an independent investigation of their daughter's condition and what caused it. Numerous abuse complaints to state social workers were ruled unfounded. Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, said Tuesday the Schindlers continue to engage in a "smear campaign against Michael to deflect the real issues in the case, which were Terri's wishes and her medical condition." "I think everyone who has followed the facts in this case knows there is no substance to those (abuse) charges, and I'm confident we're not going to hear anything differently from the medical examiner," Felos said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertip_co Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! He pulled the plug when she wasn't dying. He's a dirty bugger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! I still think that she was murdered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreeStandBowHunter Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! They did the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! The way I see it, her life ended Feb. 25, 1990. If God had meant for her to live, there would have been no need for the feeding tube, and other measures that were used to keep her "alive" for the next 15 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! Her husband did her a favor. Good to hear he was correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganHuntr1 Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! I agree 100 percent with AJ. Its good to hear he was correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! Revenge is "MINE"...thus sayeth the LORD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! [ QUOTE ] Revenge is "MINE"...thus sayeth the LORD [/ QUOTE ] Well said......It isn't my place to say who was right or wrong in this decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut_Buster Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! Whatever.. I think she should have been allowed to pass. I couldn't imagine my family keeping me alive or would i want them to if i was in that state for so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slugshooter Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! As much as I don't want this to turn into the same type of debate from a couple months ago like we had in the political room, I agreed with the decision but was apprehensive about how they went about it on the basis that if she could feel pain how awful it must have been to lie there and starve, but from what the autopsy reports conclude, she obviously had no state of being, she wasn't there, hadn't been there for years, was most likely blind, that is no kind of existence, her brain was atrophied and weighed half of what a normal brain should have. She is much better off now than lying there in a "persistent vegetative state". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TBryan Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! [ QUOTE ] The way I see it, her life ended Feb. 25, 1990. If God had meant for her to live, there would have been no need for the feeding tube, and other measures that were used to keep her "alive" for the next 15 years. [/ QUOTE ] My thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The way I see it, her life ended Feb. 25, 1990. If God had meant for her to live, there would have been no need for the feeding tube, and other measures that were used to keep her "alive" for the next 15 years. [/ QUOTE ] My thoughts exactly. [/ QUOTE ] Have to agree with this as well. My family has had to deal with being prepared for this with my step father having a high risk brain surgery today. His wishes are not to be kept alive like that in the event things go wrong, but from what I have heard one of his sisters has said she will not let them "pull the plug" if something happens. My opinion is that she has no rights. His wishes were made quite clear to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! All I'm gonna say is this: I am having my living will in order so my family won't have to go through this cr**. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BuckMaster058 Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Schiavo Autopsy backs husband!!! She's in a much better place and isn't suffering. How bout the rest of ya's would you want something keeping you alive. Me myself if I not doing it on my own I am not doing it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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