Schiavo contends that his wife did not want to live through artificial means. But her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, argue that their daughter could improve with therapy. But Friday, Greer refused to further block his original order, issued in February , that the tube be taken out.
On Feb. She left no living will or written instructions on what treatment she desired if she were to become incapacitated -- the reason for the protracted legal battle between her husband and parents.
In a dramatic flurry of legislative activity the Republican Congress passed a measure that would empower a US judge to order the reinsertion of the feeding tube which Mr Bush rushed back to Washington DC from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to sign it into law. Shortly afterwards Mr Schiavo criticised Congress, arguing: "It is a sad day for everyone in this country because the US government is going to come in and trample all over your personal family matters.
Polls suggest most Americans agreed with him, suggesting that both Mr Bush and the Republican congress may have overplayed their hand. Surveys reveal that while the issue has divided the country, the split has not been even or predictable, with most of the public, including Christian conservatives, opposed to the involvement of both Mr Bush and Congress. Meanwhile civil rights leader Jesse Jackson earlier this week entered the fray to voice his support for the Schindler family.
The vote was carried with a significant amount of support from Democrats. However, polls show that opposition to the congressional measure and support for removing the tube has had bipartisan support. Meanwhile Mr Bush's ratings have taken a sharp plunge. The largest fall was among men, self-described conservatives and churchgoers, which form the core of Mr Bush's electoral base.
A spokesman for Gallup argued that "the timing of the seven-point drop suggests that the controversy over the Terri Schiavo case may be a major cause". He added: "Potentially arrayed against conservatives are elderly people, who vote heavily, as well as baby boomers, who always have numbers on their side.
These voters, increasingly concerned about these issues in their own lives, may well be wary of political constraints on the tough choices they or their families may face. Terri Schiavo collapses at home, the flow of oxygen to her brain is interrupted for five minutes, causing permanent damage.
Michael Schiavo and wife's parents fall out over care she is receiving. The parents later try and fail to have Michael removed as Terri's guardian. The U. Supreme Court declined to intervene six times. After an emergency session in Congress, President Bush signed a bill March 21 that allowed federal judges to review the case. They married two years later. For Schiavo, however, her life-long battle with bulimia continued. She collapsed at age 26, which is thought to have been brought on by a potassium imbalance caused by the eating disorder.
A funeral Mass, sought by the Schindlers, was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday. For that, we can be thankful for all that the life of Terri Schiavo has taught us. Six times, the U. Supreme Court declined to intervene. President Bush signed it March But the federal courts refused to intervene. Described by her family as a shy woman who loved animals, music and basketball, Terri Schindler grew up in Pennsylvania and battled a weight problem in her youth. They wed two years later.
After they moved to Florida, she worked in an insurance agency. But recurring battles with weight led to the eating disorder that was blamed for her collapse at Doctors said she suffered severe brain damage when her heart stopped beating because of a potassium imbalance.
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