By, Schindler Family

Information Services

(Editor's Note: The following statement was issued in response to a brief written statement issued by Michael Schiavo to the press Monday. The text of Mr. Schiavo's statement is contained within the CNSNews.com story from which readers accessed this document.)

"We, the Schindler family, wish to respond to the statement of Michael Schiavo published by the media on October 20, 2003. Mr. Schiavo's statement is an exercise in self-justification that completely rewrites the true history of his efforts to have our Terri put to death by starvation and dehydration.

"Here are the facts that Mr. Schiavo has hidden in his statement:

"Terri, on Mr. Schiavo's orders, has had no therapy of any kind since the Fall of 1991.
"At a medical malpractice trial in November 1992, Mr. Schiavo swore to the jury that he would devote any jury award to Terri's care and rehabilitation and he promised under oath that he would take care of Terri for the rest of his life.

"After securing an award of over $700,000 for Terri's care, Mr. Schiavo did an about-face, and has spent the last 10 years in a determined campaign to cause Terri's death.

"This campaign began within a few months of the malpractice award, when, in mid-1993, Mr. Schiavo had a 'do not resuscitate' order placed in Terri's medical chart.
In June of 1993 Mr. Schiavo refused to allow treatment of an infection Terri had developed, later admitting under oath that he expected the infection to progress to a fatal sepsis that would kill Terri.

"In 1995, contrary to his promises to the jury that he would honor his marriage vows, Mr. Schiavo, who still pretends to be Terri's 'loving' and 'grieving' husband, began living with another woman, by whom he has conceived two children out-of-wedlock. He calls this woman his fianc'e9e, even while his wife Terri lays starving and dehydrating to death in hospice for the terminally ill---to which he consigned her three years ago so that she would receive no therapy.

"It was not until 1998, when Mr. Schiavo hired Mr. Felos, that Mr. Schiavo suddenly 'remembered' that Terri had made some vague remarks about not wanting to be sustained on anything 'artificial' if she became incapacitated.

"When he promised the malpractice jury back in 1993 that he would take care of Terri for the rest of his life, Mr. Schiavo said nothing to the jury about Terri not wanting to be sustained on anything 'artificial.'

"Mr. Schiavo's crocodile tears and his statement that 'I struggle with' the Court's order to starve and dehydrate Terri defy belief. That order is the end result of Mr. Schiavo's utter determination to see Terri dead so that he can marry his 'fianc'e9e.'

"Even though he has no Court order authorizing his actions, Mr. Schiavo has not only removed the feeding tube that has sustained our Terri for 13 years, but has also ordered that no attempt be made to feed Terri by mouth, even if she could be trained to take sustenance orally.

"On Saturday, October 18, 2003, one of Mr. Schiavo's team of lawyers refused to allow our Terri to receive her final Holy Communion. This lawyer would not even allow Msgr. Malanowski to place a miniscule piece of the Host on her tongue. Perhaps Michael fears that if Terri can swallow a piece of the Host, the whole world will know he is starving a helpless woman who can take sustenance by mouth.

"Mr. Schiavo has spent the great bulk of Terri's malpractice award on legal fees for Mr. Felos, in an effort to have Terri killed. He spent nothing on Terri's therapy and rehabilitation---contrary to the promises he made to the jury, under oath, more than ten years ago.

"We cannot allow Mr. Schiavo's lies to go unanswered. We pray that God will see to it that justice is done and that our Terri's life is delivered from the clutches of this ruthless man, who dares to pretend that he is grieving with us over what he has done to Terri."
Robert Schindler, Mary Schindler, Robert Schindler. Jr. and Suzanne Schindler

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