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Schiavo autopsy report backs husband
Medical examiner says she suffered from ‘irreversible’ brain injury
TAMPA, Fla. - 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.
“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.
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
Do you people realize that this woman was able to eat and drink without the feeding tube as long as someone helped her? If you spoon fed her food or gave her a drink with a straw...she ate and drank. These things were denied her and she starved to death. Would YOU be able to do this to YOUR child, your MOTHER, your father?
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
Someones feeding you a mouth full Mama, everything I've read is that she would have likely choked on any food if feed through her mouth. Either way half her brain was gone. And answer to your question, I would be barbaic and selfish not to.
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
Hey listen, there are better ways than this. Aside from the fact that she was ABLE to eat and drink with assistance but this was denied her as she starved over those 2 weeks. Her Mother was warned by a police officer that she'd be immediately arrested if she tried to feed her bottled water. I cant imagine the horror of that and never ever ever would I allow my child to go thru it. The average human uses about 1/1000th (if that) of their brain tissue. I think she was quite well aware on SOME LEVEL about what was happening to her...even if its on the equivalent level of an animal...starving to death is just horrifying. I'm sure she knew she was being slowly killed.
If it was my baby and there was nothing else I could do...if the courts etc cut off all my other options well heck I'd visit the nearest drug-dealer corner and get a sufficient quantity of nicey-nice meds to send her off on a peaceful sleep without starving her for 2 damn weeks.
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
Like my 4 yr old boy who also has feeding troubles...she can move food in her mouth and swallow it...but in very small amounts. she isnt/wasnt able to do this enough to sustain life...hence the feeding tube. A session of feeding them is actually considered to be "oral-motor therapy". She could do it, just not enough.
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
now what if she herself wished not to ever live like that?
I wouldn't want my family feeding me through a tube in the hope that i'd spring to life when new cures are discovered in 2040 and by 2080 the HMO's recluctantly allow it as a 'reasonable and necessary' medical expense..
Re: Schiavo autopsy: irreversible brain injury and would not have recovered
Yes I do agree with all that sheet. But really, the way she was sentenced to die was so inhumane that its illegal to do to an animal here in these US of A's. I cant get over it, watching a person slowly starve to death?????? CHRIST, give her a major shot of morphine or something....you're killing her anyway, gadammit. why turn it into a2week long circus of suffering? If that was my child, I'd not hesitate to risk being jailed for the rest of my life for murder...just to avoid that horrifying experience. I'm still so appalled at that whole thing.
