Is Terri Schiavo in a Persistent Vegetative State?
The court refers to Terri Schiavo as being in a persistent vegetative state, but what does that really mean? According to the Florida Statutes, Persistent vegetative state means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is: (a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind. (b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment.8 As noted above, Terri Schiavo currently cannot feed herself or interact with her environment in the ways that most people take for granted. However, she does not lie in her bed without any cognitive behavior. For example, Mrs. Schiavo recognizes her family members, can blink when asked to, and exhibits emotions such as smiling.9 Nevertheless, the courts have deemed these simple actions insufficient to qualify as cognitive behavior. Furthermore, a recent medical study suggests that current medical diagnoses of patients in persistent vegetative states may be inaccurate. According to a stud
