What was wrong with Terri Schiavo?
According to her doctors, 41-year-old Mrs Schiavo was in a “persistent vegetative state” (PVS) – with severe brain damage but not in a coma – for some 15 years. Her husband, Michael, who was her legal guardian, says that before she became incapacitated she would never have wanted to live this way. However, she did not leave a living will – written instructions on what to do if she was unable to communicate her wishes. People in PVS have a normal heartbeat and can breathe independently, but their awareness of their surroundings is highly debatable. Because of this uncertainty PVS lies in a legal grey area – unlike brain stem death or the heart stopping which clearly mark the time of death. Mrs Schiavo’s parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, insisted that she was not in a “vegetative state” and have witnessed and videotaped her with eyes open, moving her head from side to side, and apparently responding to stimuli. Court-appointed doctors say these motions are involuntary and she has shown no
