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This spring, following reports that the drug zolpidem can temporarily revive people in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) to the point where they are able to speak, the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation called for a moratorium of all potential ordinary care removal for persons diagnosed in a PVS condition.
Now, a British study published in the journal "Science" shows the results of brain imaging testing using fMRIs on a 23-year-old woman who had been diagnosed PVS, indicating startling signs of awareness. For the first time, scientists have been able to show that patients who have been diagnosed as being PVS are actually aware of their environment and can communicate.
This recent finding and other studies in the past demonstrate the dangers of this subjective and often incorrect diagnosis. A report released by the British Medical Journal in 1996, found that 43% of the diagnosed cases of PVS they studied were, in fact, misdiagnosed.
Syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman' has written a controversial column entitled "Playing Vegetative Mind Games" which appeared in the Boston Globe. Boston Globe - Playing Vegetative Mind Games which attacks the recent British study.
Bobby Schindler, brother of Terri Schindler Schiavo who was put to death last March by judicial order because she had been labeled PVS, responded to Ms. Goodman.
Ms. Goodman:
I read your recent column, "Playing vegetative mind games".
The lengths that you and many of your colleagues continue to go to in order to somehow justify the barbaric killing of my sister, Terri, are truly sad and in my opinion a tragic reflection of how you and those that think like you have truly misplaced your humanity.
What is so profoundly frightening about what you wrote is the effort to use this scientifically inaccurate persistent vegetative state (PVS) label to indiscriminately decide when it's permissible to kill those that are disabled. As you pointed out in your column, there are tens of thousands of people that have experienced a brain injury. The idea that certain lives have somehow lost their meaning because they exist in this so-called PVS, which according to you, is some type of "horrifying" state of consciousnesses or lack thereof (not quite sure how you or anyone would have knowledge of this) is equally alarming. It is this form of lethal bigotry that my family battled in our efforts to get help for my sister.
Recently, a British research study concluded that the PVS diagnosis is in fact misdiagnosed more than 40% of the time. Recognizing this finding along with this most recent discovery, and others similar to it, one with any common sense would have to agree that using the completely subjective PVS "diagnosis" as the basis to kill the disabled is clearly outrageous.
Incidentally, I find it remarkable how the voice of disabled community has been all but ignored by most of the popular media. Why are the persons that are truly in harm's way, the disabled, rarely mentioned? There were thirty (30) local and national disability organizations that publicly spoke out on behalf of Terri, yet their voices have been silenced.
It seems to me that in spite of your opinion (and many in the mainstream media for that matter) the general public is just not agreeing with what you and so many morally misguided individuals are promoting. Fortunately, good people know the fundamental difference between right and wrong, and have compassion for those that are most vulnerable. Regardless of these dehumanizing labels, they realize that preying on the brain injured is not a way of showing kindness, nor is it some form of altruism, but rather a selfish and cowardly act by those who justify in their minds that the killing of the weak and voiceless is somehow "okay".
It comes down to this Ms. Goodman, and it's really very simple - it's not up to you or anyone to decide.
Perhaps if you ever had the opportunity to care for someone like Terri you would understand why your article is so offensive not only to her memory and my family, but also to the tens of thousands of brain injured persons that you claim to speak for.
Bobby Schindler
Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation
5562 Central Avenue, Suite 2
St. Petersburg, FL 33707
727-490-7603
www.terrisfight.org
P.S. I thought it would be helpful to you to include the names of the medical professionals, many being distinguished neurologists, who either believed that Terri was not in a PVS or could have been helped if Michael Schiavo and/or the courts would have permitted it (all of their affidavits submitted to Judge George Greer can be accessed on www.terrisfight.org).
Perhaps your next article might make mention of them.
1. Dr. Jay Carpenter
2. Dr. Fred Webber
3. Dr. Jacob Green
4. Dr. Alexander T. Gimon
5. Dr. William Scott Russell
6. Dr. Joseph L. Brunner
7. Dr. David L. Coulter
8. Dr. David Hopper
9. Dr. Beatrice Engstrand
10. Dr. Alyse Eytan
11. Dr. Harry Sawyer Goldsmith
12. Dr. William M. Hammesfahr
13. Dr. Paul Harch
14. Dr. Carolyn Heron
15. Dr. Lawrence Huntoon
16. Pamela Hyink, SLP
17. Dr. Jill Joyce
18. Dr. James P. Kelly
19. Dr. Philip R. Kennedy
20. Dr. Kyle Lakas
21. Dr. Peter J. Luca
22. Dr. William Maxfield
23. Dr. Peter J. Morin
24. Myra Stinson, CCC-SLP
25. Dr. James Avery
26. Dr. Ricardo Senno
27. Dr. Stanely A. Terman
28. Dr. J. Michael Uszler
29. Dr. Richard Weidman
30. Dr. Jon David Young
31. Dr. Thomas Mark Zabiega
32. Dr. Ralph Ankenman
33. Carla Sauer Iyer, RN
34. C. Johnson, CNA
35. Heidi Law, CNA
36. Sara Green Mele, MS, CCC-SLP
37. Dr. Laurie Barclay
38. Dr. Rodney Dunaway
39. Dr. George Isajiw
40. Dr. Leonard P. Rybak
41. Dr. Richard Neubauer 9-19-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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