Terry Shiavo

Terry Shiavo was a young female, who became sick after she had an accident in which left her brain dead for the rest of her life. Her husband, Michael Shiavo was her caretaker and was later appointed as her legal guardian on June 18, 1990. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/schiavo/). This was a struggle for Mr. Shiavo, as it would have been for me and many others. From this point on, Mr. Shiavo knew that he had a hard and long struggle dealing with the fact that his wife, whom he loved, is now brain dead, and he is the one left to care for her and make medical decision on her behalf. Her family was there for her also, and this is how all of this became a problem between Mr. Shiavo, and Terry’s’ parents Mr. and Mrs. Schindler.

Mr. Shiavo was doing his job as a caretaker for his wife, taking her to get the necessary treatment that she needed and required, and really and truly sticking by his wife in such a rough circumstance. He stated that “my wife had said she would never want to be kept alive if she were in a vegetative state”. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/schiavo/). He was just honoring what she had wanted to do if this type of situation would ever happen, and he was obeying what she wanted. I have to totally agree with him, and how he tried and did take care of Terry. It gets hard on families and also it can take a toll of them when there is a sick family member who is in need of 24 hour care. Ethically, I see that Michael was right; however I am also in limbo to where I think he could have turned Terry’s custody over to her parents, even though he did honor what she wanted. Sometimes families find themselves in a comfort zone by trying to come to peace with there loved ones by sitting there with there loved ones while they are on the machine. I couldn’t imagine this struggle between Terry’s family and Michael.

The main fight was about Michael removing the feeding tube in May 1998, which would result in allowing Terry to go on and pass away. That fight went on for many of years. On “July 29, 1993”, Terry’s parents wanted to take custody of there daughter. After so long, being in a vegetated state, there was only so much that her family, doctors and her husband could do for her. The way I feel that Michael felt, was that he has done just about everything in his power that he could do to keep his wife alive. I believe this situation took a toll on his life, and that pulling the feeding tube was the last resort for him, being that he had also been suffering all of those years trying to do the right thing and go above and beyond to care for Terry, even though her family wanted custody of Terry, and did not agree with Michaels decisions.

Being that what Terry Shiavo apparently would have wanted to be kept alive by a machine/feeding tube, there was nothing written down on paper and there was no proof that she actually said that, but the say so lied in the hands of Michael, also known as “advanced directives” (pg. 402) . This is where the courts got involved. Legally when there is no proof, there has to be legal actions taken to help resolve the problem between two parties. Guardianship is a big responsibility for anyone who is appointed to that position. There are many struggles that come behind it.

In my findings, I have read so much up on the Terry Shiavo story. From what I understand from reading, their marriage was on the brinks already. When this accident occurred, it was mentioned that she was talking to one of her co-workers and also her brother about how her marriage was in trouble. This is where a light goes off in my mind, and this is why I am in agreement with her husband but then again I find myself in limbo about his decisions, because of what I have read up on doing this report. I ask myself is this really why he wanted to take the feeding tube out? Then on the other hand, I find myself thinking, why would he have went