12 life&hope | lifeandhope.com A Life That Matters: The Legacy of Terri Schiavo Paperback, $14.99 on Amazon.com n marking the fourteen–year anniversa- alive in their imaginations in particular.” ry of the release of “A Life That Matters: TheI Legacy of Terri Schiavo,” co-author New, paperback copies can be ordered Bobby Schindler is excited to announce 24/7 on Amazon.com, by searching for the book’s permanent paperback availabil- “A Life That Matters: The Legacy of Terri ity through Amazon.com. S c h i a v o .” “I wrote the story of my sister’s fight along “I’m always interested in hearing reactions — Annual Report of the& Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network with my family in the weeks and months and especially questions — from readers. life hope following Terri’s death. This book is one I invite anyone to reach out to me anytime 2020 Edition | lifeandhope.com way I hope Terri’s life and witness can by emailing me at bschindler@lifeandhope. continue to positively impact lives. Young com. I’m grateful and hopeful that this people, in particular, didn’t experience my book can be a gift for people, especially family’s fight and my sister’s witness first- within the pro-life community, to under- hand. For so many of the youngest people stand someone whose name has become I speak to, Terri’s story is simply a history an indelible part of American history.” lesson. This book is a way to bring her Fake News: Media Still Paints Judge Who Ordered Terri Schiavo’s Death as the Victim Continued from page 5… A Beacon of Light agenda to the extent that it is now com- been), it was only a matter of time until no longer met the prevailing societal status mon practice to starve and dehydrate the the cognitively disabled were labeled as for personhood, so how dare his parents The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network joins Catholic Healthcare International's effort medically vulnerable in all fifty states as incapable of possessing moral equivalency. fight to provide their son unconditional, well as in an alarming number of countries Consequently, the radical notion of “let- life-affirming care? to restore Christ–centered healthcare to America worldwide? ting them die” when they are not dying is morally justified and it becomes a cultural There are many in the media and legal Examine Terri’s case, which made inter- obligation to put them out of their (and community who continue to honor Judge national news more than fifteen years ago. our) “suffering.” Even if that means killing Greer and attempt to portray him as the Unbeknownst to my family, but evidenced these persons by denying or removing victim and even a hero. However, for my by the enormous amount of push-back we what was once considered the most basic family, his decision to deliberately starve received and their success in killing my sis- care—food and water. and dehydrate my sister to death—based ter, a persuasive medical ethics movement largely on hearsay testimony—is anything had already indoctrinated our culture. Consider the case of Vincent Lambert, but honorable. Indeed, the new norm is that the brain- who has recently been killed in France. injured (and others) no longer should be The court rulings, the reporting by the Terri was the victim, not Judge Greer, considered “persons,” deteriorating into a media, and all of the justifications and because it was Greer who denied her the category of the “sub-human.” reasons to end his life were eerily similar most basic right that our laws are intended to what my family experienced. Sadly, to protect: her life and her liberty. Once this premise was accepted (and it has Vincent’s disabled condition meant that he Also In This Issue: • Bearing Witness: Terri's 14th Anniversary follow us on Facebook by visiting • Texas Testimony lifeandhope.com • Vincent Lambert, ‘France’s Terri Schiavo’, Put to Death by French Courts Helping families fight for those who cannot fight for themselves L&H News 2020.indd 2-3 11/18/19 2:55 PM 2 life&hope | lifeandhope.com Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network Annual Report 11 121) permits patients to order their future Annual Report selves to be refused “food and water” — The Vincent Lambert Case The Network in Numbers… even if they willingly eat, perhaps even if Statement from the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network Regarding the they ask caregivers for sustenance. That’s death of Vincent Lambert homicide by neglect. essence, the attitude Don’t take my word for it. The influ- Vincent & his ? that we need a way to A ential bioethicist Thaddeus Mason Pope mother Viviane Headquarters: Philadelphia remove undesirable A A wrote about the law: A ? Even after we stop offering food and persons whom those fluids, other problems may arise. Most prob- in power decide have A lematically, the patient may make gestures or a ‘quality of life’ insuf- Top 5 Donor States: utterances that seem to contradict her prior ficient to justify their Pennsylvania • Ohio • Florida instructions [to be starved]. Does such com- existence. In practice, New York • California 2019 Revenue 2019 Expenses A munication revoke the advance directive? the right to euthanasia A recent court case from the Netherlands will always be primar- Individual Gifts 52% suggests the answer is “no.” Once the patient ily a right for the state K reaches late-stage dementia, she is unable to to euthanatize its most Years in Operation: 14 knowingly and voluntarily revoke decisions vulnerable citizens.” Programming 90% she made with capacity. But the answer Schindler continued, remains uncertain in the United States. “Vincent has touched Grants 42% In other words, Pope believes that a and will continue to touch countless lives PHILADELPHIA, July 12, 2019 — The n court could one day rule that an advanced and our love for him matters. He will Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network is Total Patients & Families Served: dementia patient isn’t “competent” to want remain forever a witness to the truth that Speaking Honorariums 5% Administration 9% grieving with Vincent Lambert’s par- 3,000+ Events 1% to eat. human life is precious, and that we are all Miscellaneous 1% ents on this sad day. The death of Vin- Of course, the point of such advo- members of one human family. Vincent’s cent Lambert is tragic as he suffered a cacy isn’t really starvation but convincing loving, courageous, and outstanding par- National Crisis Lifeline: 855-300-4673 (HOPE) or [email protected] needless and inhumane death despite people to allow intentional overdosing ents have already ensured that politicians, his parent’s willingness to provide him of these vulnerable patients by doctors. judges, and governments will have a more the basic care and unconditional love After all, if we are going to end their lives, difficult time attacking the next Vincent (Hard Number of Cases in 2019 at time of publishing: 179) he deserved. Case Summary the reasoning goes, we should at least do Lambert and his story will save many oth- In this sampling of 2019 Network cases, actions 2019 Action to respond after being administered the it humanely. If we accept the propriety of ers from a similar fate. taken are reflected on graph at right. Family privacy drug, Ambien. intentionally ending dementia patients’ “Vincent’s precious life will “Vincent’s precious life will always obliges us to omit names and change locations. Assigned in-house or lives based on their prior instructions, that always shine brightly, even shine brightly, even after his death, and he handled by the Network 59% Michigan – Physician seeking support in argument certainly has emotional appeal. will be remembered as a child of God and Arizona – Mother called regarding her son his effort to hold clinicians responsible for Accelerating advocacy for legalizing after his death, and he will as a chosen instrument that will remind us who was diagnosed “brain dead” within what he believed was the intentional end- euthanasia is pushing us toward making a that the unspeakable injustice of inten- two weeks of experiencing a brain injury. be remembered as a child of ing of a family member's life. stark choice. We can decide that assisted tional killing of persons with disabilities Hospital was pressuring mother to re- Assigned to an attorney 23% suicide is an acceptable response to human God and as a chosen must stop.” move her son’s life-sustaining treatment. Florida – Daughter contacted us regard- suffering, allowing people to die — but instrument that will remind Assigned to an ethics specialist 11% ing her mother. Hospital is pressuring her also unleashing gravitational forces of The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network South Carolina – Woman contacted us us that the unspeakable Assigned to a physician 7% father (who is her mother’s caretaker) to logic that will lead inexorably (over time) upholds human dignity through service about her friend with cancer and that her hasten her death due to the hospitals pes- to a broader killing license, including of injustice of intentional to the medically vulnerable. insurance denied her continued treatment simistic “quality of life” outlook. the killing of dementia and mentally ill believing it wasn’t effectively treating her she is responding to the treatment. killing of persons with patients as advocated by Kious and Bat- condition. Oklahoma – Daughter contacted us tin. Or, we can focus instead on suicide disabilities must stop.” New York – Woman seeking help for her regarding her father who has been bat- prevention in all cases. Such caring takes North Carolina – Supporter contacted friend who made the decision to end his Vincent’s death was eerily familiar to tling diabetes and congestive heart failure more time, commitment, and resources, us with the encouraging news of a brain life by removing his ventilator.