Family spokesperson: Schiavo feeding tube removed

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Terri Schiavo is staying at a Pinellas Park hospice.
A spokesperson for Michael Schiavo says Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed Friday.

John Centonze says a prayer service was held first, and that Michael called him to tell him the news after the tube was pulled.

"He was hard to understand," said Centonze. "He was pretty emotional, upset and crying about it. You know, he still loves her. That was the love of his life."

Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers, visited with Terri Friday morning at Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park, prior to the tube's removal, and Terri was read last rites.

Schiavo is expected to be able to live a week to 10 days without her feeding tube.

Flurry of legal activity

Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court Judge George Greer denied two U.S. House of Representative emergency motions Friday, which allowed the tube's removal.

More on Schiavo
	Click here for a case history. Click here for a story about the Schiavo protestors.

The first motion was to intervene in the case by the House Committee on Government Reform and the second motion was to modify the order of the removal of the feeding tube.

"These issues have been important in federal court for five years, and that fact that you choose, your committee chosses to do something today doesn't create an emergency," said Greer.

Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, was upset the motions were brought up in the first place.

"What we experienced today in the subpoena issued by the United States House of Representatives is nothing short of thuggery," said Felos. "It was an attempt to intimidate and coerce the treating physicians in this case, the healthcare providers in this case, and Mr. Schiavo. It was an attempt to intimidate and coerce them from carrying out the lawful court order, which they did. It is absolutely shocking that according to the House of Representatives, any committee member or subcommittee member can issue a subpoena directed to any American forcing them to have medical treatment to have medical treatment against their will."

Felos said he is disgusted by legislators' handling of the situation.

"She [Terri Schiavo] has become nothing more than a cause for certain elements to prove their political prowess and political power," said Felos. "They should be ashamed of themselves."

The reinstatement followed a decision by a Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida judge to temporarily block the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube minutes before the scheduled 1 p.m. removal time.

Earlier Friday, the U.S. Senate Health Committee requested Schiavo, her husband Michael and doctors involved appear before them March 28.

It's possible an appeal in the case could be heard by the Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland.

A neurologist appeared at Terri Schiavo's Pinellas Park hospice center Friday with a TV screen to show video of patients he treated that were in worse condition than Schiavo and got better.

Greer denied the motions to delay the removal of the feeding tube.
That procedure happens when all state remedies have been exhausted and state action is going to take the life of a person. The federal court has a right to step in and review the process.

Michael Schiavo says Terri, 41, wouldn't want to live in this condition, while her parents think she can be rehabilitated.

Protestors on both sides of the issue were outside the hospice all day Friday.

Local Congressman reacts

U.S. Representative Jim Davis of Tampa spoke out Friday about the legal maneuvering by politicians.

"This is a tragic situation that we all hope we never have to go through," said Davis. "One of the few things that makes this worse is for the politicians to inject themselves into this. I think this is wrong and this is something between Terri Schiavo and her family. It's being resolved in the courts to keep the politics out. It's about Terri's will. It's about God's will. It should not be about the will of the United States Congress."