Position Paper The Silent Witness: The Case of Theresa Shiavo

The case of Theresa Shiavo gained national attention because it was an extremely controversial subject. Following a collapse in February 1990 of heart failure, when she was only 26 years old, Terri had been in a coma for three months. When she regained consciousness she was in the generally unresponsive state in which she would remain for 15 years. She remained on a feeding tube to keep her alive. Her husband, Michael Shiavo, stated that it was not …

…really not the issue here. The issue is "how" we let her die. Works Cited Didion, Joan. The New York Review of Books: The Case of Theresa Shiavo. June 2005. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18050. MSNBC. June 15, 2005. Shiavo autopsy shows irreversible brain damage. Associated Press. Newman, Maria. Yardley, William. The New York Times. March 2005. www.nytimes.com/2005/03/31/national/31cnd-schiavo.html. Press Release. Terri Schindler-Shiavo Foundation. Schindler Family Statement on Medical Examiners Report. June 2005. www.terrisfight.org.