Terry Shiavo
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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. (
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”. (
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