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Cover Story

Dancing on her grave

by Judi McLeod, Canada Free Press.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Toronto-- The right-to-life versus dying-with-dignity battle over Terri Schindler Schiavo exploded back into life on Monday, bursting back to life from the unlikely scene of a cemetery.

"at the burial site of Terri Schiavo's cremated remains, Michael Schiavo used a bronze grave marker to list Feb. 25, 1990 as the date his wife died," laments Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Washington-based Christian Democracy Coalition (CDC). "Feb. 25, 1990 is the date Terri Schindler Schiavo experienced a still unknown event that left her severely mentally disabled. Terri Schiavo actually died March 31, 2005, nearly two weeks after her feeding tube was removed by court order."

In a story that laid human emotion raw, and where truth often became the first victim of battles waged from both sides, the reverend at least got his facts straight.

Members of the CDC, which led prayer vigils and demonstration in support of Terri Schiavo, say his actions of late reveal the "real Michael Schiavo" and "dispel any myth that he was a loving and caring husband to Terri" for the past 15 years.

"The actions of Michael Schiavo are a slap in the face to all disabled americans," Rev. Mahoney says.

Marking Terri's grave with the decade old date of death rather than the real one, he says, also answers the most asked question of the entire Terri Schiavo controversy: "That is, why didn't Michael let the Schindlers take care of their daughter? He could not do that because he believed she was already dead."

Rev. Mahoney is asking how could Michael Schiavo look out for his wife's interests for 15 years as her caretaker, when he felt she was already dead?

Michael Schiavo seemed to drop off the radar screen after Terri's March 31, death, and the whereabouts of Terri's remains were a matter of speculation.

Michael, who had originally maintained that Terri's remains would be buried at a family plot in Pennsylvania, buried them instead in Clearwater, Florida.

His attorney, the death-is-beautiful George Felos, apparently faxed the Schindlers the information after the deed was done.

Terri's cremated ashes were buried within days of the release of John T. Thogmartin's official autopsy of Theresa Marie ("Terri") Schiavo, Medical Examiner Case No. 5050439, which some in the medical community claim leaves more questions than answers.

One of those questioning the results of the Thogmartin autopsy is Stephen J. Nelson, M.D., Chief Medical Examiner, 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida, one of the forensic pathologists from Thogmartin's office, who participated in the autopsy.

In a June 8, 2005 letter to Thogmartin, Nelson concludes: Neuropathologic examination of the decedent's brain–or any brain, for that matter–cannot prove or disprove a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious state."

By backdating Terri's death, Michael Schiavo is, in effect, dancing on his wife's grave. But this may not be what it appears to be on the surface, a last parting shot at one-upmanship against his one-time in-laws.

For Michael and his attorney, it may be a beginning rather than an end; the beginning of the revival of publicity for the dying-with-dignity crusade, led by attorney George Felos.

Like Michael's grave marker, time will tell.

See Editor's Desk

Resting in peace

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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