“Terri Continues to Touch Hearts and Move People Everyday” -- Part Two of Two

Editor’s note. The following are excerpts from the remarks of Bobby Schindler, delivered at the Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. The NRL Educational Trust Fund honored the entire Schindler family for all that they had done to try to save Terri Schindler Schiavo and all they had done since her horrific death to raise awareness. The excerpt picks up after Bobby has thanked many people who helped the family during their travel, in particular the staff at National Right to Life.

Our family was there to fight for Terri, but if it wasn’t for you and you working on behalf of our family to try and do something to help save Terri, we’d have never been able to accomplish what we were able to accomplish. Even though we failed, we were still able to put up a heck of a fight, trying to save my sister’s life. And it’s quite humbling to stand here tonight and listen to these words that you speak about my family.

And I say this over and over again, but really the tragedy is that you even know who our family, who we are, that our case was ever even a newsworthy case. Because we only did what I believe any of you in this room would have done.

And to refer to what we felt was just something a family should do as being heroic or extraordinary--it was never that way to our family. We just loved Terri and we wanted to protect her and bring her home.

But I think because of the efforts that we had to go through to try and save her life is a real good indication of where we are in our culture today--and that’s really what’s so sad and tragic. There’s not a day that doesn’t go by that our family doesn’t think about Terri or speak about Terri. And to know that she is touching the hearts of people not only in this country but throughout the world [is] something that I still have a difficult time grasping.

We have a tendency to look at the negative of this case. But what is that old saying-- “What those intend for evil God turns into good”--I believe that’s truly what’s happening in Terri’s case. Because she remains alive and she remains, I believe, a beacon of hope, into what’s wrong with our culture today. We must do everything we can to show the love and compassion to people like my sister [that] they deserve.

But she continues to touch hearts and move people everyday. That is what keeps our family inspired to keep fighting for her and people like her. God willing we’re not going to quit; we’re going to keep fighting. We’re so proud to be having so many of you in this room [who] are continuing to work with us. Lord knows, we couldn’t do it alone. We’re just so, so grateful for your continued support.

Congressman [Chris] Smith said, how do you adequately thank our family for what we did. Well, how do we adequately thank you and express our love and thanks to all of you tonight for what you have done for our family and the support that you have given us.

So, again I appreciate everything that you’re doing and just know that we will continue to fight for my sister.

God bless you all, thank you very much.

Please send any comments you may have to Dave Andrusko at daveandrusko@hotmail.com.

Part One