Putting a Face on the Culture of Death -- Part Two of Two

Editor’s note. The following are excerpts from NRLC President Wanda Franz’s remarks to the Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner.

Mary and Robert Schindler had three children, Theresa, Bobby and Suzanne. They appeared to be a typical Catholic family and would probably never have been thought of as unique or special if not for the family tragedy they experienced. When their older daughter Terri collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, she was found to be in a coma with profound brain damage.

It was in response to this terrible event that the Schindler family demonstrated what deep reserves of spiritual and personal strength they actually had. They demonstrated their profound love in their resolution to care for their disabled daughter regardless of the limitations she had. They were prepared to sacrifice anything necessary to provide her with the best care.

However, in 1998, Terri’s husband, Michael Schiavo, began his quest to take Terri’s life by removing her food and water. He had another life with another woman, with whom he had children. He apparently could not love a disabled woman. …

But when the Schindlers sought protection for their daughter from the agencies of government instituted for the purpose of protecting innocent human life, they discovered that the culture of death had infected these institutions, as well. Doctors claimed she was in a persistent vegetative state in the face of all the evidence that she was not. Terri was not dying but was simply disabled. Judges ruled against the family at every turn. When the state legislature and the Congress of the United States attempted to step in to provide the needed protection, their efforts were repeatedly overturned by the judge, whose power turned out to be absolute.

Then, the media turned against them, attacking them for supposedly interfering in the “best medical judgment” of the small, select group of doctors who determined that she was in a persistent vegetative state, rather than being a disabled person in need of medical support. Talk show hosts called them names and impugned their character. Like Job on the trash heap, they were left with nothing, nothing to assist them in saving their daughter’s life.

And yet, like Job, they stood their ground. They did not rail against God or against those who wronged them. The true depth of their love was apparent in their silent suffering and their ability to love even those who failed to understand their devotion to the culture of life. As a parent, I can only imagine the pain they felt when Terri was killed. I am awed by their courage and determination but especially by their love. They are the perfect, public image of the embattled family seeking only justice for a loved one. They put a face on the culture of death that is all around us.

We in the pro-life movement know that Terri is not alone in being unjustly killed. We know that there are thousands of families, suffering injustice in secret and anonymity. Because they are not seen or heard, the infection from the culture of death goes on and spreads. The Schindlers, in their courageous love, have brought this issue to the attention of the public. In this way, they have helped give a face and a voice to the pain being suffered by so many other families. In so doing, they bring light to the dark practice of death.

Their faith, courage and love has caused them to want to reach out to these many other families in need. To assist such families, they have formed the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to helping those with disabilities, who are in or potentially facing life-threatening situations. The purpose of the foundation is to help others avoid the tragedies, such as the one Terri endured.

The Foundation plans include: (1) providing education so that the public can understand the need for protective state and federal legislation, (2) encouraging proactive measures to ensure that the desires for ordinary medical care be observed (for instance using the Will to Live Directive developed by National Right to Life Committee as an alternative to the traditional Living Will), and (3) providing for community advocacy and involvement in the direct efforts to assist families in need.

The goals of this Foundation are similar to those that National Right to Life has had for many years. Our Department of Medical Ethics, under the guidance of its Director, Burke Balch, Esq., has worked tirelessly to protect us from the growing use of infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide. For example, Mr. Balch is the author of the Will to Live, available in all 50 states. We applaud the work of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation in attempting to help those in need and we encourage the growth of this Foundation through donations and direct assistance to the program by reaching out to families with disabled and elderly in need of help. In this way, we believe that the culture of life can be encouraged and nurtured amid the wreckage caused by our current culture of death.

Part One