Juan Schoch on December 3, 2006 comments:

Regional Center for Independe Regional Center for Independent Living
1641 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610
http://www.rcil.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2004

For more information, contact C. Jean Penner, Communications and
Outreach Coordinator, at 585-442-6470 v/tty, or 585-797-7260

Green Ribbon Ceremony at RCIL Will Celebrate the Life — and Right to
Live — of Terri Schindler-Schiavo

The Regional Center for Independent Living (RCIL) will host an outdoor
green ribbon ceremony on Friday, June 4, 2004, in honor of the
controversial struggle to preserve Terri Schindler-Schiavo’s right to
live. The cermony will be held at RCIL, 1641 East Avenue in Rochester,
at 12 noon, to commemorate Terri’s half-birthday. It will be free and
open to the public.

Those who attend will receive green tartan ribbons; part of a national
campaign to raise awareness of this issue. The color green symbolizes
life, while the tartan pattern symbolizes the diversity in human life,
which includes — and embraces — disability. Additional ribbons will
be available at RCIL for members of the community, free of charge;
donations will be accepted by RCIL for the Terri Schindler-Schiavo
Foundation.

This national observance — the Life Ribbon Campaign — encourages
community supporters to wear the ribbons until Terri comes home to her
family.

In 1990, Terri Schindler-Schiavo collapsed in the home she shared with
her husband, Michael Schiavo. The cause of her collapse is unknown to
this day. Terri receives food and water by way of a gastric feeding
tube; and a battle rages currently in Florida courts, in which her
husband is demanding the removal of the feeding tube, while her parents
are fighting for her right to live, and challenging his right to act as
her guardian.

Terri originally fell into a coma but awakened from her comatose state
weeks later. She was left in what medical professionals call a “locked
in state” with limited abilities to communicate or move.

To this day, Terri remains disabled. Though she is responsive to
stimuli, interacts with her environment and her loved ones and is
capable of communicating in limited ways, she is a disabled and
vulnerable adult — requiring protection, therapy and the route to
recovery. RCIL’s ceremony to honor her life will acknowledge the
reality in our society that disability is too frequently equated with a
“better off dead” presumption; and that this has sobering implications
for all Americans with disabilities.

“Despite any particular physical or mental impairments, life is our
most precious gift,” states Todd Eggert, Executive Director of RCIL,
“and with this effort, RCIL is choosing to positively support Terri’s
right to life. Given that she is showing responsiveness and
recognition of loved ones, how can anyone question that right?”

During the first months that followed Terri’s mysterious collapse, she
made progress. Medical practitioners noted her efforts to speak and her
responsiveness. Terri, however, has not received meaningful therapy
since 1991 on the orders of her husband. In 1998, Terri’s husband made
his initial petition to the circuit courts of Pinellas County, Florida
to end her life by removing her feeding tube. If he had been
successful, Terri would have died of dehydration and starvation over
the course of 10 to 14 days. Terri’s parents are fighting her husband,
saying that her wish — if she were able to speak — would be for
therapy and rehabilitation, rather than death from dehydration and
starvation.

In the most recent developments, over the objections of Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, a Florida state appeals court has sent this case to
the state’s highest court. The Florida Supreme Court will hear the case
filed by Terri Schiavo’s estranged husband seeking to overturn a law
Bush signed — Terri’s Law — that saved her life.

The Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal approved a motion put forward
by George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is Michael Schiavo’s
lawyer, asking the appeals court to let the Florida Supreme Court
decide the case. But attorneys for the governor say they want the case
halted while the issue of whether Michael should have the authority to
speak for Terri is resolved.

Governor Bush also said that Michael’s interests may conflict with
Terri’s, implying it may be appropriate to appoint a new guardian on
her behalf. But, Felos said the matter is so important that the
state’s high court should decide the case.

The appeals court agreed and, in granting Felos’ request, denied the
Bush team an opportunity to gather further information showing that
Terri would not want to be killed.

The Florida Supreme Court can either take the case or tell the appeals
court to hear it and issue a ruling before deciding to hear the
lawsuit.

Last August, the Florida Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal filed
by Terri’s family of a local judge’s order allowing Michael to remove
Terri’s feeding tube.

For more information and actions to take please refer to the following
links:

http://www.terrisfight.org

http://www.cogforlife.org/schiavo.htm

http://heavenlyhands.net/terrislinks.html

http://www.prayforterri.net

###

C. Jean Penner
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Regional Center for Independent Living
1641 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14610

585-442-6470 v/tty
http://www.rcil.org

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pc93: ref -> Google -> Life Ribbon
http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/c/pc93/terri_schindler_life_ribbon_campaign.htm