How long was Terri Schiavo in a persistent vegetative state before the decision was made by her husband to remove her feeding tube?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case
To find out how long Terri Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) before the decision was made to remove her feeding tube, you can follow these steps:
1. Get information on Terri Schiavo and her case: Terri Schiavo was a woman from Florida who suffered a cardiac arrest in 1990, which resulted in a lack of oxygen to her brain, leading to brain damage. As a result, she fell into a persistent vegetative state, a condition where a person lacks awareness and only exhibits reflexive behaviors.
2. Determine the timeline: Terri Schiavo's cardiac arrest occurred in 1990, and she was in a PVS following the incident. For years, her husband, Michael Schiavo, fought a legal battle with Terri's parents over her medical treatment and the eventual decision to remove her feeding tube.
3. Research the legal proceedings: The legal proceedings surrounding Terri Schiavo's case were highly publicized and involved multiple court hearings. The central issue was whether or not Terri had expressed her wishes before her cardiac arrest regarding the use of life-sustaining treatment.
4. Find the key dates and timeline: In 1998, Michael Schiavo first filed a petition in the court to remove Terri's feeding tube. The legal battle continued for years, with various appeals and legislative interventions. Finally, on March 18, 2005, the feeding tube was removed, leading to her death from dehydration thirteen days later on March 31, 2005.
Based on this information, Terri Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state for approximately 15 years before the decision was made to remove her feeding tube.