Summary

The story of Teri Schiavo’s case is full of ethical dilemmas regarding euthanasia. Her
case is between her husband wanting to remove her feeding tube after 15 years of no success in
treatment versus her parent’s still hopeful and clinging to the idea that one day she will come
back from her condition. Teri Schiavo had a cardiac arrest due to getting extreme hypokalemia
because she had an eating disorder, afterwards severe hypoxicischemic encephalopathy occurred
which damaged or removed all cognitive abilities she had which lead her into a persistent
vegetative state. She survives by artificial hydration and nutrition via a feeding tube inserted in
her. Her husband wanted to remove the feeding tube after three years of no improvement. Her
parents accused her husband’s motivation was of greed and persisted in continuing her feeding.
What went on was a series of legal battles between husband and family. But in the end the courts
sided with her husband with the fact that her husband mentioned that she did not want to live
attached to a machine. Teri’s feeding tube was removed but then reinserted twice before finally
removed for the third and final time during the duration of these legal battles. Her case was
difficult to deal with because Teri herself did not leave any will or message on what to do in
regards a scenario like this occurs.