I Choose Life...Always!

When I read this week about Rom Houben I was saddened and angered because of what we did to Terri Shiavo. Who is Rom Houben and Terri Shiavo?

First Rom Houben. After a near fatal car crash he laid in a coma for 23 years, or so his doctors thought. In reality he was completely paralyzed yet completely awake. Let me say that again; his body was paralyzed, he couldn't move a muscle, not any muscle. Not a finger, not an eye lid, nothing. And at the same time he was completely conscious. He could hear all that was going on around him. When they opened his eye lids to examine him he could see all that was in front of him. Most horrid of all, he could think and speak to himself the whole time and was screaming to the doctors, nurses and visitors that he is awake! But no sounds came out. Click here to read one of the many news stories.

Now to Terri Shiavo. Terri collapsed in her home in February of 1990 and the result of her trauma was that she was left in what the doctors called a persistent vegetative state (PVS). After a short time her husband began the legal process of having her removed from "life support". In reality the machines that she was connected to helped her, but they were not required. Honestly without them there was a good chance complications could result and she could die, so they were used to avoid that. However, at the same time Terri's parents argued that based on observations they felt Terri was mentally conscious. Her parents opposed Terri's husband as he went through the various court proceedings to first have a do not resuscitate (DNR) order approved, have her removed from so-called life support (which was later rescinded) and finally, get this, have her feeding tube removed.

Terri's husband was her custodian and in charge of her care. Because Terri didn't have a living will there was nothing her parents could do without extraordinary actions by the courts. Terri's parents offered to take custody and to care for her, but her husband refused the offers.

So, after 7 years of legal battles our courts, aided by our culture of death, allowed the hospital to remove her feeding tube and in effect induce death through prolonged starvation and dehydration. Her death sentence took about 2 weeks to carry out.

Imagine IF she was in the same condition as Rom Houben? Watch this short video and look at the state Terri was in. Was she really brain dead? From what see she is in better shape than Mr. Houben!