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American Morning

Life-and-Death Battle

Aired October 22, 2003 - 07:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to a battle over a Florida woman's life. Terri Schiavo, who is brain damaged, was expected to live less than two weeks without the feeding tube that has sustained her. Last night, shortly after the state legislature gave them the power to do so, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush ordered the tube to be reinserted.
The tube had been removed about five days ago, when Schiavo's husband won a court order then.

CNN's John Zarrella live in Pinellas Park, Florida, with the latest today, where it does not appear to be the end of this battle just yet.

John --good morning.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: You're right about that, Bill. Not just yet. But I can tell you, yesterday for the family, Terri Schiavo's parents, her brother and sister, it was, as they said, just an incredible mind-numbing day, a whirlwind of events happening one right after the other.

Late yesterday afternoon, Terri Schiavo was moved from the hospice here behind us to a hospital, where an IV was inserted to begin the process of re-hydrating her. Her brother tried to go and see her last night, but she was not being allowed any visitors at the time. The family says they are going to go and try and see her again sometime today at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the family says that, you know, while they are taking it one step at a time, one day at a time, their ultimate hope is to have Terri back home with them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Bob and Mary Schindler embraced and wept openly.

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: We're damned near there.

ZARRELLA: They had just gotten the word: the Florida Senate had followed the State House, passing a bill aimed at restoring their daughter, Terri, to life support.

SCHINDLER: If anything, you restore your faith in God, because I went the other way, and I have to get back with it. Things like this just reinforce my faith. ZARRELLA: The crowd of supporters gave thanks with prayers and songs. The mood, far different from six days ago, when the feeding tube that had kept Terri Schiavo alive for 13 years was removed. There had been a decade of legal battles.

These are the latest pictures made public of Terri Schiavo. They were taken by the parents in 2001. Her husband, Michael, said his wife never wanted to live like this, in what doctors declared was a -- quote -- "persistent vegetative state."

Her parents wanted her kept alive on life support and given rehabilitative therapy. When they lost their final court appeals, the Schindlers appealed to Governor Jeb Bush. Bush, who has said for weeks that he wanted to help, finally did, signing the Terri Schiavo bill.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: They responded appropriately. They did the right thing, I think.

ZARRELLA: The governor called Schiavo's parents to let them know he had signed the bill.

SCHINDLER: I can't say too much about your integrity.

ZARRELLA: The bill orders Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted, and it calls for the appointment of a guardian ad-litem, who could look out for Schiavo's needs. Late Tuesday, Terri Schiavo was moved by ambulance to an area hospital, where the process of re-hydration was scheduled to take place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The attorney for Michael Schiavo did go to court yesterday seeking to block the governor's action to stop that feeding tube from being reinserted. The judge refused to stop it, but said that the attorney could come back within the next five days and file for a permanent injunction.

So, Bill, this is, as we said at the top, still far from over -- Bill

HEMMER: Yes, John, thanks. John Zarrella in Florida.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired October 22, 2003 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to a battle over a Florida woman's life. Terri Schiavo, who is brain damaged, was expected to live less than two weeks without the feeding tube that has sustained her. Last night, shortly after the state legislature gave them the power to do so, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush ordered the tube to be reinserted.
The tube had been removed about five days ago, when Schiavo's husband won a court order then.

CNN's John Zarrella live in Pinellas Park, Florida, with the latest today, where it does not appear to be the end of this battle just yet.

John --good morning.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: You're right about that, Bill. Not just yet. But I can tell you, yesterday for the family, Terri Schiavo's parents, her brother and sister, it was, as they said, just an incredible mind-numbing day, a whirlwind of events happening one right after the other.

Late yesterday afternoon, Terri Schiavo was moved from the hospice here behind us to a hospital, where an IV was inserted to begin the process of re-hydrating her. Her brother tried to go and see her last night, but she was not being allowed any visitors at the time. The family says they are going to go and try and see her again sometime today at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the family says that, you know, while they are taking it one step at a time, one day at a time, their ultimate hope is to have Terri back home with them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Bob and Mary Schindler embraced and wept openly.

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: We're damned near there.

ZARRELLA: They had just gotten the word: the Florida Senate had followed the State House, passing a bill aimed at restoring their daughter, Terri, to life support.

SCHINDLER: If anything, you restore your faith in God, because I went the other way, and I have to get back with it. Things like this just reinforce my faith. ZARRELLA: The crowd of supporters gave thanks with prayers and songs. The mood, far different from six days ago, when the feeding tube that had kept Terri Schiavo alive for 13 years was removed. There had been a decade of legal battles.

These are the latest pictures made public of Terri Schiavo. They were taken by the parents in 2001. Her husband, Michael, said his wife never wanted to live like this, in what doctors declared was a -- quote -- "persistent vegetative state."

Her parents wanted her kept alive on life support and given rehabilitative therapy. When they lost their final court appeals, the Schindlers appealed to Governor Jeb Bush. Bush, who has said for weeks that he wanted to help, finally did, signing the Terri Schiavo bill.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: They responded appropriately. They did the right thing, I think.

ZARRELLA: The governor called Schiavo's parents to let them know he had signed the bill.

SCHINDLER: I can't say too much about your integrity.

ZARRELLA: The bill orders Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted, and it calls for the appointment of a guardian ad-litem, who could look out for Schiavo's needs. Late Tuesday, Terri Schiavo was moved by ambulance to an area hospital, where the process of re-hydration was scheduled to take place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The attorney for Michael Schiavo did go to court yesterday seeking to block the governor's action to stop that feeding tube from being reinserted. The judge refused to stop it, but said that the attorney could come back within the next five days and file for a permanent injunction.

So, Bill, this is, as we said at the top, still far from over -- Bill

HEMMER: Yes, John, thanks. John Zarrella in Florida.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.