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CNN Sunday Morning

Terri Schiavo's Parents Exhaust Legal Options

Aired March 27, 2005 - 09:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A spokesperson for Terri Schiavo's parents say she is in the final hours of her life.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is March 27, Easter Sunday. Good morning everyone, I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. 9:00 a.m. here in the east and 6:00 a.m. in the west. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you started this Easter Sunday morning with the headlines now in the news. Outside Terri Schiavo's Florida hospice this morning, more than two dozen people held an Easter sunrise service. Meantime, her parents have lost yet another court appeal aimed at saving their brain-damaged daughter's life. We'll bring you a live report straight ahead.

Pope John Paul II tried to speak to the faithful this morning, but he could not get the words out. Instead, the ailing pontiff gave a silent Easter blessing to a huge crowd of worshipers at St. Peter's Square. We'll bring you a report from the Vatican later this hour.

And this morning, Monaco's royal palace says Prince Rainier is conscious and that his heart, lungs, and kidneys have stabilized. Yesterday the palace said the ailing ruler's chances for survival had gotten much worse.

NGUYEN: Here's what we have coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, legally, politically and emotionally, where does the battle over Terri Schiavo go from here? We'll find out.

Also, it's one of the toughest talks that adult children can have with their aging parents. We'll tell you how to make the conversation go smoothly.

And in our soldier story, a mother's quest to make a war overseas more family friendly back home. Now here's what's happening at this hour.

HARRIS: It is symbolic of their long running family feud, one side now observing Terri Schiavo says she's in extreme discomfort. The other side says she's resting peacefully and in no pain, but 10 days without food or water, there's one agreement. She seems to be in the final days of her life.

We have two reports this morning. Our Randi Kaye is outside Michael Schiavo's attorney's office in Dunedin, Florida, but we begin with CNN's David Mattingly outside Terri Schiavo's hospice. Good morning David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. The crowd outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo's is spending her final days is substantially smaller this morning. That's because Terri Schiavo's family went through the crowd last night, thanking them for coming, thanking them for their support, and then asking them to leave, to go home, to spend the Easter holidays with their own families. There were some people that lingered overnight, however, and this morning two people were arrested as they attempted to enter the property to offer Terri Schiavo Easter communion.

A spokesman for the Schiavo's parents and siblings last night renewed their plea for Governor Jeb Bush to interview, this after the Florida state supreme court rejected their latest appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRY SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: And for every person out there that believes it was wrong for Congress and the governor to get involved in my sister's case, they need to go inside right now and look at my sister. And when they come out, they need to ask them if Congress and the governor are wrong for getting involved in my sister's case. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Governor Jeb Bush has stated that he has no more legal authority to intervene in this case, so he may not be hearing from him. We may not be hearing from the Schindler's any more either. They announced yesterday that they will no longer be speaking to the gathered media here in Pinellas Park. Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's David Mattingly for us this morning. David, thank you.

NGUYEN: After seven years of court battles, 22 rulings and countless pleas and appeals, Michael Schiavo hopes the legal battle is over. Our Randi Kaye is in Dunedin, Florida, outside the office of Michael Schiavo's attorneys with the latest there. Good morning Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Betty. It appears the final rounds of the legal battle may have taken place yesterday. About noon yesterday, Judge George Greer denying the Schindlers' motion, that's the parents of Terri Schiavo, denying their motion to have an IV tube put inside Terri Schiavo for this holiday weekend so they could buy some time, in a sense and have their daughter re- evaluated. They believe that she has changed her will to live and would like to live.

That motion was denied, so about 4:30 yesterday, the Schindlers filed an emergency petition with the Florida supreme court. That was to have the feeding tube reinstated and to have their daughter re- evaluated. And a few hours later, about 8:00 last night, that motion by -- filed with the supreme court was denied. They said that it was dismissed, actually. They said it's out of its jurisdiction, and that's the same court that would not even hear the case last week. So that's the legal size side of things.

On the medical side of things, it's still very, very hard to tell exactly how Terri Schiavo is doing. Her brother coming out last night saying that she looks so bad. He was suggesting to his parents they don't even go in and see her. But George Felos, who is the attorney for Michael Schiavo, came out here yesterday and described sort of a naturalness about her. He said she's not struggling to breathe and he said her death is nowhere near imminent as it appears to him. Here's a little bit more of what George Felos had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: I was just down at hospice. I spent about 20 minutes with Mrs. Schiavo. She is calm. She's peaceful. She is resting comfortably. Her lips are not chapped, they're not bleeding. Her skin is -- her skin's not peeling. Frankly, when I saw her, and it's the first time I've seen her since the artificial life support was removed eight days ago, she looked beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Now, these two descriptions are in such stark contrast to one another and the rule is no camera can go inside that hospice room where Terri Schiavo is spending her final days, so it's very, very hard here to get a very accurate description with both sides having their own views, as George Felos said, it's all in the eye of the beholder. Betty.

NGUYEN: Randi, I want to ask you, where is Michael Schiavo today? Is he at Terri's bedside?

KAYE: Well, actually, Betty, due to some security reasons, we're being told very limited information when it comes to Michael Schiavo. We're told that he has been at the hospice facility. They won't say exactly where at the hospice facility, but we're told he has been at the hospice facility since the feeding tube was removed on March 18th.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Randi Kaye in Florida for us. Thank you Randi.

HARRIS: Describing a fight no sibling would ever want to take on, Bobby Schindler says, quote, it's my sister and I'll do whatever I have to do. Here is a bit more of his conversation with CNN's Carol Lin from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're just going to try to stay strong for each other. You know, my sister going through this process is extremely difficult, particularly for my mother. What's happening to my sister, you know, I believe, is actually heinous. It's barbaric, and hearing earlier description of this being painless and peaceful is the farthest thing from the truth.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And what do you say the truth is? SCHINDLER: Well, my sister's being dehydrated and starved -- is being killed by dehydration and starvation. This is the ninth day and it isn't painless. It isn't peaceful. I was responding to Mr. Felos' earlier press conference where he said that my sister was not experiencing any pain or -- during this process, and I -- I pose the question, if that's the case, then why not allow a video camera in there to see her experiencing this?

LIN: Bobby, why do you think more than two dozen rulings have gone against your family's case? Why do you think judges all the way up to the U.S. Supreme court have said that Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband and legal guardian, has the right to make this decision. These were her last wishes. She would not want to live this way?

SCHINDLER: Well, it's hard -- it's hard to understand. There are so many questionable circumstances, you know, regarding my sister's situation. Her condition is highly controversial as far as whether she's in this PVS state or not. Our family has said all along adamantly that she's not. We have doctors to support that. The wishes that were evidently stated by my sister were -- came forward seven years after her collapse, and they came forward after Michael had intended -- he already expressed his wish that he was going to marry another woman upon my sister's death.

So that's why we've been fighting so hard. I think that's why we've had such an outpouring of support, because the people look at this case and they just don't understand why my sister's being killed in this horrible fashion.

LIN: And yet, Bobby, yes, your family does have support, and I think a lot of people are very sympathetic to your emotions as well as your plight. But specifically to your legal case, after all this publicity, after remarks by the president of the United States, and the pope himself, why in every single poll taken that a clear majority of Americans agree that your brother-in-law, Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, has the right to make this decision on his wife's behalf?

SCHINDLER: Well, from the polls that I saw, the questions are horrible. I saw one poll that said, you know, would you to want live in this condition? And even I would answer no to that. Nobody would chose to live as a disabled person, but the answer isn't to starve them to death. Terri is simply disabled. She has a family standing by waiting to take care of her, and for the life of me, I don't understand why the courts are so adamant on having her killed.

LIN: Isn't it possible -- I mean the court -- you may disagree with the questions stated in the polling, but the questions were very clear to Americans. Who do you think should make this decision? Do you agree that the courts or Congress should be involved? I mean, isn't it reasonable to believe that a majority of Americans believe that husbands know their wives better than a sibling or a parent?

SCHINDLER: Well, that -- that's why the divorce rate is so high. And that's why -- you know, the facts of this case and -- you know, the facts of this case are different from the rule of the case. People have taken the time to look into the facts of the case understand what is going on and why they're so outraged. I want to say one other thing. All the people that have, you know, agreed or thought that it's best for my sister to die in this fashion and have disagreed with what Congress has done or the governor has done to intervene to help save my sister, I ask them, they should all go in right now and visit my sister and then when they come out, ask them the same question again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK, those questions on what should happen have revealed some startling answers. In a "Time" magazine poll, most Americans support removing the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo. Fifty nine percent said they support it. A majority of people, 53 percent who call themselves evangelical Christians support removing the tube as well.

NGUYEN: If you're following the Terri Schiavo case closely, you've probably heard just about every angle on the case more than once. So this morning we are not discussing the issues over and over again. Instead, we are giving you the opportunity to ask questions about the case, your own questions about the case. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey is back to answer those legal questions about the Terri Schiavo case. That's a little bit later this hour. But send your e-mail questions in. All you have to do is send them to wam@cnn.com.

HARRIS: And you know, one question you might ask, who will care for you if you can't care for yourself? The author of "Hard Questions" joins us just ahead.

NGUYEN: Also, a mother faces the possibility of losing all of her sons serving in Iraq. How she used that to help other families in the same situation.

HARRIS: And good morning, Cocoa Beach, severe storms in the southeast. Chad Myers will have the forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Looking at our top stories this morning, another legal setback for Terri Schiavo's parents. The Florida supreme court dismisses a request to have their daughter's feeding tube inserted. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters held an Easter morning service outside Terri Schiavo's hospice.

Pope John Paul II appeared at his Vatican window and silently blessed the faithful this Easter Sunday. He tried to speak, but he just couldn't.

And Prince Rainier, the ailing ruler of Monaco seems to be getting better. A palace spokesman says the prince has regained consciousness and is stabilized, although he's breathing with the help of a respirator. The 81-year-old prince is suffering from a lung infection and kidney problems. We're also taking your e-mails on legal questions this morning surrounding the Terri Schiavo case. You want to send them to wam@cnn.com. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey will have the answers. That's just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: And let's get you right to the CNN weather center and Chad Myers who is following some tricky whether in the southeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. It's time now to go global and check out some of the other stories making news around the world today.

HARRIS: And to do that, let's turn now to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. Anand, good morning.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from me. First off this morning, another explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, adding to political tensions there. The blast in a mainly Christian sector of the city set fire to a number of multi-story buildings. Officials believe it was a car bomb. Local media say at least eight people have been injured. Damage is widespread. It's the third explosion in Beirut in a city that's been relatively peaceful since that devastating civil war there in the '70s and '80s.

Onto Iraq and amid the violence there, attempts to form a government. The newly elected assembly is scheduled to meet Tuesday. Members are expected to choose a speaker and two deputies. What's still unclear is whether they would name the new president, widely expected to be Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani. It's not proving to be an easy task. The members of the assembly met more than two weeks ago and a second meeting has been postponed several times mainly because of squabbling over cabinet positions.

A significant development in Israel. It looks like the government there is moving a step closer to its controversial plan to pull out of Gaza. A key opponent of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is pledging support for a crucial budget vote this week. Analysts say support from the Shinui Party will help prevent a possible government collapse and clear the way for a Gaza withdrawal. Opponents of that proposal had planned to use that vote to block that Gaza pullout proposal. That's all from me. We'll continue to follow international developments here at CNN through your day. But for now, let me send it back to Betty and Tony.

HARRIS: Anand, thank you.

The Church of England says the prince must apologize, but for what? It is one of the most popular stories on the Internet this morning. Christina Park up next with today's web gems on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: First, though, a CNN extra. A new survey shows less than half of all Americans know that genetically modified foods are sold in their supermarket. That's right. Nearly 75 percent of U.S. processed foods, cereals, frozen dinners, cooking oils and the like, they contain some genetically modified ingredients. So what isn't genetically modified? So far, non-processed meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products and of course, your raw fruits and veggies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: With so much to read on cnn.com, you could get that carpal tunnel syndrome thing just scrolling through the first page, so let's just hit the high points this Sunday morning. Cnn.com's Christina Park joins us now. Good morning Christina. Happy Easter to you.

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony. Happy Easter to you. You can find the most popular stories on cnn.com any time. All you have to do to get there is surf on over to our Web site and click on "most popular" at the top right-hand side of your page there. This morning, our users are most interested in Terri Schiavo. Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers, are telling those keeping vigil outside their daughter's hospice to go home, be with their families and celebrate Easter. Also online we're following the ongoing legal battle that began more than a decade ago. Our time line begins in February of 1990 when then 26-year old Schiavo collapsed in her home.

Switching gears, that was our number one story. Our users at cnn.com are also most interested in royal apologies or the lack thereof. A high ranking Church of England official is calling for Prince Charles to apologize to his fiancee's ex-husband due to church rules. Now as you know, Prince Charles is set to marry long-time love Camilla Parker-Bowles next month, but before that happens, Bishop David Stancliffe says the prince must atone for committing adultery and says he should apologize to Andrew Parker-Bowles for breaking up his marriage. That from the Sunday "Times" newspaper. The bishop didn't say however whether the apology can be in person, by letter, or even e-mail. Those are just two of this morning's most popular stories, but can you get the rest at cnn.com/mostpopular, Tony.

HARRIS: That's pretty hot.

PARK: Hot stuff. You never know what you're going to get. It's like a box of chocolates.

HARRIS: Thank you for that on Easter Sunday. Thanks.

NGUYEN: All right, then. On this Easter Sunday, look at this, the pope, apparently in pain, still pleases the crowd at St. Peter's Square.

HARRIS: Plus, your family might be talking about the Terri Schiavo case and how it relates to you. One author talks about those hard questions with us next. CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Jubilation at St. Peter's Square as Pope John Paul II appears at his window this Easter Sunday and welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

First, here's what's happening right now in the news. Protesters held an Easter service outside Terri Schiavo's hospice this morning. There they are. Two people, they were arrested for trying to bring her communion. Meanwhile, there has been another legal setback. The Florida supreme court yesterday dismissed an emergency petition by Schiavo's parents to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted.

Lebanon's president promises to do everything he can to end the violent acts that have gripped that country since the assassination of the former prime minister. Five people were injured in the latest bomb blast in a mostly Christian neighborhood of Beirut. It was the third such attack in eight days. Opposition leaders blame Syria.

And Christians are celebrating easier Sunday. Sunrise services were held at Arlington National Cemetery. Worshipers there called it a fitting location, saying they were surrounded by the final resting place of our nation's war heroes, including 137 troops from the current war in Iraq.

HARRIS: Pope John Paul II made a longer, but silent Easter appearance from his window at the Vatican. Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's square for mass hoping to hear from the ailing pontiff. Our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Not even a rainy day in Rome could keep tens of thousands of pilgrims away from St. Peter's square. And as the crowd gathered in that square, the expectation to see Pope John Paul II was clearly palpable. As expected, however, the pope was not well enough to participate in the mass, which was presided by a top Vatican cardinal, but at the end of it, the pope eventually rewarded the tens of thousands of pilgrims, who gathered, with a lengthy appearance which lasted 12 minutes, much longer than the previous ones. He sat at the window while Cardinal Sodano read out the pope's traditional Easter Sunday blessing, known as Urbi et Orbi, to the city and to the world, in which he calls for peace in the Middle East and Africa, prayed for the victims of natural disasters, as well as those suffering from hunger and poverty. A message all the more poignant, of course, this year, giving the pope's own suffering.

At one point the pope did attempt to say a few words, perhaps a blessing. A microphone was put in front of him, but all we could hear was a whisper, perhaps, or a murmur. The pope clearly not well enough to speak. He did look in pain, he touched his throat and his face several times, but the end of opted for a silent blessing, which he made with his hand, by making the sign of the cross.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Do you have a living will? Terri Schiavo doesn't. Her 15-year ordeal should convince anyone to discuss end of life issues with family members. And Susan Piver can tell us how to start that discussion with their loved ones. She's the author of "The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life." And Susan Piver joins us now live from Boston.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

SUSAN PIVER, AUTHOR: Glad to be here.

NGUYEN: First of all, that is a difficult decision and discussion, as well. How do you start talking about a living will and what to do when the time comes?

PIVER: Yes, that's a good question. You know, as life expectancy increases and medical technologies for prolonging life become more sophisticated, the likelihood that families have to confront issues like this is greater and greater. So, I think a good way to start is, of course, we can all reference the Terri Schiavo situation. Every family in America is thinking deeply about this. That's a good way to bring the subject up. And I think it's important for all family members to have this conversation over 18, not just to focus on one family member or another, and I would also suggest to really take it slow. Don't feel like you have to cover every issue surrounding living wills and health care proxies and the like in one conversation.

NGUYEN: But there are five important questions that you must ask. What are those questions?

PIVER: Well, the first one is: If I'm unable to make health care decisions for myself, whom would I like to make them for me? And it's important to choose someone who you think can really understand your wishes with a lot of nuance, and also who you can trust to stand strong for you should situations become chaotic.

The second question is: Do you have a living will? And if not, you know, what arrangements can we make to get one? And in the meantime, what can you tell me now about your thoughts about living with pain or prolonging life under various circumstances?

A third important question is: If I have a terminal illness or an otherwise incurable situation, under what circumstances, if any, would I want a do-not-resuscitate order followed? That's a complex question, and I think every family should research that.

And finally, as much as you know now, where would you like to die? At home, in a hospital or a hospice? And you know, we assume we know the answers to that for our family members, but it's important to ask, because occasionally those assumptions are wrong.

NGUYEN: These are difficult questions. And they're also very specific, but that's the key here, you want to make sure that you're specific so that when the time does come, these decisions are a little easier to make?

PIVER: That's absolutely right. And given the extraordinary political and legal interest in Terri Schiavo's situation, which is so devastating, the likelihood that existing laws are going to come under scrutiny or become more stringent, I believe great. So the more you are clear and specific with your family members, the less likely it is that the government or medical profession is going to step in and make decisions for you. I think that's very important.

NGUYEN: So, be specific and start talking, now. Susan Piver, we appreciate your time.

PIVER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

PIVER: Thank you.

HARRIS: Time now to get some answers to your e-mail questions. Send along those questions to us at wam@cnn.com and we're answering them this morning with the help of former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey.

Kendall, good to see you. You came back for more of this, huh?

KENDALL COFFEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: The questions were fascinating, yesterday. Very important issues.

NGUYEN: Yes, they were.

HARRIS: Yeah, let's get started this morning. We've got this from Gene from Harper, Texas. It's not really a question, but we may be able to fashion something out of it.

"The judges," Gene writes, "have the right to starve a person to death, yet if I staved my pet to death I would be put in jail. People should have at least the same equal rights as an animal."

Prepares the question here, Kendall, were Terri Schiavo's constitutional rights protected throughout to process?

COFFEY: Well, they were and ultimately, that's what the Congress established. Get the federal courts to look and make sure the constitutional rights of Terri Schiavo were not violated. All of that was looked at. They decided that, agree with the decision or not, her constitutional rights were observed.

NGUYEN: Kendall, DaNita in Mississippi wants to know, "How is Mr. Schiavo getting around the fact that he does not have, in writing, that Terri let her wishes known?"

COFFEY: When there is no written directive, and we just heard a very important discussion to the importance of that, you have to show by clear and convincing testimony in a courtroom that the wishes of the person are that extraordinary measures be discontinued. That's what happened, that's what the controversy's been about -- clear and convincing evidence in front of a judge, when you don't have a written directive.

HARRIS: I've got to tell you, Kendall, I've been interested in getting the answer to that question. This is from Mike who writes, "What does it cost to make appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court? Who is paying these costs?"

COFFEY: Well, in large part, I suspect, the time is being donated, because the magnitude of the public interest, but otherwise this case would be costing millions over the course of the last seven years.

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: And Kendall, this question has come up a lot, and here from Phyllis, today. "I don't understand why the government, state or federal, can't give Terri Schiavo an immediate divorce based on section 504 of the disability laws."

COFFEY: Well, the reality is that the husband hasn't sought a divorce, and no one can make him pursue that, so there will be no divorce, but as we've seen, there may be an outcome.

HARRIS: And Kendall, one last question. Has this -- has this case preserved jurisprudence in your mind?

COFFEY: I think ultimately it has, simply because Congress intervened, but after everything that's happened, I don't think they will intervene again. And all of us will look in our own lives to make sure we've got living wills, and I think the states may review some of their own laws to make sure that all of the protections are essential because there will be these kind of tragedies in the future.

HARRIS: And all of Terri Schiavo's rights protected by the courts, in your opinion?

COFFEY: They have been protected, agree with the outcome or not.

HARRIS: OK. Kendall, thank you.

NGUYEN: All right. Kendall Coffey.

COFFEY: Thank you.

HARRIS: All weekend long for us, Kendall Coffey has been answering your questions, and of course, keep those e-mails coming. We'll continue to do this throughout the course of the day, here on CNN Sunday.

And coming up: How a driver survived after her SUV went off the side of this bridge.

NGUYEN: Plus, after having her entire family stationed in Iraq, what one woman is doing so that other families are not put in her position. It's today's "Soldier's Story," and it's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking news across America now. A thousand people attended a memorial service, in Florida, for Jessica Lunsford, the 9- year-old girl who was abducted from her home and killed a month ago. Her father spoke during yesterday's service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: Who am I? My name is Mark. I live a simple life. I work all my life, and I raise kids, all my life. And someone has taken this away from me. We need to make a lot of changes, and I know that there are people here today that are going to make this happen for other children. It is only about the children, they are our future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Registered sex offender John Couey is being held on charges of kidnapping and killing Jessica Lunsford.

Funeral services were held in Red Lake, Minnesota for three of the victims of last Monday's shooting spree by 16-year-old Jeff Weise. The rampage claimed 10 lives, including the gunman. Yesterday's services were for Weise's grandfather, the grandfather's long-time companion, and one of Weise's high school classmates.

Oh the dangers of distracted drivers. In Portland, Oregon, Melissa Borgaard was talking on her cell phone, yesterday, when her SUV crashed through a bridge guardrail and plunged into the Willamette River and sank. Borgaard somehow got out of the vehicle and was rescued by a fire department diver. She's being treated for cuts and hypothermia.

NGUYEN: My goodness. One family, three sons all serving in Iraq. Hear one woman's plight to get her family home. That's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING, I'm Tony Harris. Checking our top stories, Terri Schiavo's parents are with her now at a Florida hospice after the state Supreme Court rejected their emergency petition. It is the latest in a series of legal losses for Bob and Mary Schindler, there. They have repeatedly failed to get the courts to re-insert their brain-damaged daughter's feeding tube.

Tens of thousands of worshipers came to the Vatican this morning to watch the pope give a silent Easter blessing. The ailing pontiff tried to say a few words, but his voice wasn't strong enough.

Two come-from-behind wins in overtime, Illinois and Louisville both rallied to win their regional finals and mess up my brackets! They are now in the final four of the NCAA college basketball tournament. The last two finalists will be decided today.

NGUYEN: A single mother has just four loved ones in her life. One was killed, and because the other three are serving in Iraq, she worries her entire family could be wiped out. Our Kathleen Koch has this Sunday's "Soldier's Story" from a mother's perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a special meal for the Swann family, the first since all three sons returned from Iraq, where they served with the Marine and Army reserves.

ANN SWANN, MOTHER: I mean, when you went to the chow hall, did you have a choice?

KOCH: Ann Swann didn't hear many details, but she knew enough to realize that her sons where in constant danger. Swann's mother had just been killed in a robbery, and without the boys, she was all alone.

ANN SWANN, MOTHER: Kenny wasn't here, mom wasn't here, the twins weren't here, and so it was like a -- kind of big snowball. I have some concerns that I stood the possibility of my entire family being wiped out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be easy finding one particular soldier in the middle of this whole damn war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like a needle in a stack of needles.

KOCH: Like many, Swann thought the Sullivan rule, illustrated in the movie "Saving Private Ryan" prevented siblings from going to war together, but she learned it only applies if a sibling is killed, captured, missing, or permanently disabled.

A. SWANN: Right, well the sub can be doing it also.

KOCH: So the elementary school principle wrote the president and her congressman, who's now drafting a bill to help family like the Swann's.

REP. ALBERT WYNN (D), MARYLAND: Would I ask them or anyone to be exempted from service? We're only asking that they not be placed in a combat zone with a sibling if the family so desires.

KOCH: The Army secretary says he's begun examining the issue after a recent trip to Iraq.

FRANCIS HARVEY, SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: We are looking into that, what you just mentioned, having more than one brother or sister in theater at the same time.

KOCH: But, Swann's son say if given the choice to leave they're units in Iraq, they'd have said no.

HENRY SWANN, BROTHER: Because the bond I have with my unit is almost, if not just as strong as the bond I have with my brothers.

BRYAN SWANN, BROTHER: There's no way I'm going to leave my Marines that I came over there with, by themselves, let alone him or let alone worrying about him or worrying about him. I mean, it's just -- it's not in our character, I would say.

KOCH: And with the twins heading back to join their reserve unit, they all know this band of brothers could be together in Iraq again.

A. SWANN: There is no guarantee; this is why I'm hoping that the military will take a close look and just brainstorm.

Do the speed limit.

B. SWANN: Yes.

A. SWANN: Put your seatbelt on.

B. SWANN: We love you, too.

A. SWANN: Bye, mom.

A. SWANN: Call me when you get there.

B. SWANN: We will.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Glendale, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Thirty-three years late, Steven Lawrence finally gets his just award at a Pentagon ceremony, Friday. The Army presented Lawrence with a Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award for valor. In 1971 he rescued the crew of a downed helicopter in Vietnam while under heavy fire. Lawrence was nominated for the award in 1972, but he had returned to civilian life, and the Army never notified him.

NGUYEN: We want to say good morning, New York. Look at this picture of Central Park, there. We will check in with Chad Myers for an update on the weather, that's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

HARRIS: But first, all the way from Iraq, a U.S. soldier sends Easter greetings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, this is Sergeant Louie Narrow (ph) with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from Camp Fallujah, Iraq, I just want to say happy Easter to all my family in the Bronx, Yonkers, Staten Island, and Long Island and also a happy Easter to everybody working at the Bronx Board of Elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED GRIFFIN, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: One of the most important aspects of choosing a putter is to make sure that you're getting the putter to adapt to you and not you to adapt to the putter. Most come with standard specifications. You want to make sure you're getting the appropriate length and lie for your specific putter.

The length is important because that's going to determine how close or far you're going to stand from the ball. The lie also determines your stroke path. The last thing you want to look for is the head shape of the putter. I would encourage to you get a putter that's perimeter weighted, that going to allow less twisting on off- center hits. Make sure the putter has a line on it that aids you in lining up your putter, very important for the direction of your putts. When you go into the pro shop, ask your PGA professional for assistance, in making sure you get a putter that fits you properly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We're going to send you out to Washington, D.C., now, and to Dana Bash for a preview of "On the Story."

Good morning, Dana.

DANA BASH, "ON THE STORY": Good morning, Tony. And we are "ON THE STORY" of the Terri Schiavo case from the latest in Florida to the political fallout, here in Washington, to how the drama is playing out across America. And we'll also have the latest on a plan to start bringing home U.S. troops from Iraq. Plus, Pope John Paul II celebrates Easter despite a slow recovery from illness. That's all coming up, that's all "ON THE STORY."

HARRIS: Dana, thank you. We'll be watching.

NGUYEN: It is Easter Sunday, and before you start hiding those Easter eggs...

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: ... Chad Myers has something for you this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Thank you, man.

That's it for us this morning. Thank you for watching.

NGUYEN: We will see you back here next weekend. "ON THE STORY" is next.

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 March 27, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A spokesperson for Terri Schiavo's parents say she is in the final hours of her life.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is March 27, Easter Sunday. Good morning everyone, I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. 9:00 a.m. here in the east and 6:00 a.m. in the west. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you started this Easter Sunday morning with the headlines now in the news. Outside Terri Schiavo's Florida hospice this morning, more than two dozen people held an Easter sunrise service. Meantime, her parents have lost yet another court appeal aimed at saving their brain-damaged daughter's life. We'll bring you a live report straight ahead.

Pope John Paul II tried to speak to the faithful this morning, but he could not get the words out. Instead, the ailing pontiff gave a silent Easter blessing to a huge crowd of worshipers at St. Peter's Square. We'll bring you a report from the Vatican later this hour.

And this morning, Monaco's royal palace says Prince Rainier is conscious and that his heart, lungs, and kidneys have stabilized. Yesterday the palace said the ailing ruler's chances for survival had gotten much worse.

NGUYEN: Here's what we have coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, legally, politically and emotionally, where does the battle over Terri Schiavo go from here? We'll find out.

Also, it's one of the toughest talks that adult children can have with their aging parents. We'll tell you how to make the conversation go smoothly.

And in our soldier story, a mother's quest to make a war overseas more family friendly back home. Now here's what's happening at this hour.

HARRIS: It is symbolic of their long running family feud, one side now observing Terri Schiavo says she's in extreme discomfort. The other side says she's resting peacefully and in no pain, but 10 days without food or water, there's one agreement. She seems to be in the final days of her life.

We have two reports this morning. Our Randi Kaye is outside Michael Schiavo's attorney's office in Dunedin, Florida, but we begin with CNN's David Mattingly outside Terri Schiavo's hospice. Good morning David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. The crowd outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo's is spending her final days is substantially smaller this morning. That's because Terri Schiavo's family went through the crowd last night, thanking them for coming, thanking them for their support, and then asking them to leave, to go home, to spend the Easter holidays with their own families. There were some people that lingered overnight, however, and this morning two people were arrested as they attempted to enter the property to offer Terri Schiavo Easter communion.

A spokesman for the Schiavo's parents and siblings last night renewed their plea for Governor Jeb Bush to interview, this after the Florida state supreme court rejected their latest appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRY SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: And for every person out there that believes it was wrong for Congress and the governor to get involved in my sister's case, they need to go inside right now and look at my sister. And when they come out, they need to ask them if Congress and the governor are wrong for getting involved in my sister's case. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Governor Jeb Bush has stated that he has no more legal authority to intervene in this case, so he may not be hearing from him. We may not be hearing from the Schindler's any more either. They announced yesterday that they will no longer be speaking to the gathered media here in Pinellas Park. Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's David Mattingly for us this morning. David, thank you.

NGUYEN: After seven years of court battles, 22 rulings and countless pleas and appeals, Michael Schiavo hopes the legal battle is over. Our Randi Kaye is in Dunedin, Florida, outside the office of Michael Schiavo's attorneys with the latest there. Good morning Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Betty. It appears the final rounds of the legal battle may have taken place yesterday. About noon yesterday, Judge George Greer denying the Schindlers' motion, that's the parents of Terri Schiavo, denying their motion to have an IV tube put inside Terri Schiavo for this holiday weekend so they could buy some time, in a sense and have their daughter re- evaluated. They believe that she has changed her will to live and would like to live.

That motion was denied, so about 4:30 yesterday, the Schindlers filed an emergency petition with the Florida supreme court. That was to have the feeding tube reinstated and to have their daughter re- evaluated. And a few hours later, about 8:00 last night, that motion by -- filed with the supreme court was denied. They said that it was dismissed, actually. They said it's out of its jurisdiction, and that's the same court that would not even hear the case last week. So that's the legal size side of things.

On the medical side of things, it's still very, very hard to tell exactly how Terri Schiavo is doing. Her brother coming out last night saying that she looks so bad. He was suggesting to his parents they don't even go in and see her. But George Felos, who is the attorney for Michael Schiavo, came out here yesterday and described sort of a naturalness about her. He said she's not struggling to breathe and he said her death is nowhere near imminent as it appears to him. Here's a little bit more of what George Felos had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: I was just down at hospice. I spent about 20 minutes with Mrs. Schiavo. She is calm. She's peaceful. She is resting comfortably. Her lips are not chapped, they're not bleeding. Her skin is -- her skin's not peeling. Frankly, when I saw her, and it's the first time I've seen her since the artificial life support was removed eight days ago, she looked beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Now, these two descriptions are in such stark contrast to one another and the rule is no camera can go inside that hospice room where Terri Schiavo is spending her final days, so it's very, very hard here to get a very accurate description with both sides having their own views, as George Felos said, it's all in the eye of the beholder. Betty.

NGUYEN: Randi, I want to ask you, where is Michael Schiavo today? Is he at Terri's bedside?

KAYE: Well, actually, Betty, due to some security reasons, we're being told very limited information when it comes to Michael Schiavo. We're told that he has been at the hospice facility. They won't say exactly where at the hospice facility, but we're told he has been at the hospice facility since the feeding tube was removed on March 18th.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Randi Kaye in Florida for us. Thank you Randi.

HARRIS: Describing a fight no sibling would ever want to take on, Bobby Schindler says, quote, it's my sister and I'll do whatever I have to do. Here is a bit more of his conversation with CNN's Carol Lin from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're just going to try to stay strong for each other. You know, my sister going through this process is extremely difficult, particularly for my mother. What's happening to my sister, you know, I believe, is actually heinous. It's barbaric, and hearing earlier description of this being painless and peaceful is the farthest thing from the truth.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And what do you say the truth is? SCHINDLER: Well, my sister's being dehydrated and starved -- is being killed by dehydration and starvation. This is the ninth day and it isn't painless. It isn't peaceful. I was responding to Mr. Felos' earlier press conference where he said that my sister was not experiencing any pain or -- during this process, and I -- I pose the question, if that's the case, then why not allow a video camera in there to see her experiencing this?

LIN: Bobby, why do you think more than two dozen rulings have gone against your family's case? Why do you think judges all the way up to the U.S. Supreme court have said that Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband and legal guardian, has the right to make this decision. These were her last wishes. She would not want to live this way?

SCHINDLER: Well, it's hard -- it's hard to understand. There are so many questionable circumstances, you know, regarding my sister's situation. Her condition is highly controversial as far as whether she's in this PVS state or not. Our family has said all along adamantly that she's not. We have doctors to support that. The wishes that were evidently stated by my sister were -- came forward seven years after her collapse, and they came forward after Michael had intended -- he already expressed his wish that he was going to marry another woman upon my sister's death.

So that's why we've been fighting so hard. I think that's why we've had such an outpouring of support, because the people look at this case and they just don't understand why my sister's being killed in this horrible fashion.

LIN: And yet, Bobby, yes, your family does have support, and I think a lot of people are very sympathetic to your emotions as well as your plight. But specifically to your legal case, after all this publicity, after remarks by the president of the United States, and the pope himself, why in every single poll taken that a clear majority of Americans agree that your brother-in-law, Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, has the right to make this decision on his wife's behalf?

SCHINDLER: Well, from the polls that I saw, the questions are horrible. I saw one poll that said, you know, would you to want live in this condition? And even I would answer no to that. Nobody would chose to live as a disabled person, but the answer isn't to starve them to death. Terri is simply disabled. She has a family standing by waiting to take care of her, and for the life of me, I don't understand why the courts are so adamant on having her killed.

LIN: Isn't it possible -- I mean the court -- you may disagree with the questions stated in the polling, but the questions were very clear to Americans. Who do you think should make this decision? Do you agree that the courts or Congress should be involved? I mean, isn't it reasonable to believe that a majority of Americans believe that husbands know their wives better than a sibling or a parent?

SCHINDLER: Well, that -- that's why the divorce rate is so high. And that's why -- you know, the facts of this case and -- you know, the facts of this case are different from the rule of the case. People have taken the time to look into the facts of the case understand what is going on and why they're so outraged. I want to say one other thing. All the people that have, you know, agreed or thought that it's best for my sister to die in this fashion and have disagreed with what Congress has done or the governor has done to intervene to help save my sister, I ask them, they should all go in right now and visit my sister and then when they come out, ask them the same question again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK, those questions on what should happen have revealed some startling answers. In a "Time" magazine poll, most Americans support removing the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo. Fifty nine percent said they support it. A majority of people, 53 percent who call themselves evangelical Christians support removing the tube as well.

NGUYEN: If you're following the Terri Schiavo case closely, you've probably heard just about every angle on the case more than once. So this morning we are not discussing the issues over and over again. Instead, we are giving you the opportunity to ask questions about the case, your own questions about the case. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey is back to answer those legal questions about the Terri Schiavo case. That's a little bit later this hour. But send your e-mail questions in. All you have to do is send them to wam@cnn.com.

HARRIS: And you know, one question you might ask, who will care for you if you can't care for yourself? The author of "Hard Questions" joins us just ahead.

NGUYEN: Also, a mother faces the possibility of losing all of her sons serving in Iraq. How she used that to help other families in the same situation.

HARRIS: And good morning, Cocoa Beach, severe storms in the southeast. Chad Myers will have the forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Looking at our top stories this morning, another legal setback for Terri Schiavo's parents. The Florida supreme court dismisses a request to have their daughter's feeding tube inserted. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters held an Easter morning service outside Terri Schiavo's hospice.

Pope John Paul II appeared at his Vatican window and silently blessed the faithful this Easter Sunday. He tried to speak, but he just couldn't.

And Prince Rainier, the ailing ruler of Monaco seems to be getting better. A palace spokesman says the prince has regained consciousness and is stabilized, although he's breathing with the help of a respirator. The 81-year-old prince is suffering from a lung infection and kidney problems. We're also taking your e-mails on legal questions this morning surrounding the Terri Schiavo case. You want to send them to wam@cnn.com. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey will have the answers. That's just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: And let's get you right to the CNN weather center and Chad Myers who is following some tricky whether in the southeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. It's time now to go global and check out some of the other stories making news around the world today.

HARRIS: And to do that, let's turn now to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. Anand, good morning.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from me. First off this morning, another explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, adding to political tensions there. The blast in a mainly Christian sector of the city set fire to a number of multi-story buildings. Officials believe it was a car bomb. Local media say at least eight people have been injured. Damage is widespread. It's the third explosion in Beirut in a city that's been relatively peaceful since that devastating civil war there in the '70s and '80s.

Onto Iraq and amid the violence there, attempts to form a government. The newly elected assembly is scheduled to meet Tuesday. Members are expected to choose a speaker and two deputies. What's still unclear is whether they would name the new president, widely expected to be Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani. It's not proving to be an easy task. The members of the assembly met more than two weeks ago and a second meeting has been postponed several times mainly because of squabbling over cabinet positions.

A significant development in Israel. It looks like the government there is moving a step closer to its controversial plan to pull out of Gaza. A key opponent of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is pledging support for a crucial budget vote this week. Analysts say support from the Shinui Party will help prevent a possible government collapse and clear the way for a Gaza withdrawal. Opponents of that proposal had planned to use that vote to block that Gaza pullout proposal. That's all from me. We'll continue to follow international developments here at CNN through your day. But for now, let me send it back to Betty and Tony.

HARRIS: Anand, thank you.

The Church of England says the prince must apologize, but for what? It is one of the most popular stories on the Internet this morning. Christina Park up next with today's web gems on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: First, though, a CNN extra. A new survey shows less than half of all Americans know that genetically modified foods are sold in their supermarket. That's right. Nearly 75 percent of U.S. processed foods, cereals, frozen dinners, cooking oils and the like, they contain some genetically modified ingredients. So what isn't genetically modified? So far, non-processed meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products and of course, your raw fruits and veggies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: With so much to read on cnn.com, you could get that carpal tunnel syndrome thing just scrolling through the first page, so let's just hit the high points this Sunday morning. Cnn.com's Christina Park joins us now. Good morning Christina. Happy Easter to you.

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony. Happy Easter to you. You can find the most popular stories on cnn.com any time. All you have to do to get there is surf on over to our Web site and click on "most popular" at the top right-hand side of your page there. This morning, our users are most interested in Terri Schiavo. Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers, are telling those keeping vigil outside their daughter's hospice to go home, be with their families and celebrate Easter. Also online we're following the ongoing legal battle that began more than a decade ago. Our time line begins in February of 1990 when then 26-year old Schiavo collapsed in her home.

Switching gears, that was our number one story. Our users at cnn.com are also most interested in royal apologies or the lack thereof. A high ranking Church of England official is calling for Prince Charles to apologize to his fiancee's ex-husband due to church rules. Now as you know, Prince Charles is set to marry long-time love Camilla Parker-Bowles next month, but before that happens, Bishop David Stancliffe says the prince must atone for committing adultery and says he should apologize to Andrew Parker-Bowles for breaking up his marriage. That from the Sunday "Times" newspaper. The bishop didn't say however whether the apology can be in person, by letter, or even e-mail. Those are just two of this morning's most popular stories, but can you get the rest at cnn.com/mostpopular, Tony.

HARRIS: That's pretty hot.

PARK: Hot stuff. You never know what you're going to get. It's like a box of chocolates.

HARRIS: Thank you for that on Easter Sunday. Thanks.

NGUYEN: All right, then. On this Easter Sunday, look at this, the pope, apparently in pain, still pleases the crowd at St. Peter's Square.

HARRIS: Plus, your family might be talking about the Terri Schiavo case and how it relates to you. One author talks about those hard questions with us next. CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Jubilation at St. Peter's Square as Pope John Paul II appears at his window this Easter Sunday and welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

First, here's what's happening right now in the news. Protesters held an Easter service outside Terri Schiavo's hospice this morning. There they are. Two people, they were arrested for trying to bring her communion. Meanwhile, there has been another legal setback. The Florida supreme court yesterday dismissed an emergency petition by Schiavo's parents to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted.

Lebanon's president promises to do everything he can to end the violent acts that have gripped that country since the assassination of the former prime minister. Five people were injured in the latest bomb blast in a mostly Christian neighborhood of Beirut. It was the third such attack in eight days. Opposition leaders blame Syria.

And Christians are celebrating easier Sunday. Sunrise services were held at Arlington National Cemetery. Worshipers there called it a fitting location, saying they were surrounded by the final resting place of our nation's war heroes, including 137 troops from the current war in Iraq.

HARRIS: Pope John Paul II made a longer, but silent Easter appearance from his window at the Vatican. Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's square for mass hoping to hear from the ailing pontiff. Our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Not even a rainy day in Rome could keep tens of thousands of pilgrims away from St. Peter's square. And as the crowd gathered in that square, the expectation to see Pope John Paul II was clearly palpable. As expected, however, the pope was not well enough to participate in the mass, which was presided by a top Vatican cardinal, but at the end of it, the pope eventually rewarded the tens of thousands of pilgrims, who gathered, with a lengthy appearance which lasted 12 minutes, much longer than the previous ones. He sat at the window while Cardinal Sodano read out the pope's traditional Easter Sunday blessing, known as Urbi et Orbi, to the city and to the world, in which he calls for peace in the Middle East and Africa, prayed for the victims of natural disasters, as well as those suffering from hunger and poverty. A message all the more poignant, of course, this year, giving the pope's own suffering.

At one point the pope did attempt to say a few words, perhaps a blessing. A microphone was put in front of him, but all we could hear was a whisper, perhaps, or a murmur. The pope clearly not well enough to speak. He did look in pain, he touched his throat and his face several times, but the end of opted for a silent blessing, which he made with his hand, by making the sign of the cross.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Do you have a living will? Terri Schiavo doesn't. Her 15-year ordeal should convince anyone to discuss end of life issues with family members. And Susan Piver can tell us how to start that discussion with their loved ones. She's the author of "The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life." And Susan Piver joins us now live from Boston.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

SUSAN PIVER, AUTHOR: Glad to be here.

NGUYEN: First of all, that is a difficult decision and discussion, as well. How do you start talking about a living will and what to do when the time comes?

PIVER: Yes, that's a good question. You know, as life expectancy increases and medical technologies for prolonging life become more sophisticated, the likelihood that families have to confront issues like this is greater and greater. So, I think a good way to start is, of course, we can all reference the Terri Schiavo situation. Every family in America is thinking deeply about this. That's a good way to bring the subject up. And I think it's important for all family members to have this conversation over 18, not just to focus on one family member or another, and I would also suggest to really take it slow. Don't feel like you have to cover every issue surrounding living wills and health care proxies and the like in one conversation.

NGUYEN: But there are five important questions that you must ask. What are those questions?

PIVER: Well, the first one is: If I'm unable to make health care decisions for myself, whom would I like to make them for me? And it's important to choose someone who you think can really understand your wishes with a lot of nuance, and also who you can trust to stand strong for you should situations become chaotic.

The second question is: Do you have a living will? And if not, you know, what arrangements can we make to get one? And in the meantime, what can you tell me now about your thoughts about living with pain or prolonging life under various circumstances?

A third important question is: If I have a terminal illness or an otherwise incurable situation, under what circumstances, if any, would I want a do-not-resuscitate order followed? That's a complex question, and I think every family should research that.

And finally, as much as you know now, where would you like to die? At home, in a hospital or a hospice? And you know, we assume we know the answers to that for our family members, but it's important to ask, because occasionally those assumptions are wrong.

NGUYEN: These are difficult questions. And they're also very specific, but that's the key here, you want to make sure that you're specific so that when the time does come, these decisions are a little easier to make?

PIVER: That's absolutely right. And given the extraordinary political and legal interest in Terri Schiavo's situation, which is so devastating, the likelihood that existing laws are going to come under scrutiny or become more stringent, I believe great. So the more you are clear and specific with your family members, the less likely it is that the government or medical profession is going to step in and make decisions for you. I think that's very important.

NGUYEN: So, be specific and start talking, now. Susan Piver, we appreciate your time.

PIVER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

PIVER: Thank you.

HARRIS: Time now to get some answers to your e-mail questions. Send along those questions to us at wam@cnn.com and we're answering them this morning with the help of former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey.

Kendall, good to see you. You came back for more of this, huh?

KENDALL COFFEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: The questions were fascinating, yesterday. Very important issues.

NGUYEN: Yes, they were.

HARRIS: Yeah, let's get started this morning. We've got this from Gene from Harper, Texas. It's not really a question, but we may be able to fashion something out of it.

"The judges," Gene writes, "have the right to starve a person to death, yet if I staved my pet to death I would be put in jail. People should have at least the same equal rights as an animal."

Prepares the question here, Kendall, were Terri Schiavo's constitutional rights protected throughout to process?

COFFEY: Well, they were and ultimately, that's what the Congress established. Get the federal courts to look and make sure the constitutional rights of Terri Schiavo were not violated. All of that was looked at. They decided that, agree with the decision or not, her constitutional rights were observed.

NGUYEN: Kendall, DaNita in Mississippi wants to know, "How is Mr. Schiavo getting around the fact that he does not have, in writing, that Terri let her wishes known?"

COFFEY: When there is no written directive, and we just heard a very important discussion to the importance of that, you have to show by clear and convincing testimony in a courtroom that the wishes of the person are that extraordinary measures be discontinued. That's what happened, that's what the controversy's been about -- clear and convincing evidence in front of a judge, when you don't have a written directive.

HARRIS: I've got to tell you, Kendall, I've been interested in getting the answer to that question. This is from Mike who writes, "What does it cost to make appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court? Who is paying these costs?"

COFFEY: Well, in large part, I suspect, the time is being donated, because the magnitude of the public interest, but otherwise this case would be costing millions over the course of the last seven years.

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: And Kendall, this question has come up a lot, and here from Phyllis, today. "I don't understand why the government, state or federal, can't give Terri Schiavo an immediate divorce based on section 504 of the disability laws."

COFFEY: Well, the reality is that the husband hasn't sought a divorce, and no one can make him pursue that, so there will be no divorce, but as we've seen, there may be an outcome.

HARRIS: And Kendall, one last question. Has this -- has this case preserved jurisprudence in your mind?

COFFEY: I think ultimately it has, simply because Congress intervened, but after everything that's happened, I don't think they will intervene again. And all of us will look in our own lives to make sure we've got living wills, and I think the states may review some of their own laws to make sure that all of the protections are essential because there will be these kind of tragedies in the future.

HARRIS: And all of Terri Schiavo's rights protected by the courts, in your opinion?

COFFEY: They have been protected, agree with the outcome or not.

HARRIS: OK. Kendall, thank you.

NGUYEN: All right. Kendall Coffey.

COFFEY: Thank you.

HARRIS: All weekend long for us, Kendall Coffey has been answering your questions, and of course, keep those e-mails coming. We'll continue to do this throughout the course of the day, here on CNN Sunday.

And coming up: How a driver survived after her SUV went off the side of this bridge.

NGUYEN: Plus, after having her entire family stationed in Iraq, what one woman is doing so that other families are not put in her position. It's today's "Soldier's Story," and it's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking news across America now. A thousand people attended a memorial service, in Florida, for Jessica Lunsford, the 9- year-old girl who was abducted from her home and killed a month ago. Her father spoke during yesterday's service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: Who am I? My name is Mark. I live a simple life. I work all my life, and I raise kids, all my life. And someone has taken this away from me. We need to make a lot of changes, and I know that there are people here today that are going to make this happen for other children. It is only about the children, they are our future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Registered sex offender John Couey is being held on charges of kidnapping and killing Jessica Lunsford.

Funeral services were held in Red Lake, Minnesota for three of the victims of last Monday's shooting spree by 16-year-old Jeff Weise. The rampage claimed 10 lives, including the gunman. Yesterday's services were for Weise's grandfather, the grandfather's long-time companion, and one of Weise's high school classmates.

Oh the dangers of distracted drivers. In Portland, Oregon, Melissa Borgaard was talking on her cell phone, yesterday, when her SUV crashed through a bridge guardrail and plunged into the Willamette River and sank. Borgaard somehow got out of the vehicle and was rescued by a fire department diver. She's being treated for cuts and hypothermia.

NGUYEN: My goodness. One family, three sons all serving in Iraq. Hear one woman's plight to get her family home. That's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING, I'm Tony Harris. Checking our top stories, Terri Schiavo's parents are with her now at a Florida hospice after the state Supreme Court rejected their emergency petition. It is the latest in a series of legal losses for Bob and Mary Schindler, there. They have repeatedly failed to get the courts to re-insert their brain-damaged daughter's feeding tube.

Tens of thousands of worshipers came to the Vatican this morning to watch the pope give a silent Easter blessing. The ailing pontiff tried to say a few words, but his voice wasn't strong enough.

Two come-from-behind wins in overtime, Illinois and Louisville both rallied to win their regional finals and mess up my brackets! They are now in the final four of the NCAA college basketball tournament. The last two finalists will be decided today.

NGUYEN: A single mother has just four loved ones in her life. One was killed, and because the other three are serving in Iraq, she worries her entire family could be wiped out. Our Kathleen Koch has this Sunday's "Soldier's Story" from a mother's perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a special meal for the Swann family, the first since all three sons returned from Iraq, where they served with the Marine and Army reserves.

ANN SWANN, MOTHER: I mean, when you went to the chow hall, did you have a choice?

KOCH: Ann Swann didn't hear many details, but she knew enough to realize that her sons where in constant danger. Swann's mother had just been killed in a robbery, and without the boys, she was all alone.

ANN SWANN, MOTHER: Kenny wasn't here, mom wasn't here, the twins weren't here, and so it was like a -- kind of big snowball. I have some concerns that I stood the possibility of my entire family being wiped out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be easy finding one particular soldier in the middle of this whole damn war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like a needle in a stack of needles.

KOCH: Like many, Swann thought the Sullivan rule, illustrated in the movie "Saving Private Ryan" prevented siblings from going to war together, but she learned it only applies if a sibling is killed, captured, missing, or permanently disabled.

A. SWANN: Right, well the sub can be doing it also.

KOCH: So the elementary school principle wrote the president and her congressman, who's now drafting a bill to help family like the Swann's.

REP. ALBERT WYNN (D), MARYLAND: Would I ask them or anyone to be exempted from service? We're only asking that they not be placed in a combat zone with a sibling if the family so desires.

KOCH: The Army secretary says he's begun examining the issue after a recent trip to Iraq.

FRANCIS HARVEY, SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: We are looking into that, what you just mentioned, having more than one brother or sister in theater at the same time.

KOCH: But, Swann's son say if given the choice to leave they're units in Iraq, they'd have said no.

HENRY SWANN, BROTHER: Because the bond I have with my unit is almost, if not just as strong as the bond I have with my brothers.

BRYAN SWANN, BROTHER: There's no way I'm going to leave my Marines that I came over there with, by themselves, let alone him or let alone worrying about him or worrying about him. I mean, it's just -- it's not in our character, I would say.

KOCH: And with the twins heading back to join their reserve unit, they all know this band of brothers could be together in Iraq again.

A. SWANN: There is no guarantee; this is why I'm hoping that the military will take a close look and just brainstorm.

Do the speed limit.

B. SWANN: Yes.

A. SWANN: Put your seatbelt on.

B. SWANN: We love you, too.

A. SWANN: Bye, mom.

A. SWANN: Call me when you get there.

B. SWANN: We will.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Glendale, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Thirty-three years late, Steven Lawrence finally gets his just award at a Pentagon ceremony, Friday. The Army presented Lawrence with a Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award for valor. In 1971 he rescued the crew of a downed helicopter in Vietnam while under heavy fire. Lawrence was nominated for the award in 1972, but he had returned to civilian life, and the Army never notified him.

NGUYEN: We want to say good morning, New York. Look at this picture of Central Park, there. We will check in with Chad Myers for an update on the weather, that's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

HARRIS: But first, all the way from Iraq, a U.S. soldier sends Easter greetings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, this is Sergeant Louie Narrow (ph) with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from Camp Fallujah, Iraq, I just want to say happy Easter to all my family in the Bronx, Yonkers, Staten Island, and Long Island and also a happy Easter to everybody working at the Bronx Board of Elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED GRIFFIN, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: One of the most important aspects of choosing a putter is to make sure that you're getting the putter to adapt to you and not you to adapt to the putter. Most come with standard specifications. You want to make sure you're getting the appropriate length and lie for your specific putter.

The length is important because that's going to determine how close or far you're going to stand from the ball. The lie also determines your stroke path. The last thing you want to look for is the head shape of the putter. I would encourage to you get a putter that's perimeter weighted, that going to allow less twisting on off- center hits. Make sure the putter has a line on it that aids you in lining up your putter, very important for the direction of your putts. When you go into the pro shop, ask your PGA professional for assistance, in making sure you get a putter that fits you properly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We're going to send you out to Washington, D.C., now, and to Dana Bash for a preview of "On the Story."

Good morning, Dana.

DANA BASH, "ON THE STORY": Good morning, Tony. And we are "ON THE STORY" of the Terri Schiavo case from the latest in Florida to the political fallout, here in Washington, to how the drama is playing out across America. And we'll also have the latest on a plan to start bringing home U.S. troops from Iraq. Plus, Pope John Paul II celebrates Easter despite a slow recovery from illness. That's all coming up, that's all "ON THE STORY."

HARRIS: Dana, thank you. We'll be watching.

NGUYEN: It is Easter Sunday, and before you start hiding those Easter eggs...

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: ... Chad Myers has something for you this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Thank you, man.

That's it for us this morning. Thank you for watching.

NGUYEN: We will see you back here next weekend. "ON THE STORY" is next.

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