Position Paper The Silent Witness: The Case of Theresa Shiavo

The case of Theresa Shiavo gained national attention because it was an extremely controversial subject. Following a collapse in February 1990 of heart failure, when she was only 26 years old, Terri had been in a coma for three months. When she regained consciousness she was in the generally unresponsive state in which she would remain for 15 years. She remained on a feeding tube to keep her alive. Her husband, Michael Shiavo, stated that it was not Terri's wish to be kept alive in this way and that she should be taken off the feeding tube and allowed to die. Her parents, Robert and Mary Sc…