The Terri Schiavo case is on everybody’s lips and no wonder.

This is not even a case of mercy killing but murder in its worst form.

Fifteen years ago, Terry Schiavo was only 26 years old, a homely woman living happily with her husband Michael who was supposed to love, honour and cherish her till God decided it was time for her to die.

Fifteen years ago Terri Schiavo suffered a severe heart attack that caused damage to her once intelligent mind. Since then, it was only a machine that kept her alive. Michael, her beloved husband, a man whom I hope I shall never have the misfortune to meet, decided to play God and pleaded to the doctors concerned that the tube attached to Terri, which enabled her to eat, be switched off so that Terri might die in less than a week.

Terri’s parents, who truly loved her, protected her and did not want to let go of her, took the case to court several times so that Terri’s tube might be attached to her again, and rightly so.

The case became a controversial one, with the American president George Bush and his brother Jed Bush intervening in the matter. Sadly, Terri has since died.

Michael, after 15 long years, opened his mouth and insisted that it was Terri’s wish when she was sane, that if ever she was in a position as she was before her death, she would have preferred to die in dignity.

Question number one. How do we know that Terri told her husband that?

Question number two. Why did Michael Schiavo decide that now was the time for Terri to die after 15 years of living on a machine?

Question number three. How did the doctors know that one fine day Terri would not have made a comeback to life? Who gave them the right to play God and deny food to Terri Schiavo, thus being the main participants in her death?

For 15 long years the parents of Terri Schiavo had hope and they were justified. It is this four letter word called hope that swings us through life. Now, that hope was brutally snatched away from them by Michael and the law courts who found in his favour.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I always thought that doctors were there to prolong life, not terminate it. Whether Terri was living on a machine is irrelevant.

Terri was alive.

Much as I love the Americans, I have no doubt that those who wanted Terri Schiavo dead do not value the sanctity of life. How many times have we experienced a story of a patient given six months to live and who then lives for many years? How many times have we heard of people going into a coma and “resurrecting” after as long as 20 years? What would Maltese parents do if Terri Schiavo was their daughter? Would they pray for a miracle or would they allow doctors to kill her?

I know I would prefer the former.

The Schindlers, Terry Schiavo’s parents, are people to be pitied. They were very lucid in their desires.

They wanted their daughter to live, preferring to look at this “vegetable” than not seeing her at all.

In their place I would have reacted in the same way.

Terri Schiavo was not in pain, she was not a hindrance to anyone except to Michael who had reasons of his own for wanting Terri dead.

God bless you, Terri Schiavo.

Valerie Borg

VALLETTA