We have to live in America for a long time

In 1990, a resident of Florida Terri Shaivo suffered a short -term cardiac arrest. As a result, most functions of its brain were irreparably affected. Since then, Terry is chained to the hospital bed and receives food with a tube inserted into the stomach. She does not talk, but can move, her eyes are open, but at the same time, as doctors say, she is in an unconscious state.

Terry’s husband, Michael, rightfully the guardian first appealed to the court with a request to allow doctors to stop the artificial nutrition of the unfortunate in 1998. There is no testament Terry Shaiv, but Michael showed under the oath that his wife categorically objected to her life was supported by doctors contrary to the will of nature. However, the parents of Terry, Bob and Mary Schindler, believe that their daughter should live. They argue that she reacts to her speech by facial expressions, that she has a meaningful look, that she experiences emotion characteristic of the human being, which means that it is not worried.

Doctors - both treating doctors and experts appointed by the court - unanimously assure that this is self -deception: parents take a reflex muscle contraction for a meaningful reaction. But there were doctors who say that intensive therapy can return Terry the ability to eat on their own, and maybe speak. Similar trials in America are not uncommon: they are called Right-to-Die Case-the "case of death." But the case of Terry shave is extremely complicated. We are not talking about euthanasia - to kill the patient in order to stop his suffering. The problem is that Terry does not suffer: she does not experience unbearable pain, is not in a coma - her body, with the exception of the brain, works normally. The husband does not ask to kill her - he wants Terry to stop feeding through the tube.

The five -year court lawsuit ended in favor of the guardian. The court ruled that doctors can stop the artificial nutrition of Terry. They did it in the past Wednesday. The parents remained the last hope - they turned to the governor of Florida Jeb Bush. He promised to help. Meanwhile, state lawmakers hastily developed a bill, which was adopted on Tuesday and immediately signed by the governor. The law says that if there are objections from family members, the patient must live. By order of the governor, the doctors resumed Terry's nutrition.

Experts say that the order was merciless and barbaric. After the food was stopped, Terry began to slow down slowly, the rhythms of her heart slowed down, the kidneys began to die. Under such conditions, interrupting the process of dying means to commit cruel violence against the body.

Critics of the decision of the governor believe that it is dictated by the fear of death deeply rooted in the minds of the Americans. But the plot has a purely legal aspect. Lawyers are sure that the governor and the state’s legislative assembly went too far in their disagreement with the opinion of the court. "This administration simply does not understand why the separation of the authorities is needed," said the former member of the Supreme Court of Florida Gerald Kogan on this occasion.

In the coming days, the court should consider the request of Michael Shaiv, who asks to cancel the order of the governor. Terry is still between life and death.