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The Schiavo Case Terri Schiavo dies in a Florida hospice after a lengthy legal battle over the brain-damaged woman's fate. The case pitted her husband, who wanted her feeding tube removed, against her parents, who fought to keep her alive. It moved into the political arena when Congress and the president urged federal courts to intervene.
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The Schiavo Case

Terri Schiavo dies in a hospice after a lengthy legal battle over the brain-damaged woman's fate.

Schiavo Case Stirs End-of-Life Debate

Nearly two weeks after her feeding tube was removed, Terri Schiavo died Thursday. Her story and the efforts by Congress and the right-to-life community to keep her alive brought ethical issues concerning end-of-life decisions onto the national stage.

Schiavo Case Stirs End-of-Life Debate

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Schiavo Autopsy Set for Next Week

Terri Schiavo's husband Michael confirms plans to have doctors examine her brain at an autopsy next week. He hopes the procedure will show the full extent of her brain damage. But it will not answer philosophical questions her case has raised.

Schiavo Autopsy Set for Next Week

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Schiavo's Death Ends Bitter Right-to-Life Battle

Terri Schiavo, who had been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years, has died at age 41. Schiavo's feeding tube was removed 13 days ago, after her parents lost a protracted battle with husband Michael Schiavo for guardianship.

Schiavo's Death Ends Bitter Right-to-Life Battle

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Public Views on the Schiavo Case

Following the death of Terri Schiavo, we speak with people from three U.S. communities -- Syracuse, N.Y., Los Angeles, and Birmingham, Ala. -- to find out their thoughts on the case and on the government's role in end-of-life decisions.

Public Views on the Schiavo Case

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Friends Remember Schiavo

Terri Schiavo grew up just outside of Philadelphia, and friends remember a shy young woman who would have been deeply uncomfortable in the national spotlight. She struggled with weight issues starting in college, where she met her future husband. Hear a report from member station WHYY.

Friends Remember Schiavo

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Opinion

Conservatives and the Culture of Life

The phrase "Culture of Life" gathers a variety of positions into a single -- and straining -- tent. From a belief that life begins at conception to an opposition to physician-assisted suicide, disparate groups have protested the treatment of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman whose feeding tube was removed.

Conservatives and the Culture of Life

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Footing the Bill for the Costs of Long-Term Care

How much does it cost to take care of a seriously ill patient, and who foots the bill? NPR's Madeleine Brand examines the potential costs of long-term medical care for seriously ill patients like Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman kept alive for 15 years with a feeding tube and now close to death.

Footing the Bill for the Costs of Long-Term Care

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Echoes of Earlier Right-to-Die Battle in Schiavo Case

NPR's Alex Chadwick speaks with former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward "Chip" Robertson, who wrote the court's 1988 opinion in the case of Nancy Cruzan. Cruzan was left severely brain damaged after a car accident, and the battle over keeping her alive has many similarities to the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman at the center of a heated debate on right-to-die issues.

Echoes of Earlier Right-to-Die Battle in Schiavo Case

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Schiavo Protests Continue

Nine days after doctors removed the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman, protesters become agitated amid reports that Schiavo is near death. Bob Schindler, Schiavo's father, has thanked the crowd and asked them to go home.

Schiavo Protests Continue

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Schiavo's Condition Disputed

Nine days after Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed, her husband and parents release conflicting statements on her health. After the Schindlers' attorney said Schiavo's condition was deteriorating, the lawyer for Michael Schiavo said Terri Schiavo is not near death.

Schiavo's Condition Disputed

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Polls Show Distaste for Political Role in Schiavo Case

A majority of Americans support Michael Schiavo's decision to terminate life support for his brain-damaged wife Terri. As many as 80 percent polled oppose congressional and White House efforts to intervene in the case. Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press comments on polling data.

Polls Show Distaste for Political Role in Schiavo Case

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Will Schiavo Case Leave Imprint on Government?

The saga of Terri Schiavo led to extraordinary measures by Congress and the White House to keep the brain-damaged woman alive. Will the case have lasting consequences for U.S. government?

Will Schiavo Case Leave Imprint on Government?

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The Science and Ethics of the Schiavo Case

Doctors and bioethicists worry that the Terri Schiavo case has set back their work by decades because of Congress' decision to step in and reverse a judicial decision. Jon Hamilton visits a New York hospital team of doctors, bioethicists and mediators who work with families of patients in vegetative states. The group routinely deals with complicated "end-of-life" decisions.

The Science and Ethics of the Schiavo Case

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Polls Indicate U.S. Supports Husband in Schiavo Debate

NPR's Mike Pesca reports on how the public feels about the treatment of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman at the center of a national debate over right-to-die issues. The polls he's examined indicate that nearly all sectors of the American public favor allowing the woman's husband, Michael Schiavo, to have his wife's feeding tube disconnected.

Polls Indicate U.S. Supports Husband in Schiavo Debate

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Schiavo Case Sparks Interest in Living Wills

The legal battle over Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged Florida woman whose life-sustaining feeding tube was removed Friday, has sparked new interest in the legal end-of-life directives known as living wills. NPR's Michele Norris discusses common questions about living wills with Dr. Barry Baines, associate medical director for Hospice of the Twin Cities and author of Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper.

Schiavo Case Sparks Interest in Living Wills

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Defining a 'Persistent Vegetative State'

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Dr. James Bernat, a professor of neurology at Dartmouth Medical School, about the medical definition of a "persistent vegetative state," how people are diagnosed and treated, and the state of research into this area.

Defining a 'Persistent Vegetative State'

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