Terri's Grave

Posted by Tim on Blogs for Terri:

June 21, 2005

Bobby Schindler Responds to Schiavo Grave Inscription

The cremated remains of Terri Schiavo were buried yesterday at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida in the presence of her husband, Michael Schiavo, some of his brothers and a priest. Contrary to a court order, her immediate family were not notified in advance of the service.

Michael used a bronze grave marker to list Feb. 25, 1990, as the date his wife died. Feb. 25, 1990, is the date Terri Schindler Schiavo experienced a still unknown event that left her severely mentally disabled. Terri Schiavo actually died March 31, 2005, nearly two weeks after her feeding tube was removed by court order.

Terri's brother, Bobby Schindler, released the following statement in reponse to the inscription on Terri's burial site marker

"This clearly illustrates the spiteful lengths to which Michael Schiavo will go in order to purposely hurt those that loved Terri unconditionally – her family. It seems to me that the only intention of this inscription was to be hurtful, and had absolutely nothing to do with Terri, but only to cause my parents additional pain over the loss of their child. Maybe even more tragic, is that in doing so, Michael Schiavo shows nothing but a lack of respect for Terri."

The inscription also contradicts Michael's 1992 testimony he gave during a malpractice suit against Terri's doctor that ended in his favor. Michael testified, "I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that."

Terri's grave marker is inscribed at the bottom with the words "I kept my promise," apparently aimed at memorializing her husband who successfully brought about her death by withholding food and water.

I think Bobby Schindler sums up perfectly what Michael Schiavo intended to do by marking Terri's burial site with such a disgusting inscription--hurt the Schindlers.

The "I kept my promise" line is all about his warped world, not Terri. Exactly what promise is he talking about anyway? It can't have anything to do with the promises he made to her on their wedding day. The adulterer broke those vows long, long ago. Is he referring to his promise to have her dehydrated to death? If he means his promise to kill her and torture her family, he did do that. Still, it's unseemly and the sign of a sick sense of self to put up a memorial to his "promise" at her grave.

Does Schiavo really believe Terri would have wanted him to cause her parents so much pain?

Does he think it was Terri's wishes, that each time her family would visit her grave, they would be confronted with such a contemptible display?

Michael Schiavo went so far as to defy the court order requiring him to notify the Schindlers of his burial plans for Terri IN ADVANCE of the service.

He didn't.

Based on his behavior, I don't believe he can rightly claim he loved her.

Because of Michael Schiavo, the Schindlers were unable to prevent their beloved Terri from being murdered; and now they are even powerless to provide her with a grave marker that honors her memory in a respectful, loving way.

Michael Schiavo used Terri's grave to erect a monument to himself.