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Fighting for Dear Life: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo and What It Means for All of Us

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Would you like to get the real facts behind the tragic Terri Schiavo story? Here's an opportunity to read the words of the lead attorney on this case, as he valiantly struggled to save the life of this precious young woman.

David Gibbs tells this story, simply and with a remarkable reliance upon God. His law firm got involved in 2003 at the request of Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Candidly admitting that they were up against insurmountable odds, Gibbs aggressively pursued every legal avenue of redress. The lies of the media will be blown aside as readers enter into the private domain of the key people in this drama. Most noteworthy is the author's description of his first meeting with Terri, and the incredible impression she made upon him.

Written with a lawyer's attention to detail and arranged in a concise chronological order, this book contains all the pertinent and powerful facts. Readers' reactions will range from sadness to shock to outrage at the miscarriage of justice shown in this situation. Interestingly, David Gibbs doesn't offer his own heated opinions on this issue; rather, he lets the testimony speak for itself. And with the inclusion of newspaper and magazine articles, legal statements, and actual observations from eyewitnesses, this collection of information leads to only one truth: Terri Schiavo endured an unnecessary and painful death.

Although the book centers on this one woman, the author consistently leads readers to understand the far-reaching significance of this issue, and encourages every American to be aware of the legal ramifications of this case. The final pages offer a Christian response to this tragedy, which is to humbly beseech the living God to change the hearts of those in our great nation. Prayer is more powerful than any legal petition, and that thought closes this moving account with the hope of a perfect and future triumph. - Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com

Though I was down in Penellas Park for 11 days, and most of them at the protest site, the book still informed me of things I had not previously known.

I periodically saw Terri's family and Gibbs, etc, but I did not know in their own words what exactly was going on. Fighting for Dear Life portrays these experiences in an easy to read as well as in an inspiring way.

I believe if the majority of American's read this book, their eyes will be opened in whole new way as the media in general did much disservice in the way they reported this story. I know because the information I was receiving was not the same information that the News would portray. Every night I would watch it to measure their accuracy, and every night me and my companions jaws almost dropped in the sheer deception, and or ineptitude of the reporting.

This is not to say there were not media heroes like Sean Hannity who was one of the few who really asked the right questions focusing the nation's attention to where it was needed. Unfortunately this type of journalism was few and far between. The reporting was so bad in general I truly began to wonder if indeed it was not a conspiracy, and I am not one to believe in conspiracies.

In any case Fighting for Dear Life will give you a side of the story you might not had gotten. If you have a heart at all for humanitarian issues, this is the book for you.

Fighting for Dear Life by David Gibbs III is an excellent book. Gibbs is an attorney who represented Terri's parents in their fight to save their daughter's life from a cruel death by dehyration/starvation. He writes about his experience with Terri Schindler-Schiavo and her family.

Gibbs details his visits with Terri at the hospice. He wrote, "Here was a lady [Terri] who was brain injured and severely disabled...yet Terri recognized people, enjoyed the company of her family, and struggled to communicate. Over the course of my future visits, Terri even warmed up to me. She'd respond to my presence and appropriately jabber right back at me in her own way."

Gibbs also warns readers that the term "persistant vegetative state" (PVS) is not a formal medical diagnosis. Gibbs wrote, "...the PVS diagnosis is a gut-level guess at best. One 1996 British Medical Journal study suggested that doctors misdiagnose PVS approximately 43 percent of the time." A neurologist told Gibbs that the "number of false positive vegetative diagnosis is higher in patients who are motor or visually impaired."

Gibbs also asks why Terri's estranged husband, Michael Schiavo, didn't allow her family to take care of her instead of working towards ending her life. Gibbs points out that Schiavo had been living with another woman [Jodi Centonze] for 12 years and bore two children with her.

Gibbs devotes a chapter in his book about people who have recovered from comas [Brooke Becker] or those who were falsely labeled as being in a persistant vegetatve state [the case of Theresa de Vera is an outstanding example].

Gibbs encourages readers to never give up hope on family members who have become severely disabled, and to have faith in God.

I have read many books on this case and I have found none as enlightening and moving as this one. Gibbs introduces the reader to Terri Schiavo and presents the facts in clear, responsible, and compassionate ways. He defines the law and how this case was handled in spite of the law at times. Gibbs has done an outstanding job of teaching how this case may and will affect all of us one day. A must read!!!

It took me a week to get through the first 30 pages or so of Fighting for Dear Life by David Gibbs III, because it was that moving. Besides being a moral conservative activist, I'm also a cop and supposed to be tough yet many times I had tears in my eyes. During the year or so that Terri was in the news, I was never quite sure if the media was telling us the whole truth and apparently not only were they not presenting the whole truth, they were actively engaged in hiding it, and in many cases, telling us outright lies.

How could we have fallen so far in America that despite the pleas of Congress, the Governor of the state that Terri lived and died in, the President of the United States and the overwhelming majority of the American people, that we as a nation forced an innocent young lady to be starved and in effect, tortured to death? David Gibbs' book does not have all the answers, but Mr. Gibbs lays out the whole story for you to consider. But keep in mind that once you read this book, you will never be the same.

The book opens with a quote by Thomas Jefferson:

"The first duty of Government is the protection of life, not its destruction. The chief purpose of government is to protect life. Abandon that and you have abandoned all."

As an eyewitness to the last year of Terri's life, and as lead counsel for the Schiavo family, Mr. Gibbs had a unique view into all that was happening, legally, medically, and emotionally. And unfortunately now, historically, as Terri has passed into eternity and legacy. He points out that once we cross this boundary, where will it end? Will we kill the handicapped, the elderly or the very sick? You might say "It can't happen here!" but it happened in Nazi Germany and it's beginning to happen in the more liberal European countries. With the death of Terri Schiavo, it has begun to happen here. Will we stop it or will we allow more of the helpless to be put to death? Fighting for Dear Life offers some suggestions and also some practical advice on living wills as well.

One of the more probing points throughout the book is the question of whether or not Terri was in a "persistent vegetative state" (PVS) or what doctors call "minimally conscious". Mr. Gibbs describes how Terri would react differently when various people would come into her room at the hospice, and how she'd display a "lemon face" whenever her dad, with his scratchy beard, would kiss her. He describes how Terri would squeal with delight whenever her mother would enter the room. As David Gibbs talked to Terri and walked around the room, Terri's eyes would follow him. There are many, many more such examples in the book, but does that sound like a young lady who deserved to be starved into a prolonged and torturous death?

Mr. Gibbs goes on to describe how they would ask Terri to pronounce certain words and she did it. So, here we have a young lady who the media tells us is beyond recovery and yet Mr. Gibbs watched her obey verbal instructions. When Terri's mother would leave, tears would begin to flow down her face. When I read that, tears were flowing down my face. Big tough cop, right? But the truth has the ability to pierce the heart, and thank God that David Gibbs has found the appropriate vehicle to tell us the truth with his book.

Mr. Gibbs quotes Dr. Laura Schlessinger who says:

"The measure of a civilization is how we treat the weak, the dependant, the helpless, and the ill."

Fighting for Dear Life presents the testimony of many doctors, including one who says:

"...she has demonstrated behaviors that are context-specific, sustained, and indicative of cerebral cortical processing that, upon careful neurological consideration, would not be expected in a persistent vegetative state... As I looked at Terri, and she gazed directly back at me, I asked myself whether, if I were her attending physician, I could in good conscience withdraw her feeding and hydration. No, I could not... I could not withhold life-sustaining nutrition and hydration from this beautiful lady whose face brightens in the presence of others."

Almost all of the doctors who actually visited Terri came to similar conclusions, including those who felt that she could have benefited from rehabilitation.

It is stunning and practically beyond belief that the very judge, Judge Greer, who repeatedly ordered her feeding tube to be removed never went to see Terri for himself. I find that utterly remarkable. Even condemned criminals get hearing after hearing in the presence of those to whom their fate is entrusted. Mr. Gibbs makes the point that criminals sentenced to death get more due process than Terri did, and are more humanely put to death. In essence, Judge Greer sentenced an innocent young lady, one that medical science said could be treated, to execution by starvation and dehydration.

The book also makes the point that medical science, and specifically neurology, make such great advances year after year, that who knows if Terri could not have been rehabilitated to a great degree in the near future? Keep in mind that a few short years ago AIDS was a death sentence. Nevertheless, she did not deserve to be killed. She had a right to life, and that was taken away from her most unfairly.

The difference between the motives of the Schiavo family and David Gibbs and the lawyer for Michael Schiavo, George Felos and Judge Greer, is like night and day. One side believed that Terri, like all humans, have a fundamental right to life, and the other side believed that the State has a fundamental right to take it away despite the overwhelming evidence and testimony showing that Terri was minimally conscious and could improve with the care and love of her family. Fighting for Dear Life points out that Terri's parents would have given anything to save their daughter's life. They offered everything to Michael Schiavo if he would just allow them to take care of their daughter, yet he refused time and again, even though he was living with another woman. It exposes the real motives for Michael wanting Terri to die.

All was not as it seemed

The media told us that Terri told Michael she would want to die and would want her sustenance removed rather than unnecessarily prolong her life if she were ever on life support. Yet there was nothing on paper to that effect and Michael apparently only remembered that after a decade or so.

The book also lays bare the lie that the end would be peaceful - it was far from that. I believe we were lied to by Michael Schiavo, his attorney and most of the media. Terri died a horrible, painful and protracted death over the course of two agonizing weeks. Try going without water for a few days and see how you feel. Certainly Terri felt that way too, and worse as time went on. Remember, this is the same woman who made the "lemon face" when her father's scratchy beard brushed against her cheeks. Something is just not right with the story you were told, is it?

The efforts of Terri Schiavo's legal team were noble and heroic in that everything that could be done was done. In contrast, everything was done that could be done except for Judge Greer going to see Terri for himself; except for Michael Schiavo's insistence that she die; except for his lawyer (in my opinion) putting pocketbook over principle; and except that we as a nation have allowed our country to slip into such moral and spiritual decline that we would ever have even arrived at such a place.

Where do we go from here?

The book addresses that too. Fighting for Dear Life paints such a vivid picture that at the end you will ask "What's wrong with the picture the media showed me?" It accurately tell the story of a helpless, yet deeply loved, young woman unjustly deprived of her life and the possibility that she could have been helped by therapy and advances in medical science. She was not defenseless, however, for her legal team provided by the Gibbs Law Firm, did all that could be legally done to save her. For reasons known but to God and possibly to Michael Schiavo, George Felos and Judge Greer, Terri has left this earth. But her story lives on.

Every day's a gift, and in this book David Gibbs has given us the gift of truth. Terri Schiavo gave her family gift after gift, even when she was beyond the ability to do so physically. She has also left us with a gift - it is the gift of example. It is the gift of persistence. It is the gift of questioning, because after reading this book, you will question all that transpired and furthermore, you will question yourself.

Guy Adams
Visit my website: www.GuyRandallAdams.com

This book was written from the perspective of David Gibbs, the lawyer that represented Bob and Mary Schindler (Terri's parents). Mr. Gibbs advocates strongly for the "sanctity of life", as opposed to Judge Greer's "quality of life" view. Mr. Gibbs tells the "Behind the Scene story" the media misrepresented. Mr. Gibbs offers suggestions to help stop this travesty from happening again to someone whose "quality of life" does not meet up to the standards of others.

Gibbs, author of Fighting for Dear Life and lawyer for Terri Schiavo's parents, admits that he thought Terri Schiavo would prove to be a vegetable, unable to communicate. Yet, she attempted to speak to him at the request of her mother. Her head turned to follow him when he walked behind her as a test to her cognitive abilities. Yet, as we all know, a judge who'd never seen her in person decided to have a feeding tube removed so she would dehydrate and die.

How could this happen? One of the most interesting things Gibbs says, is that the American Justice is a system, rather than an organization that disperses justice. Sure, it attempts to provide justice, but the system is flawed. Everyone knows this, yet, he asserts, it can be changed.

The majority of this book explains the legal proceedings to save Terri once he became involved in the case. The writing is excellent and far from the dry synopsis I expected. Gibbs and DeMoss humanize the characters involved, from Michael Schiavo's lawyer, who threatened lawsuits to doctors who provided governor mandated care within a hospital, to Michael Schiavo, who wouldn't even let carolers be seen by Terri (he did allow them to sing at her door if she couldn't see them).

According to Gibbs, legal starvation is performed on over 7,000 elderly and infirm people every year. This could happen to you or someone you love. Gibbs offers practical legal steps we all need to take.

More than just a piece of history, Fighting for Dear Life reminds us of the daily ethical problems of care for the elderly, handicapped, infirm, comatose, and others unable to speak for themselves about their desire for life and medical care.

If you were pro-Michael Schiavo, pro-euthanasia, reading this book will definitely change your mind. David Gibbs presents undeniable, undisputable evidence that only lead to one conclusion: that Terri was murdered. Even if you believe that, generally speaking, the legal guardian of someone in a persistent vegetative state should be able to petition a court to withdraw life support in the absence of a living will, you will at least come away thinking that in this particular case Terri Schiavo should not have had her feeding tube removed

David Gibbs also eloquently pinpoints the fundamental problem behind the pro-euthanasia movement: our country's collective belief that there is no God, that morality is relative, and life is not sacred.

This book nicely summarizes the complex issues involved in this case, from the legal to the medical, and effectively refutes the myths that the media perpetuated throughout this whole tragedy.

I highly recommend this book, whatever your position is on the issue.

I have read comments and reviews elsewhere that say "Fighting for Dear Life" unfairly demonizes Michael Schiavo. I have to wonder if these people actually read this book, as the book shows no more demonization of him than what he clearly brought upon himself.

The justification for Michael's "right to die" case was that Terri wasn't really "there" anymore. Recall, however, that it was Michael who barred press coverage from Terri's room. It was Michael who kept visitors to an absolute minimum, right up to the end. It was Michael who exercised the strictest control over what the American public would see - and not see - of Terri. Why? If Terri was so self-evidently "not there anymore," why would he demand such restrictive coverage of her? Privacy? Dignity? I don't think so...if she was no longer "there," there was neither dignity nor sense of privacy left to violate.

If the accounts in this book are true, the reason for Michael's actions are obvious: Terri actually WAS "there" right up to the end, and Michael fully knew it. If the lawyer's accounts of Terri's capacities are true, letting the press in for unrestricted coverage would have blown Michael's entire case out of the water, and for all I know may have opened him up to all kinds of trouble. Best case scenario, he would have come out as the villain many people have long suspected he is.

So if you've read this book you have a choice to make: disregard this book as a pack of lies written by an ambulance chaser carrying on a vendetta for a bitter, grieving, vengeful family...or decide that Terri Schiavo really was "there" but was forced to die anyway.

Had the accounts contained in this book been made public two years ago, I believe this case would have ended differently.

It makes me angry and sad that Terri's deceitful husband had his own selfish agenda, his lawyer and judge took the opportunity to push through their euthanasia agenda, the media wasn't allowed to see Terri as she really was, the family had to watch their loved one die an excruciating death, Terri was denied her most basic needs including the comfort of loved ones, and the rest of us were totally clueless. Thank you, David Gibbs, for exposing the truth and it's alarming implications for each of us who remain. You won't be the same after reading this gripping book. I learned so much about how to protect my loved ones from those who have no value for human life.