  the terri schiavo case was a legal struggle involving prolonged life support in the united states that lasted from 1990 to 2005. the issue was whether to carry out the decision of the husband and legal guardian of theresa marie "terri" schiavo to remove terri's feeding tube that provided life support. terri was diagnosed by multiple physicians, including independent court-appointed physicians, as being in a persistent vegetative state, though this diagnosis was challenged by her parents and physicians hired by her parents. the highly publicized and prolonged series of legal challenges presented by her parents and by state and federal legislative intervention caused a seven-year delay before her feeding tube was ultimately removed. terri schiavo collapsed in her st. petersburg, florida, home in full cardiac arrest on february 25, 1990. she suffered massive brain damage due to lack of oxygen and, after two and a half months in a coma, her diagnosis was changed to vegetative state. for the next two years doctors attempted speech and physical therapy and other experimental therapy, hoping to return her to a state of awareness. in 1998 schiavo's husband, michael, petitioned the sixth circuit court of florida (pinellas county), to remove her feeding tube pursuant to florida statutes section 765.401(3). he was opposed by terri's parents, robert and mary schindler, who argued that she was conscious. the court determined that she would not wish to continue life-prolonging measures,{{cite news|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/08/tampabay/schiavo_s_wishes_reca.shtml|title= schiavo's wishes recalled in records|author=william r. levesque|work=st. petersburg time
1963_births 2005_deaths Medical_controversies Medical_ethics People_with_hydrocephalus People_with_severe_brain_damage Terri_Schiavo_case