Schiavo-like case in Florida garners interest

By Joni B. Hannigan - Jul 7, 2008 - comment

Stroke victim indicates she doesn’t want to die

Just a few years ago 57-year-old Karen Weber sat around the kitchen table talking about the Terri Schiavo case with her husband, Ray, and her mother, Martha Tatro. None of the three could have anticipated the chain of events that began in November when Karen Weber had a seizure and then a paralyzing stroke.

Now in a nursing home in Okeechobee, the woman is at the center of a dispute between family members over whether she is competent enough to make her own decisions about basic medical care. Karen Weber breathes on her own, but the stroke paralyzed her left side, leaving her unable to speak or swallow.

Ray Weber, Karen’s husband of 34 years, sought to have her feeding tube removed in March and Karen transferred to hospice. Weber’s mother, who says she is alert and responsive has indicated that she does not wish to go to hospice.

This article is continued on the Web site of the Florida Baptist Witness.

This excerpt is reprinted with permission from the July 3, 2008, issue of the Florida Baptist Witness.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to protect the sanctity of human life. If you would like to learn more about this issue, additional resources are available here. If your church is interested in purchasing materials on the sanctity of human life, please visit our online bookstore and erlc.com.

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