Lawyer: Life is valuable to God
Schiavo family attorney visits Marcus Pointe Baptist Church
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Terri Schiavo's lips and tongue were cracked and dry, lacking the natural gloss that saliva creates in the mouth.
Her face was skeletal. Her skin was blotchy, parched and peeling.
David Gibbs III, the lead attorney for the Schiavo family, gave his account at the Sunday service at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church of the 41-year-old woman's last days.
The Christian Law Association attorney shared details privy only to those who were in the room of the severely brain-damaged woman before she died from dehydration on March 31. Schiavo's feeding tube had been disconnected earlier despite efforts by President Bush, her parents and some state and national lawmakers to keep her alive.
Senior Pastor Gordon Godfrey said he invited Gibbs, an old friend, to speak because he didn't want Schiavo's story to fade. Christians throughout the nation have used the controversial battle that went to the White House, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court as a symbol of the fight for the right to life.
"We believe in the right to life," Godfrey said. "This brings it to the forefront again in our community and reminds people how valuable a life is to God."
Terri Schiavo's story unfolded more than 15 years.
She suffered brain damage in 1990 after a chemical imbalance caused her heart to stop. She had left no written instructions in the event she became incapacitated.
Michael Schiavo claimed his wife had said she would not want to be kept alive artificially. Her parents, Mary and Bob Schindler, disagreed and held out hope for a miracle recovery for their daughter, who, they said, still struggled to talk.
Gibbs told the Marcus Pointe congregation that Schiavo was as alive as "anyone sitting in this room." Schiavo showed affection toward her mother and even turned away when her father gave her a hug because "she didn't want his mustache to tickle her," Gibbs said.
"The only life support she had was food and water," said the St. Petersburg attorney. "That was taken away from her. We have to start valuing people like Terri again."
Gibbs' message meant a lot to church member Dondie Roper, whose 11-year-old daughter, Tiffany, is a special-needs child with a seizure disorder. When Tiffany Roper was 5, continuous seizures caused her to briefly be in a vegetative state.
"(Gibbs) made it real. You heard a lot about it from different angles, but he was at the heart of it," said Roper, 39.
"It really hit home for me. You're supposed to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. How do you say, 'Sorry, you're not worth fighting for?' "
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