A Life That Matters: The Legacy of Terri Schiavo - A Lesson for Us All

From the publisher

In 2004-5, when the Terri Schiavo case divided the country, one side of the story was buried under the avalanche of politics and power. Now, Terri Schiavo's parents, brother, and sister speak out for Terri and themselves. A LIFE THAT MATTERS may well change every assumption you have about Terri's too-brief life and prolonged, agonizing death.

Here the people who loved her and knew her best tell the story not only of the fifteen years Terri struggled to stay alive, but of a gentle child who brought happiness to everyone she touched. This is the story of a normal adolescent who blossomed into the beautiful young woman who captured Michael Schiavo's heart. And it is the inside story of their troubled relationship, for the members of Terri's family were witnesses to a growing tension and were her confidants as she struggled in her marriage with the husband who would later crusade for her premature and unnecessary death.

A book that stakes clear moral ground without a political aim, A LIFE THAT MATTERS takes us inside Terri's family when the courts ordered her feeding tube removed, and it leads inexorably to a scene that will haunt readers forever: a bereft family barred by the police from their daughter's hospice room in the final moments of her life.

A LIFE THAT MATTERS separates lies from truth, myth from facts, and politics from people. It challenges us to hear the words and feel the emotions of the warm, intensely private family who never sought the media storm that accosted them, or the devastating legal battle that broke their hearts. The book asks us what we would do if we found ourselves, as the Schindlers did, wanting nothing more than to love and care for a daughter as long as she could live.

The Schindler family lives and works in Florida. All of their profits from this book are being donated to the organization they created in Terri's name, The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, which fights for the lives of the country's most vulnerable citizens.

Brooke: A reviewer - A Must Read

You need to read this book. All personal, political and religious beliefs aside, this is a story about one family's relentless battle to save someone they loved deeply. Whether you support the Schindler's or not, I am certain you will not be disappointed. Very candidly, this family allows readers a glimpse into their lives as they walk you through the past 15 years and explain the emotional toll it took on each of them. They also paint a picture of what Terri was like -- the real Terri, the one we never knew – her personality, her strengths, her shortcomings. There are things in this book that will amaze you... things we on the outside never knew or saw through the media. You won't regret reading it, I promise.

Theresa, a Disabled Rights Advocate - It's Like I Relived the Whole Thing

Once I knew this book was going to be published, I rushed to buy it. For the FIRST time, the Schindler family breaks their silence about what happened to Terri. It was like I walked and relived those horrific last days with them and how much the media sensationalized such a private family matter. It gave me an eye opening look at the politics of dying in America and I hope others will read this with compassion and know that they could be next... Thank you!

Order A Life That Matters Today Through the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
You can order a copy of A Life that Matters by sending $35.00 (which includes postage) to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. Send your order to:

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Box 25033
London, ON
N6C 6A8

This review first appeared in The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s newsletter issue #64 and is reprinted with permission.