COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The sister of Terri Schiavo said Saturday that her family's failed court struggle to keep the brain-damaged woman alive shows a society that has "lost sight of the value" of human life.
Suzanne Vitadamo said her sister did not want to die and was not terminal when she died after her feeding tube was removed in March. Schiavo's husband, Michael, had a court order to remove the tube.
"Our society has shifted to a quality of life mentality and has lost sight of the value (and) sacredness of all human life," Vitadamo told about 1,000 people gathered for an annual Statehouse rally usually focused on anti-abortion issues. "We now as a nation are deciding when it is OK or not OK to kill those suffering from disabilities."