Terri Schiavo Passes Away

Shortly after 9:00 this morning, Terri Schiavo passed away at a Florida hospice.  Her death comes two weeks after a Florida court ordered the removal of her feeding tube that provided nutrition and hydration to her. 

Terri's death came just hours after a final round of appeals concluded in an effort to reinsert her feeding tube.  In a flurry of activity yesterday and overnight, the full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta rejected a request to rehear an earlier decision that rejected a request to reinsert Terri's feeding tube.  Then the Supreme Court turned down that appeal overnight.

This is an extremely difficult time for Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, who did everything they could to keep their daughter alive.  Our prayers are with the Schindlers and their family at this time.