Video Bobby Schindler

"Pro-Life, Living His Beliefs"

Bobby Schindler is the executive director of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Health Care Ethics which works to protect the lives of the medically vulnerable and disabled from the threat of euthanasia.  The only son of Bob and Mary Schindler, Bobby was born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his sisters, Terri and Suzanne. 

The Schindler children attended parochial elementary and high schools before moving on to various college careers.  After his graduation from LaSalle University with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, Bobby moved with his entire family to Florida where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in meteorology from Florida State University. 

Bobby’s life took a dramatic and unexpected turn in February of 1990 when his older sister, Terri, suddenly collapsed and was left with a profound brain injury.  When Terri’s estranged husband sought court permission to starve and dehydrate her to death, Bobby was suddenly propelled into a life he’d never imagined.  He spoke in defense of his sister’s life on numerous national television and radio programs including Hannity & Colmes, Larry King Live, the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Glenn Beck Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, Dateline NBC, the 700 Club, EWTN and many others. 

 
Following Terri’s tragic death on March 31, 2005, Bobby gave up his teaching job at Tampa Catholic High School and became a full-time pro-life and disability rights advocate.  In the two years since that time, he has spoken extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally, telling the truth about Terri’s story that was largely ignored by the mainstream media, and challenging the public to educate themselves regarding the dangers of euthanasia.  Bobby has also been asked to testify before state legislatures in Florida, Louisiana, California and Kentucky, as well as Members of Parliament in Canada concerning the protection of the medically vulnerable.  He and his family have also authored the book A Life That Matters (2006), regarding their decade long struggle to care for his sister Terri. 

The Schindler family continues to advocate for persons with disabilities and works tirelessly to put an end to the growing pro-death mentality that is plaguing our nation.

Most Requested Talks

“The Terri Schiavo Case – Sentenced to Death by Order of a Civil Court Judge”

Was Terri Schiavo dying? Was she brain dead or in a coma? Were there any machines keeping Terri alive? Was this an "end-of-life" issue? Why did the Judge in her case ignore 40 affidavits from health care professionals regarding Terri’s true condition? Is death by dehydration peaceful and painless?

Bobby will shed light on what is to this day rarely, if ever reported by the mainstream media regarding Terri’s case and condition. From an ordinary family perspective, put in the position of having to defend their daughter and sister, Bobby will share a powerful testimony of his sister’s case – the first person in America that was put to death by order of a Florida Civil Court Judge for simply being disabled.

A brutal and inhumane two-week death – something no family should ever have to experience.

“The Erosion of Medical Ethics”

In this presentation Bobby will combine several of the themes (listed below) to explain how the bioethics movement is indoctrinating our future health care professionals into believing that life and death medical decisions should be made based on a person’s quality of life.

No longer is the sacredness of a person’s life enough to prevent physicians from deciding that some lives are unworthy of treatment. The “it won’t happen to me syndrome” is resulting in an alarming apathy gripping the general public where they have become completely unaware how their medical rights are being taken away more every day.

“How Many Terri Schiavo’s are Being Killed Everyday?”

In this presentation Bobby will present an eye-opening account of society's disturbing anti-life prejudices toward persons with brain injuries, the elderly and so many others. Even more alarming is how the medical community now defines food and water (via feeding tubes) as medical treatment, artificial life support and extraordinary care.

Because of this new definition used in the medical field these vulnerable persons are being killed every day. Not only is this leading to countless lives being killed, but is also what led to Terri’s barbaric death by dehydration.

“Does the Popular Media Have a Culture of Death Agenda?”

In this presentation Bobby will discuss how the popular media continues to show a certain bias in many “end of life” cases. From the inception of Terri’s case to the recent international case of Baby Joseph, Bobby will demonstrate how the media has and continues to side with those in favor of death.

Special Presentations

Medical Schools: “Living with Dignity in a Growing Culture of Death!”

What are the moral obligations of physicians and nurses? Have physicians shifted their values and beliefs where they no longer honor the Hippocratic Oath? Are medical determinations based on a “quality of life” assessment? Can physicians overrule a patient’s own wishes?

With the growing acceptance of imposed death, it’s never more important to learn both sides of these vital life and death issues. Bobby’s presentation will not only shed light on the current attitude towards end of life issues and imposed death, but will explain what the medical community still does not know about the starvation death of Terri Schiavo and how what happened to her is happening day after day at countless health care facilities across the nation right now.

Lenten Presentation: “A Modern Day Mother of Sorrows”

We all have suffering in life and the Schindler family thought it was important to speak to others about how with God’s help we can get through times of immense suffering. Therefore, the family put together a presentation to share during the Lenten season that goes through the Stations of the Cross and talks not only about their spiritual journey but the spiritual warfare they endured during the dehydration and starvation of their sister and daughter, Terri.

Bobby along with his sister Suzanne Vitadamo and mother Mary Schindler have given this joint presentation in several locations and each time have experienced many in the room being brought to tears, describing the presentation as heart wrenching. The family stated “Our desire is that by sharing the suffering we endured and how we overcame that anguish it will provide not only comfort to those suffering but also a deeper understanding of the importance of our connection to Christ”.

Possible Themes for Talks

1.     Feeding Tubes

Is basic care, food & water (via feeding tubes) now considered artificial feeding or medical treatment? How common is tube feeding today? Can nursing homes include spoon feeding and food brought on a tray to a patient as “medical treatment”? Why are the elderly, the cognitively disabled, those with Alzheimer and so many more having their feeding tubes removed every day?

Learn what most of the general public doesn’t know about feeding tubes. Bobby will reveal how this redefinition of food and water via feeding tubes is responsible for a countless number of deaths occurring across our nation every single day.

2.     Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)

What is a persistent vegetative state? Why and by whom was this “diagnosis” established? What is the difference between brain dead, coma, minimally conscience state and persistent vegetative state? Why is this diagnosis so dangerous? Was Terri in a persistent vegetative state?

Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) refers to a condition in which an individual has lost cognitive neurological function and awareness of his/her surroundings. Some doctors believed Terri was in this condition, while many others did not. In this presentation, Bobby will explain why this diagnosis should be abolished.

He will provide clear evidence just how this label has created, within the general public, a profound prejudice towards people with brain injuries that is leading to their deliberate deaths, including his sisters. More importantly, how this subjective and unscientific diagnosis continues to be used to kill our most vulnerable, despite it’s almost 50% misdiagnosis rate.

3.     The Media

Why did one prominent journalist report that the reporting of the Terri Schiavo case was the “worst case of journalistic malpractice” he’s witnessed? Why is the media continuing to misreport Terri’s situation? Why has the mainstream media ignored Terri’s family subsequent to her death despite her case being continually discussed? How has Terri’s case set a dangerous example for the media to misreport on other cases similar to that of Terri’s?

From what is clearly a complete abandonment of objective and ethical reporting, many in the popular media continue to try and persuade the public that the needless death of Terri was justified by the inaccurate reporting of her condition and situation. Despite these erroneous reports that Bobby will give many examples, he will explain how his family’s only intention was to care for and love her just as she was.

4.     Medical Ethics and The Bioethics Movement

Who is a person? Who are human non persons? What is Personhood Theory and why is it being taught in our major universities? What is Futile Care Theory and how can it affect you? What are Ethics Committees and how can these committees make decisions contrary to your advanced directive?

A growing number of doctors and nurses are now basing their care decisions on a persons' "quality of life”. This is not by accident. Bobby will explain how the bioethics movement has been and are continuing to shape the attitudes of our future physicians and nurses. This slow indoctrination of our health care professionals is creating a hierarchy of human life paralleling what occurred prior to Hitler’s Holocaust. Bobby will give evidence of how Ethics Committees and Futile Care Theory is now being used to unilaterally withhold life sustaining treatment, including basic care, food and water.

5.     Catholic Church

Why did a Catholic priest testify on behalf of Michael Schiavo, Terri’s estranged husband? What is Catholic teaching when it comes to situations like Terri? Are Catholics obligated to always care for those labeled as being in a “persistent vegetative state”? What are our catholic leaders saying in regards to caring for those like Terri? Why did Pope John Paul II in March of 2004 issue an allocution specifically addressing Terri's situation?

Currently there exists much confusion when it comes to the teaching of the church when it comes to persons in conditions like Terri was in. Not only will Bobby articulate the position of the Catholic Church when it comes to people with profound cognitive disabilities, but he will tell the story of how Pope John Paul II was placed on a feeding tube the very day Terri died.

6.     Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network

Following Terri's tragic death on March 31, 2005, Terri’s family gave up their full-time jobs to become pro-life and disability rights advocate. Since that time, Terri’s Life & Hope Network has touched over a 1,000 families and has been involved in hundreds of cases, saving the lives of those targeted to have their life sustaining care withheld.

Highlighting some of the six years of the personal experiences of their work, Bobby will give real life examples of the cases their organization has seen, recounting some of the tragic stories of families trying to defend their loved ones who were facing the removal of their food and water.

Bobby will also share how Terri’s tragedy has turned a lifelong dedication to not only help educate the general public on the meaning of compassion, but to help advocate for the hundreds of thousands of others that are in jeopardy of being killed and measures you can take to prevent what happened to Terri from happening to you or your loved ones.

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