Terri attended and graduated from a Catholic school and it wasn't until her teen years that she finally came out of her shell. Though she could be naive at times, she had a laugh that was contagious and a smile that never stopped shining for those around her. 

In 1982, while attending college, Terri met Michael Schiavo and after a short time, the couple became engaged. On November 10, 1984, the couple married and eventually moved to Florida. Terri worked as an insurance claims clerk and Michael worked as a restaurant manager. Terri's parents moved to Florida a short time later.

On February 25, 1990, at about 5:30am, Terri collapsed in the hallway of the apartment she and Michael lived in. While Terri lay on the floor, suffering from a lack of oxygen, Michael called her parents before calling 911. Terri was in a coma for about two and a half months and when she did come out of the coma, she had suffered brain damage.

Doctors were not in agreement on the extent of damage done to Terri's brain. Terri was given some  rehabilitation and therapy and some doctors said that if this continued she would improve. Other doctors said it was hopeless. Terri's family didn't listen to them. Michael Schiavo stated several times to several people that he and Terri had never had a discussion about what she would have wanted in this type
of situation. Michael stated they were both young and had never had a discussion about this type of thing.

Seven years passed by and Michael Schiavo "suddenly" had a memory of Terri having said she would not want to live in this condition. He petitioned the courts to have her feeding tube removed, the same tube be put in. Telling the courts that Terri and he had talked about this and Terri had said she wouldn't like to live that way, Michael was successful, on two occasions, in getting the feeding tube taken out. The tube was put back in when Terri's family went to court over it.

Michael Schiavo never gave up the fight, never stopped saying that it was Terri's wish not to live this way. Terri's family never gave up their fight to save their daughter and sister. 

Many motions were filed in an attempt to save her life. A subpoena for Terri to appear before the Senate in Washington was sent out. 

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had this to say:

"While discussions over possible legislative remedies continue, the Senate and the House
are taking action to keep her alive in the interim." 

In that same statement Frist said the subpoena would provide legal protections for Terri Schiavo.

We may never know the entire full and true story of what brought Terri to be in the condition she ended up in for that 15 years of her life. One thing is painfully obvious, Terri Schiavo was wronged by the courts and the man who had promised to take care of her for the rest of her life.

Terri is no longer in pain, she's no longer suffering. Terri is with her maker, whole once again. Forever young and forever beautiful. Loved and missed by many, even those who never met her. Unlike Michael Schiavo who is hated by many, loved by few and will never be able to stand before God and justify what he did to Terri. What I would say to him is that God knows his heart and God knows what he did, he can't fool God like he did many people. God help him and all of the people who helped him to kill his wife. Maybe they will be forgiven, I believe they have to ask God to forgive them and truly be sorry for that they did. I don't believe that Michael Schiavo even knows what it means to be sorry for what he did. We can only hope that his new wife was smart enough to get an advanced directive made up and smart enough to make her wishes known to anyone who would listen. I do have to wonder though, since she is with him after KNOWING what he was doing and what he did, to Terri.

If you have any information you would like to add or find that something I have said above is not correct or if you have a picture of Terri or her family that I do not have in the slide show above, please let me know.