At 20 years old, Terri Schiavo had a catastrophic collapse. Unfortunately, she did not leave written instructions (a health care directive) expressing how she would like to be cared for if something happened to her.

Complicating matters, her family (Terri’s parents vs. Terri’s husband) did not agree on what her wishes would be, so the courts had to intervene to determine what she would want.

Terri Schiavo was in her home when sudden cardiac arrest occurred. She was successfully resuscitated but was left comatose. The doctors who examined her believed she would never emerge from her coma. Her husband wanted her feeding tube removed to allow her to die since she was in a permanent vegetative state. Schiavo’s parents disagreed and a court battle begun. This federal court case would even reach President George W. Bush.

For over 15 years, Terri Schiavo was kept on life support as her parents and husband disputed what should happen to Terri. Terri’s husband believed Terri would not want to be kept alive in such a state. Terri’s parents believed she would have wanted to live by any means necessary.

They had to guess because Terri Schiavo had no living will nor a healthcare power of attorney. In March 2005, Schiavo’s feeding tube was finally removed for a final time.

The Schiavo case is just one of many in which families are torn apart because a loved one dies without having the proper planning documents in place.

By taking the proper steps now, you can ensure that your wishes are known. Those steps include completing a health care directive, and then discussing your choices with your loved ones, so they can understand and support your wishes if you are unable to communicate for yourself.