Michael Schiavo's side of the story

Despite the involvement of the U.S. Congress and the president, a federal judge denied their petition to re-insert Terri's feeding tube and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene. There were no more legal options: Terri would die.

Matt Lauer, NBC News: You know people have said, Michael, over the years, “He was her husband for a couple of years.  They were her parents for 20 something years.  Why couldn't he just say, ‘Let them have their way.  Let them have their daughter.’”

Michael Schiavo: Well, you know something, when you sit in a courtroom and you hear the father say, "I'll cut her arms and legs off just to keep her alive," why would I want to put their daughter back in their care if he's going to do that to her?

Lauer: Let make sure we understand that statement: I think the statement was if she were to develop gangrene and and had to have limbs amputated, he would do that and okay that as long as he could still have her alive.  It's a little different than--

Schiavo: And they also said that even if this was Terri's wish, it wouldn't have been theirs. They would have kept her alive.  Even if they knew that, they would have kept her alive.

On March 31, 2005, 13 days after Terri's feeding tube was removed, Michael Schiavo, now a registered nurse, knew that Terri was near death.

Lauer: Take me through the final hour or so of Terri's life.

Schiavo: It was really peaceful, Matt. As night fell, we had a candle going. And there were some flowers in the room and some soft music.

Lauer: Did you talk to her?

Schiavo: I caressed her head, caressed her arms, and told her it was okay.

Lauer: Okay to go?

Schiavo: Uh-huh. And about 7 a.m., we got a phone call that her brother and sister wanted to come in and see her.  So we left the room.  And I'd say, about quarter of nine, they came and said, "If you wanna see Terri, you got to come now."

But there  would be one more ugly family face-off. Terri's brother Bobby was still at the hospice telling the police officer providing security that he wanted to come back to Terri's room for a final goodbye. Bobby Schindler said he just wanted to say goodbye to his sister, and Michael said no.

Schiavo: I had seconds to go say goodbye to my wife.  I didn't have time to sit there and say, "Bobby, are you gonna come in here and you're gonna behave?  You're not going to sit there and get all crazy on me?  Bobby, are we going to have to bring a cop in here to watch you?"  I didn't have time for that, Matt.  I had time to say goodbye to my wife.
 
Lauer: I have to tell you, it was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with.  I thought to myself, these two families have gone at each other for 15 years.

Schiavo: But Matt, this man, her brother—

Lauer: I know.  But I thought, at the moment that she would slip away from this earth, why couldn't these two families take one deep breath together?  And then say, "We'll disagree in five minutes. But let's usher her out together.”

Schiavo: I didn't want a police officer standing over her head— not when she died. I didn't want the animosity.  I didn't want the feelings.  I didn't want the aura that, you know, Bobby and I, you know, we hate each other. 

Lauer: Do you think, Michael, in that last minute, Bobby's in the hallway...  he wants to come in, her brother.  You're walking into the room.  Did you stop and think, "What would Terri want?" Would she want her brother or sister--

Schiavo: I'm sure Terri would want the families to get along and be happy.  But it didn't happen.  I had to get to Terri.  I had seconds then.  Seconds.  I got into her room, and I could see that she'd changed, like that.

I went around to the side of the bed.  I knelt next to her. I lifted her up in my arms, just like the night it happened (crying).  I told her I loved her; and she died.

Lauer: Did you love her still, at that moment?

Schiavo: I love her right now. 

In the end, according to the autopsy report, Terri died at the age of 41 of "marked dehydration."

And despite the hope of the Schindlers, and the now famous video they said showed that their daughter was responsive — the medical examiner said Terri suffered severe, damage to her brain including the area responsible for sight. And "no amount of treatment or rehabilitation would have reversed it."

But the medical examiner was skeptical that Terri was bulimic and could not conclusively determine just what caused her collapse 16 years ago.

Lauer (at Terri Schiavo’s grave site): How often do you come to her grave?

Schiavo: I try to get out here at least two or three times a month.
I drive by a lot though.

On this day, approaching the one year anniversary of Terri's death, someone had left a crucifix by her grave, a grave marked with three dates: her birth date, the date of her collapse, and her death, with a final note from Michael: "I kept my promise."

Lauer: Why was it so important to put that in there?

Schiavo: It was from me to her — it had nothing to do with anybody else. It was very important for me.

Lauer: Do you ever come here Michael and wonder how she feels about this promise, so many years afterwards? Do you think it was it as important to her as it was to you?

Schiavo: Definitely, definitely. She's up there praising me right  now… and saying thank you.

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