Judge allows Terri's family unsupervised visit

CLEARWATER (FBW)–The family of Terri Schiavo, a 40-year-old disabled woman at the center of a legal dispute, was granted their first unsupervised visit in two months May 29.

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Circuit Court Judge George Greer, who May 26 announced his decison to let the family have unhindered access to Schiavo for one 90-minute visit, put off making a more permanent determination until a June 4 hearing.

Mary and Bob Schindler, Terri’s parents, had been prevented from seeing Terri after her estranged husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, accused the Schindlers of trying to harm their daughter while they visited with her at an assisted living facility in Clearwater March 29.

The Schindler’s attorney, Pat Anderson, told Florida Baptist Witness the accusations were unfounded and that the Schindler’s had been cleared of any wrongdoing by the police department.

A report related to the incident found the unedentified marks on her arms probably were caused by movement from her bed to her chair.

Michael Schiavo had barred the Schindlers from seeing Terri for 55 days which included Easter and Mother’s Day – but unexpectedley allowed only the parents a supervised visit the week before the May 26 hearing. Schiavo didn’t include Bobby Schindler, Terri’s brother, or Suzanne Vitadamo, who was able finally to see her older sister May 29.

“It was super,” Vitadamo said of the visit. “She was expressive and communicative and she was happy, definitley happy,” Vitadamo told the Witness.

The mother of a 10-year old daughter, Vitadamo said the hardest part in the 14-year-battle to help care for her sister since she collapsed under mysterious circumstances has been “seeing Terri neglected, and seeing what she goes through at the hands of her husband and feeling helpless” to do anything.

“I’m a very logical person and it’s all very illogical to me,” said the St. Petersburg mom. “There’s frustration and there’s overall sadness. It’s just so amazingly sad. It’s just awful. You never know what’s happening from one day to the next.”

Terri’s mom, Mary Schindler said it was “great” to visit freely with Terri.

“It was like her birthday and everyone was there and we were all talking and she was listening,” Mary told the Witness. “She needs that stimulation.” Mary Schindler noted Terri stayed alert for the entire 90-minute visit.

For related stories and information, see Terry Schiavo: A life at stake.