(no subject)
As of Saturday afternoon, Schiavo had been without food or water for eight full days, and doctors have said she would probably die within a week or two of her feeding tube being pulled.
Her lawyers, however, have said Schiavo - whose dehydrated body has begun to shut down - may not survive the weekend.
``Time is moving quickly, and it would appear most likely - absent the state court stepping forward - that Terri Schiavo will pass the point that she will be able to recover over this Easter weekend,'' Gibbs said.
The 11th Circuit Court has denied three emergency requests made by Schiavo's parents, most recently on Friday. The U.S. Supreme Court, without explanation, refused to order the feeding tube reinserted.
The motion filed Friday before Greer had been considered a long shot. Greer had repeatedly ruled against the Schindlers. Attorneys for Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, argued Friday that the Schindlers had abandoned all pretense of the law and were simply making ``a pure emotional appeal.''
Michael Schiavo says his wife would not want to be kept alive artificially. Attorney George Felos didn't return a phone message seeking comment Saturday.
Bob Schindler pleaded with Gov. Jeb Bush to intervene by taking temporary custody of their daughter while court challenges are argued. Bush, who has been a staunch supporter of the Schindlers, said Thursday he is not willing to go beyond the boundaries of his powers and that he was hoping the courts would provide relief.
``We are continuing to do whatever we can, and we are pursuing all the options available to us in this case,'' Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre said.
Terri Schiavo suffered brain damage in 1990 when her heart stopped briefly from a chemical imbalance believed to have been brought on by an eating disorder. She left no living will.
She went without food and water in 2003 when the feeding tube was removed for six days and five hours. It was reinserted when Bush and the Legislature pushed through a law that was later thrown out by the state Supreme Court.