Michael Schiavo

The reason why I've been keeping private for the longest time ever here, I've always wanted to protect my wife's privacy. I don't like - I didn't want to put her picture all over the news. I just wanted to keep her private.

Make a living will. Talk about it. Death is going to happen to everybody. Write it down. Even if you write it on a piece of paper at home and have your family witness it, you need to write it down.

What kind of government is this? This is a human being. This is not right, and I'm telling everybody you better call your congressman, because they're going to run your life.

She didn't leave any written instructions. She has verbally expressed her wishes to me and other people.

People make these comments all the time. They talk about this with their loved ones every day. People's feedings - tube feedings - are stopped across this country every day.

What they're doing is, they're making the decisions for us. That's what this country is coming down to. They're going to make the decisions for us.

And they talk about their bona fide doctors. They have a list of doctors that signed affidavits from looking at a picture of Terry. That's where they get their information from, by looking at a picture.

And then they sign an affidavit swearing that she's not in a vegetative stage. I'll tell you. That's a doctor you really want; they can look at a picture and make a diagnosis.

I moved on with my life but I still have a big commitment to Terri. I made her a promise.

It's not about the money. This is about Terri. It's not about the Schindlers, it's not about the legislators, it's not about me, it's about what Terri Schiavo wanted.

You know, my parents, they raised me to be a fighter.

I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer.

I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.