| Lessons from the Terri Schiavo Case Two Documents You Need to Protect Yourself in the Event of the Ultimate What-If By Suze
Orman Would you want to inflict searing heartache on the people who love you?
Of course not.
Each and every one of you has the power to make sure you never do that—to spare your loved ones the same
heartache that has haunted Michael Schiavo and
Robert and Mary Schindler.
In May 1998, Schiavo first asked the courts to consider the legality of removing
the feeding tube that sustained his wife Terri after a debilitating 1990 heart
attack left her brain-damaged. Since then, those who love Terri have gone through
unfathomable anguish and despair.
And all of it could have been avoided.
If Terri had just put in writing what she wanted to happen to her in the event
she became too ill to express her own wishes, the excruciating legal battle that
would never have happened.
Please, my friends—no matter what your position on the Terry Schiavo
case—understand one thing. The only way to salvage anything positive from
this tragedy is to learn one simple lesson: With an Advance Directive and a Durable
Power of Attorney for Health Care, you can control what happens to you if you
become too ill to speak for yourself. You can spare your loved ones untold misery
by telling them exactly what you want for yourself.
Isn’t that a gift you want to give?
You probably know I’m a big believer in building an emergency cash fund
to deal with unanticipated "what-ifs" in your financial life. Well,
if the ultimate “what-if” happens—you can no longer express
what you want, and your doctors and loved ones can’t agree on what they
think is best for you—an Advance Directive and a Durable Power of Attorney
(DPOA) for Health Care are the emergency documents that protect you, and your
family. Notice that I said think. When you don’t have an Advance Directive
and DPOA for Health Care, the real tragedy is that no one knows what you want.
Court battles can ensue, as we have seen.
What if? Three Steps to Take Now to Prepare
Here’s what you need to do to make sure you, and your family, are never put into that position. more...
Suze Orman has been called “a force in the world of personal finance”
and a “one-woman financial advice powerhouse” by USA Today. She is the author
of four consecutive New York Times bestsellers, including The Road to Wealth.
Suze Orman, a
Certified Financial Planner Professional®,
directed the Suze Orman Financial Group from 1987-1997, served
as
Vice President of Investments for Prudential Bache Securities from
1983-87, and from 1980-83, was an Account Executive at Merrill Lynch.
Watch Suze every Saturday night on CNBC.
Check www.suzeorman.com
for TV listings. More great advice on Suze's blog.
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