Terri Schiavo: Florida Woman at Center of Right-to-Die Case Dies at 41

Terri Schiavo was an American woman whose case drew national attention to end-of-life decisions. Born Theresa Marie Schindler on December 3, 1963, in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, she suffered cardiac arrest at 26 in 1990, causing severe brain damage.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, said she would not want to be kept alive artificially, but her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, fought to keep her on a feeding tube. The case went through the Florida courts for years, and in 2005 Congress and President Bush intervened. Courts ultimately upheld removal of the tube.

The feeding tube was removed on March 18, 2005, and she died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, on March 31, 2005, at age 41. An autopsy found irreversible brain damage.

Achievements: Her case prompted widespread debate and many people to complete living wills.

Birth: December 3, 1963 - Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.

Profession: Homemaker.

Interesting Facts: Her case involved dozens of court rulings over 15 years.