FWIW
Here is my rough transcript of one of interviews referred to above.
All mistakes are my own. Especially the spelling mistakes.
Note: This video accompanied a print article which corrected the description of Jahi's surgery.
My Transcript of Interview
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...alifornia-Girl-Speaks-Publicly-252650961.html
Tracy Davidson interviews Nailah Winkfield and Bobby Schindler
TD: The story of thirteen year old Jahi McMath has gained international attention. The girl from California was declared brain dead after having her tonsils removed. The hospital where Jahi was being treated thought to remove her ventilator and a California judge agreed with that decision, but after weeks of legal battles, the hospital and Jahi's family decided to remove the teen to a long term care facility. Years earlier, the case involving Montgomery county native Terri Schiavo captured international attention. Terri suffered brain damage in 1990 and doctors diagnosed her as being in a persistent vegetative state. The legal struggle that ensued over prolonged life support and the right to die pitted Terri's family against her husband Michael. This morning, those two stories come together and we are pleased to welcome the mother of Jahi McMath, Nailah Winkfield, to our studios. She is here along with Bobby Schindler, who is the brother of Terri Schiavo. He also started the national Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network. Thank you both for being here.
NW: (0:58) Thank you for having us.
TD: (0:59) Now Nailah, tell me. You've sort of been--in private, you and your family have been caring for Jahi. How is she doing?
NW: (1:05) Jahi is actually doing great physically. Um, her skin is flawless. All her vitals are stable. Um, she's not on any meds to maintain anything. She's doing everything on her own except waking up. (Laughs) Um. She's still asleep. I don't use brain dead towards my daughter. She's still asleep. But, physically, she's doing much better since she left from California.
TD: (1:28) And is there movement?
NW: (1:30) She moves all the time. She moves a lot. She can--they have to put pillows around her bed because she's even moved and bust her lip because she's startin' to lift at the waist. She moves her upper [extremities] and always her legs and her feet. So, I'm really happy about that.
TD: (1:48) It's encouraging for you.
NW: (1:49) Very.
TD: (1:50) So, Bobby, tell me about the event that you're both here because of tonight, bringing these two stories together.
BS: (1:56) Well, and it's, it's really in honour of my sister we established this uh not-for-profit and we wanted to uh do something to honour families that really displayed the type of unconditional love that our family had for Terri and, and we saw the McMaths and what they were up against and we just wanted to honour them with this award. We think it's uh appropriate to show how much this family that we support what they're doing.
TD: (2:16) And so tell me about the event tonight.
BS: (2:18) It, it'll be at the Union League. It begins at 6:30--the cocktail reception, uh and then we um we'll, we'll uh begin dinner at 7:30 and um um it's it's it's--tickets are close to being sold out so we're uh, we're happy. We had our first one last year and we're uh, we're hoping for a real uh successful event tonight.
TD: (2:37) (To NW) So, you and your family have really st--stepped out of the limelight and very much private. This is your first interview, and then you'll be surrounded by a lot of people who support after you faced months and months of criticism from other people. What will that be like for you tonight?
NW: (2:52) Be like a breath of fresh air. I'll be very happy to be around people that support me, 'cause even now I'm around people that support me and my decisions with my daughter. Um, I'm looking' forward to it. And, I've been really just focusing on this, Jahi, and nothing else.
TD: (3:10) Even though you've been out of the media spotlight, do you still come across people who you have to explain your position to?
NW: (3:16) I haven't personally come across anybody. Um, I think some of my family probably have, and definitely my attorney, but me personally, I've never came across anybody who was outright rude to me or disagreed with my decision. Everybody I come in contact with says "I am so proud of you, and I'm so proud of your family for what you are doing for your daughter."
TD: (3:36) And, Bobby, what's it like for you to hear her story?
BS: (3:38) Well, it's, it brings back a lot of memories. Uh, and and and we do still have to--we do a lot of speaking in the course of a year and, and people are confusing this issue. So we need, we need to raise a lot of awareness and educate the public. And that's what this event does as well.
TD: (3:52) Right, and we'll tell our viewers about the event. The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Award Gala is taking place tonight, as you said, in the Union League in Philadelphia. Glen Beck will be the guest speaker and Jahi's family will all be there tonight. Nailah Winkfield, thank you so much.
NW: (4:05) Thank you.
TD: (4:06) Bobby Schindler, thank you so much.
BS: (4:08) Thank you.
TD: (4:09) Appreciate it. We'll be right back.