An examination of Theresa Schiavo's case demonstrates both sides of the fierce medical-political debate between sanctity and quality of life. Shortly after her marriage in 1990, Ms. Schiavo suffered a cardiac arrest that deprived her brain of oxygen for about eleven minutes, more than five minutes longer than medical experts say is possible without serious brain damage. and irreversible. She fell into a persistent vegetative state (PVS). Thus began a fifteen-year battle for the sanctity and quality of Ms. Schiavo's life. Schiavo argued that Ms. Schiavo wanted her not to be kept alive in a persistent vegetative state. Her parents fought to keep her alive, believing that a miracle would bring her out of PVS. Experts on both sides of the debate have weighed in. Bioethicists, experts in treating terminally ill and chronic patients, broadly agreed with Mr. Schiavo that extending her life would not lead to a productive life because she would never recover. They further concluded that he was acting in his best interests, not for lack of personal gain. Meanwhile, politicians were trying to force their personal beliefs into the medical decisions that needed to be made. They went so far as to enact the "Terry Law" replacing the jurisdiction of state courts with that of federal district courts. This law allowed Ms. Schiavo's parents to circumvent the lower court's decision upholding Mr. Schiavo's rights as guardian and next of kin. However, this law was later deemed unconstitutional. As a result, Mr. Schiavo's medical decisions were ultimately respected and Ms. Schiavo was allowed to pass away peacefully and naturally. The sanctity of Ms. Schiavo's life has been preserved through the medium of paper...things one intentionally seeks to achieve or obtain. Life is not an ultimate value, but nevertheless a fundamental value. The conclusion can then be drawn that although life must exist for value to exist, the purpose of life is not the continuation of physical biological mechanisms. The purpose of life then becomes the way in which we live and realize our values. Essentially, the purpose of life becomes the pursuit of values. The ultimate value of maximizing the quantity of life must be balanced with maximizing the quality of life. Life, and therefore the sanctity of life, is finite; death is irrefutable. The quality of life is endless. Every minute of life is an opportunity to learn and experience it to its full potential. Although subjective, it is arrogant and narcissistic to claim to know which is better, sanctity or quality of life, when examining the lives of others..