Her parents rejected the doctors' diagnosis that Terri was in a persistent vegetative state, and insisted she could recover.
At the extreme end of the scale, the consequences of head injury are death, persistent vegetative state or severe physical and mental disablement.
Since 1993, a total of 43 patients in a persistent vegetative state, or PVS, have died after a judge ordered that treatment could be withdrawn.
In her petition, Pinki Virani said that Ms Shanbaug had been in a "persistent vegetative state" for 37 years and was "virtually a dead person".
The new law, however, provides for death penalty in cases of rape that leads to death or leaves the victim in a "persistent vegetative state".
The person may enter a persistent vegetative state or brain death.
Weeks after the accident, the diagnosis became clear: Ryan was in a persistent vegetative state because he had been deprived of oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes.
Claire Watson, appearing for the trust, said it was the unanimous view of clinicians and independent experts that the patient, from Greater Manchester, was in a persistent vegetative state.
Florida's statute-suggested living will, for example, directs life-prolonging treatments to be stopped if there is "no reasonable medical probability" of recovery from a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state.
The powers conferred nearly always include the power to forgo or terminate medical care if, in the opinion of your physician, you are in a persistent vegetative state without hope of recovery, and medical care would only artificially delay your death.
Your health care durable power of attorney should express whether you wish to receive medical care if, in the opinion of your physician, you are in a persistent vegetative state without hope of recovery, and medical care would only artificially delay your death.
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