St. Petersburg, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Terri Schiavo's father, Robert Schindler, has returned home from the hospital following two strokes he suffered shortly before Christmas. Schiavo is the disabled woman who became the center of a massive legal battle when her former husband won a legal battle to kill her via euthanasia.

Schindler entered the hospital about a week before Christmas after a minor stroke and appeared to be recovering but suffered a second stroke days later.

Bobby Schindler, Terri's brother, told LifeNews.com that Schindler went home last Tuesday and is doing well.

"In fact, he even came into the foundation office for a few hours today to do some work," Schindler said, referring to the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation the family runs in order to help disabled and incapacitated patients like Terri.

"Right now he is going through the hundreds of emails he received while he was in
the hospital," Schindler told LifeNews.com. "He will still need outpatient therapy for several months, but he is doing great and extremely happy to be home."

Bobby Schindler had previously indicated his father would stay in the hospital for a couple of weeks to receive rehabilitative therapy following the strokes.

The family did not seek publicity about the hospitalization but word of it leaked out over the Internet.

The Schindler family has sought prayers from members of the pro-life community and Terri's mother Mary and sister Suzanne Vitadamo have been with Robert throughout the ordeal.

The family, which fought diligently to save Terri's life, has been under tremendous stress, but Bobby told LifeNews.com they appreciated the outpouring of support.

"The amount of cards and emails my father is receiving has been very touching," he said. "I can't tell you how much it has lifted his spirits to know so many people care and are praying for him."

"My entire family is sincerely grateful," he said.

After learning of Schindler's stroke, leading pro-life advocates who monitor end of life issues spoke out about the Schindler family.

Wesley Smith, a leading bioethics watchdog and author, commented, "It's been a very tough couple of years for the Schindler family."

"Regardless of where one stands on the Terri Schiavo case, the Schindlers--Bob, Mary, Bobby, and Suzanne Vitadamo--deserve our best wishes and, for those of a mind, prayers, toward Bob's complete recovery and the family's well being in this difficult time," Smith added.

Mark Pickup, a Canadian disability rights activist, told LifeNews.com, "Bob Schindler is an ordinary man thrown into extraordinary circumstances and responded with extraordinary courage, tenacity and resolve to save his child."

"He has shown men like me -- a man with great gaping holes in our characters -- that we too can rise against insurmountable odds," Pickup explained.

LifeNews.com is urging a special donation to the Terri Schiavo Foundation, the organization that the Schindler family operates and works for to protect disabled people in light of Terri's euthanasia death.

ACTION: Please send your cards and donations to: The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, 5562 Central Ave. # 2, St. Petersburg, FL, 33707.

Related web sites:
Terri Shindler-Schiavo Foundation - http://www.terrisfight.org