A WRENCHING dispute over the fate of Terri Schiavo neared its end yesterday as the brain-damaged Florida woman moved closer to death and her parents gave up their long and bitter legal battle to prolong her life.

Terri Schiavo’s parents made a desperate appeal to the US Supreme Court early today, asking justices to order resumption of nourishment for their severely brain-damaged daughter.

Their options dwindling after losing two consecutive court appeals, Terri Schiavo’s parents vowed today to take their fight to the US Supreme Court as their brain-damaged daughter was in her fifth full day without a feeding tube.