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RETRACTION (for future reference): I used the word "cognizance" not knowing what the true definition was. I'm not sure what word describes what I'm saying: someone is alive when they have a functioning brain. This is what Terry Schiavo did NOT have according to most of the doctors that examined her. That means, she was no longer a person (with the right to life).

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Would this apply even if it were virtually certain that her brain would begin to function normally in less than nine months?

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If her brain would "begin to function normally", then that would mean that it's not right now. Which means, right now, she's not a person. In the case of a fetus, you could say it is a "potential person", since it's brain will develop to the point of being a person. But, a "potential person" is not an actual person. Any sperm and egg is a "potential person" given the right set of circumstances. We protect actual people, not potential people.

That being said, in the case of Terry Schiavo, if there was a chance that her personhood could be restored -- meaning she was a person, but died, and there was a way to bring her back to life, then I think it would be good to bring her back to life. I hope the distinction is self-evident to most. To those that think using condoms or birth control is immoral, I'm sure this distinction is not clear.