Jivin J’s Life Links 2-10-11
by JivinJ, host of the blog, JivinJehoshaphat
- The Los Angeles Times has a story on a Catholic hospital in Chicago which has developed a protocol for stopping 2nd trimester abortions if a woman changes her mind during abortion procedures:
Working with two anti-abortion groups, Resurrection Medical Center, the largest hospital of one of Chicago’s largest Catholic health care systems, has put in place a practice that when a woman arrives in the emergency room with an activist seeking to stop a second-trimester abortion, she should be treated immediately.
Since October, 4 women have arrived at the hospital seeking to halt their abortions, and 3 of them had their abortions stopped.
- In response to the Protect Life Act, the National Abortion Federation has issued press releases including one with the testimony of Mary Vargas (pictured left), a [disability-rights attorney from MD] who got an abortion at 22 weeks because her child had Potter’s Syndrome. Vargas says she got an abortion because she didn’t want her unborn child to suffer in the womb:
We could allow our son to suffer without comfort, to feel his bones being crushed and broken in the absence of amniotic fluid, until he died in utero, or at delivery, suffocating to death in the absence of developed lungs. Two specialists confirmed that he had no chance at life….
We “chose” to end the pregnancy – not for us, but because choosing mercy was the only thing we could do for our unborn son. I would have liked to have held him. Yet, I know our decision was the right one for our child. I know because of this experience that many times the choice to terminate a pregnancy is made because a woman value’s life: because she or her unborn child, or both is dying, or because they are suffering towards no purpose.
Remind me – what’s the NAF’s position on fetal pain?
Read more details at MSNBC.
- While the National Abortion Federation is publishing testimony on fetal pain it doesn’t really believe, pro-lifers are debating the strategy of fetal pain legislation. In the Human Life Review, pro-life lawyer Paul Linton criticizes fetal pain laws because he doubts the Supreme Court would find them constitutional.National Right to Life’s Mary Balch responded and Linton countered Balch’s response.
- In Oregon, a woman gave birth while in jail and the child died:
A pregnant Lane County Jail inmate gave birth to a fetus Wednesday night that had died by the time a jail employee checked on the woman during a routine security cell check, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said….Lt. Larry Brown said late Wednesday night that it’s too early in the investigation to know whether the fetus was delivered naturally and to what extent it was delivered prematurely.
He said the inmate had been in custody for only a few hours prior to the discovery of the fetus. Jail employees were aware that the inmate was pregnant, he said.
Interesting choice of terms used in the article.
[Vargas photo via Frederick News Post]
re: Mary Vargas – or, you could have “chosen” to give birth to the baby (via C-section, if you were concerned about trauma to the baby of a vagina birth) and utilized the aid of perinatal hospice to keep him comfortable as he naturally passed away, if there was truly no chance of his survival. Then you could have held him and said goodbye, as many of these brave parents did: http://www.benotafraid.net
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Wait! WAIT! This woman didn’t want her son to “suffer” so she paid a doctor to RIP HIS ARMS AND LEGS OFF AND DISEMBOWEL him? How exactly does she think she prevented her son from suffering?
Hey, I guess I learned something. Note to all you parents out there. If your kid ever gets cancer or any disease that would make them suffer… kill them. Thats what we learned here today.
Horrible. horrible. horrible. The pain that baby must have felt. She just didn’t want to fight for his life once she found out he was deformed. Thats what I get from it. Once tests showed their baby had facial deformities they chose abortion. They don’t deserve to be parents. I am really angry about this story. You don’t toss your kid back like a fish that you caught that doesn’t “measure up”. You’re an attorney and you couldn’t figure out how to fight for your son? Pulease.
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I think what is ironic was that this was a disability-rights lawyer. The doctors did this woman a disservice – a c-section, an experimental propping up of the uterus, the possibility of baptism and any other idea to give this little one a chance. And for that Mom to truly be a Mom.
I feel really badly – those doctors took advantage of this woman’s situation and heart. As the previous posts – the death of this woman’s child due to torture of that abortion. If she only knew. How can she look her clients in the face? How could she not look her son in the face? How could she not have been better help. And for the abortion lobby to use this as the face of needed choice? Heaven forbid.
yes – and that woman and her husband needed to fight for her son – not for the ‘peaceful death’ they thought of – but for his actual life and for that woman to hold her son in her arms. Tragic, unneeded, again medicine run amok.
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I will never understand the “kill them before they die naturally” thought process!
Someday I hope this woman finds out what real MERCY means.
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One of my friend’s had a baby diagnosed with Potter’s Syndrome. She lived 25 minutes after she was born and was perfectly beautiful. They named her Grace.
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99.99+% of the millions (tens of millions?) of prenatal homicides committed by criminal abortionists who are members of the National Abortion Federation are not of this nature.
This is one of the many con games that advocates of prenatal homicide have been playing for decades: take the toughest, hardest, most heartbreaking case you can find and use it to justify ALL the millions of killings of children that have been perpetrated by these abortion “providers” over the last forty years or so.
Please let us not take seriously any “arguments” advanced by vile organizations like the NAF.
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Carla says:
February 10, 2011 at 2:48 pm
I will never understand the “kill them before they die naturally” thought process!
Someday I hope this woman finds out what real MERCY means.
A person’s pro-life position BEFORE a complicated pregnancy influences their abortion decision and she was pro-choice. (It’s a shame that she is not yet aware that her choice may not have been the right one.) She was already 21 weeks along, her insurance initially wouldn’t cover abortion, and she really wanted to hold her baby. She missed all the signs telling her to DELIVER her baby. I feel bad for her and pray that she does not continue to use her personal story to influence others to follow her course of action.
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I wonder how much support she was given to carry her boy and love him up before he died in her arms?
How many doctors are helping women find a circle of support instead of telling them “terminating your pregnancy” is the best thing to do?
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I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the concept of aborting a baby to KEEP him from suffering…
Even if your precious baby lived for five SECONDS after birth, that’s five precious seconds that you got to have with him that you’ll cherish forever.
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How ironic is it that NAF uses a story of a woman who is so concerned about letting her baby suffer the effects of a fatal anomaly. NAF has shown NO concern whatsoever for the live babies that suffered at the hands of Kermit Gosnell.
They are the biggest bunch of hypocrites.
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Mrs. Vargas should have read some stories on http://www.benotafraid.net. Even holding her son for a few minutes would have changed her whole view. I’m sure if she would have said abortion is not an option they would have found alternatives. Her son would have died, but she would have seen him.
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I am so very sad and angry right now because of what this woman did.
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Joe
That’s my conclusion too. They play the mercy card so well. And I’m going to sound like a zealot but if you google Jezebel spirit you will find that the tactics she employs are used by Planned Parenthood all of the time. Everyone but the baby is a victim. I think the tide is turning though I think women are starting to realize that not only are they entitled to fair treatment but there unborn are as well.
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Joy, I was thinking the same thing! Does this woman not realize her son suffered in the womb when she terminated his life? She’s a disability rights lawyer…but not for her own unborn child.
Its the mindset started by Hitler and Sanger…..Eugenics….get rid of those who are different….
This baby may have lived for 25 minutes or a day or two….but she didn’t give him the chance.
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99.99+% of the millions (tens of millions?) of prenatal homicides committed by criminal abortionists who are members of the National Abortion Federation are not of this nature.
You’re right, Joe, They use a tiny percentage of tragic cases such as the one above to justify the rest of them.
NAF has shown NO concern whatsoever for the live babies that suffered at the hands of Kermit Gosnell.
Right again. I told my very pro-abortion sister about Gosnell, and she had no comment. Also, I give to an organization called Several Sources, which not only helps women with crisis pregnancies but the homeless as well. Every month they send me pics of the adorable babies they have saved. I showed one to my sister and once again, no comment. Sad.
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I have two Potter Babies in heaven. During both pregnancies I was advised that the babies were incompatible with life and would die shortly after birth. Both doctors suggested that I terminate the pregnancy, since the babies would die anyway and to save me the “pain” of carrying to term.
That for me was never an option. Instead I went home and spent every second loving and cherishing my baby while it lived happily and safely inside me. I had a short time to spend a lifetime with them. I read books, talked to, and read the lullabys I wouldn’t be able to later. I made sure they both heard my voice and that they knew I loved them very much. I enjoyed every movement and each hicup.
On their birth, we loved loved them, kissed their tiny hands, said everything to them that we wanted them to know, we took pictures with them, dressed them and kissed them over and over. Each one of my children lived their entire lives in my arms.
Both of my babies passed away peacefully, there was absolutely no signs of suffering.
I have pictures, videos and handprints but most important are my memories of each second I held my babies and loved them. If you are considering early termination, I would deeply ask you to please reconsider. You and your baby only have a short time together here on earth. Spend each second you can with him/her. Don’t deprive yourself of the precious moments and memories you can share with your baby.
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Valerie,
I’m sorry for the loss of your children, but what a beautiful story and outcome, that you were able to cherish the little time you had with your babies. I noticed on BeNotAfraid, no other mothers had shared their story of carrying a baby with Potter’s Syndrome to term & I am wondering if you might consider sharing yours, to minister hope and comfort to other women facing this diagnosis.
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Each one of my children lived their entire lives in my arms.
Valerie,
Thank you for sharing the story of your precious babies. The line above touched me deeply and I am so grateful for your voice even as your grieve. What a wonderful mommy you are! I pray that other mothers choose to let their babies live and share that precious time with them.
God bless you!!
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I do really wonder who gives women the imagery of Potter’s Syndrome.
That their babies are “beaten up and bruised by my uterus”
“bones being crushed and broken”
“suffocating to death”
There was a woman who commented here awhile ago who described several of those sentences about what her child in utero was going through. I asked her where she got that imagery. She didn’t answer.
Who is telling women that their own bodies are beating up their children???
What Valerie described above is so opposite the violence that I have read!!
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Rachel and Carla
Thank you both for your kind words. During my pregnancies, I didn’t hear the imagery you spoke of above, thank goodness. However, both different doctors suggested early termination. I delivered my daughter Grace, 3 years ago next week with a midwife. Never once with her was early termination brought up, only when I saw the doctor for further medical evaluation.
Both my babies were beautiful. My son Christian lived 2 1/2 hours! We had that long with him! And during that time he had full eye contact with us. My daughter Grace lived 1/2 hour. They were not broken or bruised. They slowly and peacefully fell asleep.
I too looked at the benotafraid site and did not see a Potter story. I would love to contribute ours to it.
We have a wonderful organization here called Open Arms. Opposite to Planned Parenthood. They try to educate the girls/women considering abortion and do everything to change their minds. Offering so many parenting classes, financial options, free supplies if they carry to term, even adoption choices if all else fails.
After we lost our daughter, our church did an offering for my family. It was a substantial amount. We turned and donated every penny of it to Open Arms in my daughters name. They used that money to train an ultrasound technician. So when these girls went in for abortion options, Open Arms does an ultrasound to show the life growing inside them and the mircacle of the heartbeat.
I love the thought that Graces short life had something to do with saving another.
In God’s love. Valerie
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I appreciate your story so much, Valerie!! I love that Grace and Christian were delivered in love. What a stark contrast to the story of Mary Vargas!!
Also, thank you for honoring your children’s lives by giving back to help others!
I encourage you to write out your story for benotafraid. Your voice is needed, Valerie.
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Another thought popped into my head as I reread what the doctor told Ms. Vargas about her baby suffering. I was in my 8th month with my daughter Grace, they were doing a very extensive high end ultrasound at Sacred Heart Hosp. They were and are always searching for hope for these babies. The ultrasound took about an hour. They looked at every detail, organs, bloodflow… everything.
The whole time the tech did her medical stuff, I layed there watching my baby on a huge flat screen tv they put on the wall for mom’s to see. Grace was moving around, playing with her hands, kicking the techs tool, stuck her thumb in her mouth and had hiccups. Not a sign of suffering at all.
My heart breaks for women who make the decision they do based on a doctors opinion. Doctors should not be allowed to recommend such things. As someone else said, they should tell the parents the likely outcome and refer them to another group of parents who have actually gone through the process.
Sorry I keep taking up space here. It’s just something I am extremely passionate about, being a mom who has walked through it twice. I did write to benotafraid and asked them to add the Potter’s Syndrome link so I could offer my story to it.
Blessings.
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It has been a pleasure talking with you Valerie!! I am glad you are here!!
Did you have prolife doctors? Do you think that is what made the difference for you?
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Carla, thank you. I am glad I found this site too. As soon as they diagnosed Christian, my ob/gyn called me at home that evening (while we were in shock and trying to process the news we had received) and said that “we should schedule an appt to have my pregnancy induced and get it over with, since the baby will die anyway”. I dropped the phone in disbelief.
I had a wonderful midwife with Grace. She definately was prolife. She referred me to regular ob/gyn docs. I had to see them for further medical evaluations and more detailed ultrasounds. We did of course look at every avenue to save her. I even looked into experimental options, e.g. having them pump amniotic fluid in -there is no success with this or anything else they’ve tried.
When I saw this other ob/gyn, he did offer to induce me if I would prefer to do that (I was 16 weeks). So I would say he was not prolife.
Did it affect my decision? No. I am a Christian and firmly believe God’s will and control on their lives. I knew it was not a decision for me to make, so it never entered my mind as an option. I knew right away in my heart that I would have a very short time with them so, I made every second count. I even had friends and some family recommend that we induce Grace, because we already went through the agony of losing Christian.
But I do believe that if someone was in a different frame of mind or perhaps a first time parent, they could easily be persuaded to follow a non prolife doc’s advice.
I would LOVE the opportunity to talk to each person facing this difficult news and let them know personally what we’ve experienced and how fortunate we feel for each minute we shared with our children.
Even to the extent of sharing all the services and memorable items available for preserving the memories. My son was born 12 years ago. Nobody thought to take pictures or get handprints, etc. With Grace, I met a wonderful woman who makes hand prints in clay, there are photographers who come in for free and take wonderful photos of you and your baby. I have a keepsake necklace I wear with both of my babies ashes in it, also have an engraved pendant with Grace’s handprint. These all help me everyday.
My children lived. They were here a short time but we LOVED them. They are part of our lives each day. We celebrate their birthdays every year and release balloons. Most important, my babies knew and felt that they were loved.
I can’t imagine choosing to terminate early and missing out on all that I have. I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on any mother.
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Hi Valerie,
I am involved in my community with pregnancy loss through miscarriage, stillbirth and early infant death. I have friends that have experienced this as well as myself. One of my friends had a daughter with Potters Syndrome, another had a daughter with anencephaly.
There is an amazing photographer in our area that takes photos of babies that have passed away called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. :) So precious.
I had an abortion 20 years ago and believed the lies that IT was “just a bunch of cells.”
5 years later while miscarrying, my proabort doctor told me I would pass a clot. I ended up going into labor and delivered my 10 week old baby into my hand and saw my perfect child NOT “a bunch of cells.”
I switched and found a wonderful prolife doctor who delivered two of my children and grieved another miscarriage with me.
What a difference it makes to have medical professionals that honor the love that mommies have for their children and the longing to let them live as long as God allows!!
I believe once a diagnosis is made there needs to be time for a family to take in the full impact of that and not be rushed into “terminating!!” A family needs time to grieve and so many more might make the memories you have made with your babies.
I am not sure how killing a baby before it dies naturally could ever bring the peace and comfort that you have found, Valerie!!
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Valerie – Thank you so much for sharing yourself, your children and your family situation with us. Thank you for your good heart for sharing those donations so other children can have their natural life span, know that they were loved and helped others to enjoy each moment! God bless you for your love of your children and the love of all children.
I hope that more families and Moms would follow in your footsteps and do the right thing. And I love that that photographer did that ministry – which is SO precious for those families. Sing it from the rooftops. People need hope and beautiful memories like you have fashioned.
God bless you and your family – now and always. Thank you for sharing!
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Hello Carla
Yes, that is the same organization I also met and am now friends with, Now I lay me down to sleep. I am so saddened by the amount of phone calls she receives. It is truly a blessing to have them!
Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am so, so sorry for your losses. My older sister had 2 abortions many years ago. It seems like it was an easy birth control option back then and doctors did suggest it was just “cells”. Do you think there are less of them now, since technology shows how formed the baby is even at 4 weeks?
We recently had a surrogate mother carrying a baby for us. She miscarried 2 weeks ago. But, we followed the development week by week up to 8 weeks. The heart was beating, organs were formed, little hands were waving, etc.
THIS is the information clinics and doctors need to be telling these girls seeking abortions. As Open Arms does. It actually has little rubber babies in each stage of development to show these girls that these ARE babies and not just cells!
I truly am sorry for your miscarriages and abortion. I pray that you have peace in your heart. It is so nice to talk to you and again thank your for sharing with me.
And I absolutely agree that the family, after hearing news that their baby will not live, needs time. You can not make a quick and emotional decision, and they really should talk to other mothers who made the decision to carry to term and hold their baby.
To Joyfromillinois,
Thank you for your kind words. His blessings upon you and your family as well.
I feel so blessed that God led me to this site.
In His love, Valerie
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My abortion was 20 years ago and I now tell my abortion story, serve on the board of a local Life Care Center, am involved in Operation Outcry, Silent No More, am a Rachel’s Vineyard facilitator and a moderator here at Jill’s. I will be fully healed from abortion when I get to heaven and hold my daughter Aubrey. I held Jamie in my hand and had another miscarriage. I named that baby Lee.
I am so sorry to hear of the surrogate mother and the loss of your baby. :(
That makes me sad.
There are approximately 3800 abortions a day in this country alone. Ultrasound legislation is fought at every turn as Big Abortion knows that 70-90% of women choose LIFE after seeing the ultrasound!! The humanity of the unborn is unmistakable.
Are you on facebook? :)
This is my story
http://outcrywisconsin.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-story-at-faith-community-church.html
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Carla and Valerie,
God bless you both for your pro-life witness. Is it so good to hear that there are so many pro-life organizations and resources for women and men suffering with difficult situations during pregnancy (and post-abortion).
Happy Valentines day to you and your families. :)
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Valerie,
I also meant to ask you if your sister has had any abortion recovery? I will be praying for her!
You can email me if that is too personal.
carla@jillstanek.com
Happy Valentines Day to you, Valerie and to you my sweet Janet!!
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