Disabled baby’s smile during ultrasound saves him from abortion
If he could smile and play and feel then despite his disabilities he deserved to enjoy whatever life he had left, no matter how short. Just because his life would be shorter or different, didn’t mean he didn’t deserve to experience it.
~ Katyia Rowe who, after viewing her severely disabled baby “smiling, blowing bubbles, kicking and waving his arms” via ultrasound (pictured), could not bring herself to abort him despite medical advice to the contrary. Her baby later died nine hours after birth, as reported by The Daily Mail, January 14
[HT: Jill; Photo via Jeremy Durkin]
Jan.16, 2013 6:00 am |
Ultrasound |
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Amen Amen
I don’t cry often but this made me cry.
Precious. Now she will have the memories of the time she spent with her baby, and that she got to hold him as he left this world.
I’m still trying to understand the “He’s gonna die anyway, so we might as well kill him.” mentality. I don’t think I ever will.
I love this! I’m so thankful for Katyia Rowe and her witness, and I’m praising God that she had the wisdom to stand firm, the chance to hold him, and love him, and despiter her sadness, know that she did not kill her child, but honored his life, and God’s creation.
Beautiful.
Pamela,
I will never understand it either. To prevent the “suffering of natural death” we murder.
There must be something to NOT letting parents enjoy what little time left. Or it is a way to CONTROL something or that doctors wrongly assume it is healing to “just get it over with so you can move on.”
?!
“I’m still trying to understand the “He’s gonna die anyway, so we might as well kill him.” mentality. I don’t think I ever will”
I’ve seen it explained as a way to prevent suffering (because palliative care doesn’t exist, apparently), and as a way to keep the parents from grieving as hard, if they buy into the “fetus isn’t a real baby” thing so they won’t get as attached. The former is debatable and a hard decision, I highly doubt the latter works at all. Well, it might work on some dads because it’s harder for some men to be connected to the baby before birth, especially first time dads, but I don’t think it’s ever spared any mother any pain.
Jack,
I’ve spoken to a few mothers who aborted for medical reasons or have a history of miscarriage who swear up and down that the children the lost in utero weren’t “actual children” and were “just fetuses”. They get angry about it. You can tell they’re hurting, and that’s their mode of self-soothing. They are adamant in their denial, and it is sad.
Yeah X, and when they do admit they are in pain they say it’s from losing a potential for having a child, and that they would be grieving more if they had birthed the baby. They don’t seem very convincing.
“still trying to understand the … mentality.”
“And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today — abortion which brings people to such blindness.” – Mother Teresa, February 5, 1994
Blindness…Abortion justifiers are just unwilling to see the obvious painful consequences of abortion under any circumstance. This blindness cannot be understood…but there it is.
Why do so many doctors suggest “termination??” Why do so many doctors do abortions AND deliver babies??
They are there to try heal. Not kill.
It is healing to offer resources to parents that grieve a poor prenatal diagnosis. It is healing to offer comfort and support them to carry to term.
That mother’s insight is profound.
Is anyone else waiting for reality to kick in and talk about potential smiles and giggles and potential obvious delight?
Another good argument for pre-abortion ultrasounds.
Entirely the lady’s choice of course.
Many other women would consider it pointless and find termination to be less stressful.
I would also point out that the “smiling, blowing bubbles, kicking and waving his arms” would have been purely instinctive and not indicative of any level of cognisance or thought process.
So the same motions given by a boy fetus and a boy neonate are purely instinctive… yup.
Care to share how they both demonstrate the same actions while one is merely a potential human being and the other has legal rights?
Dude, you’re a hoot.
“So the same motions given by a boy fetus and a boy neonate are purely instinctive… yup.” – would you like to show me where I said that?
“…one is merely a potential human being and the other has legal rights?” – you already know the answers to that one :-)
Dudette, your point is moot.
The little boy fetus above demonstrated the same behaviora as little boy neonate do all the time. So… why does one deserve to be aborted while another one deserves legal rights?
Don’t be coy- my point is obvious. A little boy fetus and a litle boy neonate deserve the same legal rights.
This is already the case in some states, where those who murder pregnant women can be tried for double homicide, ala Scott Pedersen. It’s only a matter of time before little girl and little boy fetuses are given more legal rights, thanks to ultrasounds like this.
But, again, what does it matter to you if boy and girl fetuses achieve more solidified legal status- how would you personally be negatively afftected?
“The little boy fetus above demonstrated the same behaviora as little boy neonate do all the time” – so do toddlers, teens and adults. What’s different is the causes and associated cognisance.
“A little boy fetus and a litle boy neonate deserve the same legal rights.” – subjective opinion.
“It’s only a matter of time before little girl and little boy fetuses are given more legal rights” – dream on.
“what does it matter to you” – more unhappy women, more disfunctional families, the need for more support structures and the greater costs impact on us all.
Killing a disabled little boy in utero is less stressful?
And you would know this HOW Reality??
test
News reports, anecdotal experience, Danielle Deaver for a start.”Tragically, the Deavers had sought an abortion to avoid just such an excruciating end.”
Many women prefer to terminate an unviable fetus rather than continue gestation and deliver.
Sorry for all that – I was just testing to see if I’ve been blocked – which I have been for months, on my computer but not my cell phone. I wasn’t naughty – the security system just didn’t like my IP address; the mods were never able to figure out why! I decided to try again just now and voila!
“The little boy fetus above demonstrated the same behavior as little boy neonate do all the time” – so do toddlers, teens and adults. What’s different is the causes and associated cognisance.
Ah, the wonders of science according to pro-aborts. Instant development from the ride down the birth canal! No need for any gradual organic development of the brain, learning over time, etc. From zero to 100 in regard to brain function in just a few minutes!
(By “cognisance” I presume you mean “cognition,” which is the proper word for all that. If not, maybe you should just stick with “magical thinking”)
Reality, you’re all wet.
I feel so relieved to be able to do that at last!
“Instant development from the ride down the birth canal” – hm, don’t recall claiming that, are you conducting some magical thinking?
“No need for any gradual organic development of the brain, learning over time, etc” – there is a need. 20 weeks gestation isn’t very far along that spectrum though.
World English Dictionary
cognizance or cognisance (?k??n?z?ns, ?k?n?-, ?k??n?z?ns, ?k?n?-)
— n
1.
knowledge; acknowledgment
2.
take cognizance of to take notice of; acknowledge, esp officially
3.
the range or scope of knowledge or perception
4.
law
a. the right of a court to hear and determine a cause or matter
b. knowledge of certain facts upon which the court must act without requiring proof
c. chiefly ( US ) confession
5.
heraldry a distinguishing badge or bearing
If I’m all wet it’s because of all the drips I tolerate ;-)
What I have read from psychologists is that is better to go through the grieving process.
Anyway, at least she doesn’t have a murder on her conscience.
And yeah, I don’t get why doctors would push for abortion. It is not like it is going to be any benefit to them or the woman. If the baby will die anyway, why doesn’t the doctor just say so? I think the truth is that women will not often ask for abortions of disabled babies and some of these creepy doctors just don’t have much pity on the disabled. They would rather just eliminate them, kind of like Margaret Sanger. Their main business is birth control, not obstetrics.
Reality, “cognition” is the technical scientific term for our thought, reasoning and memory abilities as a whole, so is better for what you want to say.
20 weeks is more than halfway through pregnancy. In a couple of weeks more, babies are able too be born and survive outside the womb. So yeah, pretty far along.
Yes yes, alright Lori, cognition would be magically all-encompassing.
A normal fetus at 20 weeks does not have the mental acuity to be “smiling, blowing bubbles, kicking and waving his arms” in any knowing or thinking way.
One with a brain development impairment even less.
I’m so sorry that happened but your quote hit the nail on the head. Again I’m so sorry for your loss he was beautiful on the inside and out
wow. I’m so sorry,but we all know he’s much better with god then in this cruel world of evil people. he was so beautiful on the inside and out
much love to you darling and your sweet baby boy
Reality says:
I would also point out that the “smiling, blowing bubbles, kicking and waving his arms” would have been purely instinctive and not indicative of any level of cognisance or thought process.
So?
“So?” – well, the thing is, “he deserved to enjoy whatever life he had left…..didn’t mean he didn’t deserve to experience it” – are both unachievable aims.
How are they unachievable? Do you have proof that a fetus doesn’t enjoy his time in the womb? Are you saying that even though this baby lived for 9 hours after birth, he didn’t experience those 9 hours? You’re making no sense here.
The nonsense Lrning, is believing that a 20 week fetus with a severely incapacitated brain would ‘enjoy’ or ‘experience’ anything with any level of comprehension or potential memory.
Why would you think this mom should care if her son could “comprehend” or remember his short life? She said “enjoy” and “experience”. Why do you feel it’s important to add the qualifier of comprehension?
A 20 week fetus, particularly one with a less than normal brain simply cannot ‘enjoy’ or ‘experience’ anything.
Reality says:
A 20 week fetus, particularly one with a less than normal brain simply cannot ‘enjoy’ or ‘experience’ anything.
How unscientific of you.
http://www.enotalone.com/parenting/4312.html
“How unscientific of you” – and then you cite that nonsense. Now that’s funny!
Yeah, what would an endocrinologist and a neurologist know. You probably know better.
Yeah, what they may have known could be useful but then they went and Chopra’d away all their integrity and adherence to scientific principles. Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of lovely fuzzy words and hopeful, subjective claims. Pity no actual science was cited or referenced though :-)
May I just point out, Reality, that you have yet to cite or reference any science yourself in support of your view?