Yesterday I came home from church and turned on the television to learn that Marlise Munoz had been disconnected from life support. She is the woman in Texas who was brain dead but pregnant. Her baby was at 23 weeks gestation. I tried but could not find out if it was a little girl or a little boy.
I just sat down and cried, tears pouring down my cheeks. I couldn't stop thinking about the baby within her who likely struggled as it was deprived of oxygen. I hope he/she didn't suffer long. I cried because while a father is expected to protect his children, the courts ruled that the father in this case had the right to end his or her life this week-end. I can't understand this.
I just sat down and cried, tears pouring down my cheeks. I couldn't stop thinking about the baby within her who likely struggled as it was deprived of oxygen. I hope he/she didn't suffer long. I cried because while a father is expected to protect his children, the courts ruled that the father in this case had the right to end his or her life this week-end. I can't understand this.
In a way, I think the father in this case is a victim himself. He is the product a society that has taught him that a baby is not a real life unless the parents say so. I know that he has suffered a great loss, already. I expect his emotional suffering is going to last a lifetime and I don't want to be judgmental. I just can't understand this.
I realize this case is not common. I doubt that Marlise ever put much thought into whether she'd want to be on life support if it would save her baby. Her family could not have been well prepared for the kind of decisions before them. There was nothing but pain and suffering in this whole scenario...that is, nothing except that new little life that was trying to survive. I really can't understand this.
Probably as a way of comforting myself, I went to LifeNews.com for some inspiration. I admit, I was looking for like minds. I was not disappointed. There, I found people who valued the unborn and were willing to speak out on the behalf of the weak. There I found people willing to go against the flow in order to protect those fragile lives. Maybe you will enjoy this quick clip as well.
It gives me hope.
4 comments:
This is a tragic story that I've been following, and it made me crazy angry that the father would not fight for his unborn child! Why not give the baby a chance? I can't believe Marlise would have chosen to end her baby's life in such a way if she'd had the chance to speak for herself. The hospital, by refusing to remove Marlise from life support, was the only sane voice in this story. I don't know this for fact, but it seems like the hospital gave up the fight and wouldn't appeal the judge's order to remove life support when more medical information came in about the baby. I saw this on the Fox News website, the information was released by the Mr. Munoz's attorney: "We are in receipt of medical records providing more specific information regarding the condition of the fetus," the statement reads. "According to the medical records we have been provided, the fetus is distinctly abnormal. Even at this early stage, the lower extremities are deformed to the extent that the gender cannot be determined. The fetus suffers from hydrocephalus [also known as "water on the brain"]. It also appears that there are further abnormalities, including a possible heart problem, that cannot be specifically determined due to the immobile nature of Mrs. Munoz's deceased body."
This was a very tragic story and really underlines how we as a society do not really have much regard for human life. In regard to the baby, I feel they are a life as soon as they are conceived and it is always sad when one passes before they can even experience this world. And for the mother, she wasn't able to give this baby a chance either, it was decided for her.
My husband has very strict orders not to take me off life support because I believe there is always hope, there's always a possibility for a miracle. I just wish more people believed in miracles.
This was a very tragic story and really underlines how we as a society do not really have much regard for human life. In regard to the baby, I feel they are a life as soon as they are conceived and it is always sad when one passes before they can even experience this world. And for the mother, she wasn't able to give this baby a chance either, it was decided for her.
My husband has very strict orders not to take me off life support because I believe there is always hope, there's always a possibility for a miracle. I just wish more people believed in miracles.
This was a very tragic story and really underlines how we as a society do not really have much regard for human life. In regard to the baby, I feel they are a life as soon as they are conceived and it is always sad when one passes before they can even experience this world. And for the mother, she wasn't able to give this baby a chance either, it was decided for her.
My husband has very strict orders not to take me off life support because I believe there is always hope, there's always a possibility for a miracle. I just wish more people believed in miracles.
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