Comments on: Partial Birth Abortion http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/ Home of the Osborne family Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:17:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Milly http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32483 Milly Thu, 10 May 2007 15:46:44 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32483 I started to answer the question and found a post in it. So I decided to type on. This a a crazy time of the week so it may not happen any time soon. The answer is this I wanted to be armed with everything I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen. You saw the faces of the parents who had to deal with it in a big hurry. I started to answer the question and found a post in it. So I decided to type on. This a a crazy time of the week so it may not happen any time soon.

The answer is this I wanted to be armed with everything I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen. You saw the faces of the parents who had to deal with it in a big hurry.

]]> By: TheOzz http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32402 TheOzz Wed, 09 May 2007 00:56:44 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32402 Milly, Thanks for your comments. I am glad you never had to face the decision or the pressure of bad news delivered during a pregnacy. I still wonder if it was a blessing or a curse to know that Caden was going to be born with the health problems he has. According to one of Caden's cardiologists, a large number of parents don't know that their child will need emergency heart surgery after birth due to missed defects during prenatal screenings. The cardiologist told us that only about half of the life threatening heart defects they deal with are found during prenatal care. Sherry and I witnessed the results of this scenario numerous times in the waiting rooms at MUSC. Parents would arrive by car hours after their infant child had been flown in from as far as 200 miles away. The parents arriving in this fashion had not learned of their child's heart defect(s) until after their child was born. In response to Taylor's comments: I already commented on Taylor's blog part of this information on the number of instances where parents do not find out about birth defects before the child is born. This information led me to a question for those who favor late term abortions to terminate pregnancies simply because the parents do not want a child with a defect. My question is: Do you also favor an option for parents to terminate the life of a child that is only a few minutes or hours old when a serious life threatening birth defect is found? Milly,
Thanks for your comments. I am glad you never had to face the decision or the pressure of bad news delivered during a pregnacy. I still wonder if it was a blessing or a curse to know that Caden was going to be born with the health problems he has. According to one of Caden’s cardiologists, a large number of parents don’t know that their child will need emergency heart surgery after birth due to missed defects during prenatal screenings. The cardiologist told us that only about half of the life threatening heart defects they deal with are found during prenatal care. Sherry and I witnessed the results of this scenario numerous times in the waiting rooms at MUSC. Parents would arrive by car hours after their infant child had been flown in from as far as 200 miles away. The parents arriving in this fashion had not learned of their child’s heart defect(s) until after their child was born.

In response to Taylor’s comments:

I already commented on Taylor’s blog part of this information on the number of instances where parents do not find out about birth defects before the child is born. This information led me to a question for those who favor late term abortions to terminate pregnancies simply because the parents do not want a child with a defect. My question is: Do you also favor an option for parents to terminate the life of a child that is only a few minutes or hours old when a serious life threatening birth defect is found?

]]> By: Milly http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32394 Milly Tue, 08 May 2007 21:21:58 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32394 I chose to have an amniocentesis because of my age when I became pregnant with my daughter. I was relieved when my doctor said having one means if anything is found then you can get prepared you can go on line and gather information. Not once was an abortion talked about. I will admit it was heavy on me while I waited for the procedure. It shook me while I waited for my results. That time seemed to drag. I remember the call when I was waiting for a the blood test when I was pregnant with my first born my knees buckled at work and I had to sit for a moment to rejoice in the good news. Can I honestly say that never would I have an abortion? No because that’s not something I ever had to actually think about. I know of a woman who carried a baby to term knowing the he would die shortly after birth it was emotionally and physically draining but something that she had to do because every moment with him was a moment of love. If you don’t want to have a baby then do something before you create one. They give birth control out free. I chose to have an amniocentesis because of my age when I became pregnant with my daughter. I was relieved when my doctor said having one means if anything is found then you can get prepared you can go on line and gather information. Not once was an abortion talked about. I will admit it was heavy on me while I waited for the procedure. It shook me while I waited for my results. That time seemed to drag. I remember the call when I was waiting for a the blood test when I was pregnant with my first born my knees buckled at work and I had to sit for a moment to rejoice in the good news. Can I honestly say that never would I have an abortion? No because that’s not something I ever had to actually think about. I know of a woman who carried a baby to term knowing the he would die shortly after birth it was emotionally and physically draining but something that she had to do because every moment with him was a moment of love. If you don’t want to have a baby then do something before you create one. They give birth control out free.

]]> By: Taylor http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32084 Taylor Thu, 03 May 2007 20:23:35 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32084 Thanks for sharing your personal story- I know that a lot of people, especially on the pro-life side, are loathe to admit that they have had first-hand experience with abortion, and it makes me much more willing to listen to your point of view (in the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I VERY rarely read entire arguments from pro-lifers, because I have yet to read anything that made me understand their viewpoint). Not only did I read this entire entry, but I read some of the others as well. If you care to hear my feelings on the ban, you can do so here: http://tayloropolis.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/a-dark-day-for-choice/ I completely respect you and your wife's decision not to have an abortion when you learned of your son's heart problem. It was obviously the correct choice for the two of you, and I'm very happy to hear that you don't regret it. But how can you say that it would be the right choice for someone else? What upsets me the most about people who are anti-abortion is that they assume they are more adept at choosing the right choice than someone who is actually in that situation. To me, not allowing someone to have an abortion when faced with potentially devastating news would have been as much of a crime as someone forcing your wife to have one. Thanks for sharing your personal story- I know that a lot of people, especially on the pro-life side, are loathe to admit that they have had first-hand experience with abortion, and it makes me much more willing to listen to your point of view (in the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I VERY rarely read entire arguments from pro-lifers, because I have yet to read anything that made me understand their viewpoint). Not only did I read this entire entry, but I read some of the others as well.

If you care to hear my feelings on the ban, you can do so here:
http://tayloropolis.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/a-dark-day-for-choice/

I completely respect you and your wife’s decision not to have an abortion when you learned of your son’s heart problem. It was obviously the correct choice for the two of you, and I’m very happy to hear that you don’t regret it. But how can you say that it would be the right choice for someone else? What upsets me the most about people who are anti-abortion is that they assume they are more adept at choosing the right choice than someone who is actually in that situation. To me, not allowing someone to have an abortion when faced with potentially devastating news would have been as much of a crime as someone forcing your wife to have one.

]]> By: TheOzz http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32032 TheOzz Wed, 02 May 2007 18:59:38 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32032 Vera, I appreciate your input. I guess you should know that my son is on Medicaid. That means that your and my tax dollars help to keep my family out of bankruptcy as a result of the half million dollars or so spent on his care in the first year. Over 90% of that was paid for by my personal health insurance, but the part paid for with taxpayer money did reach into the tens of thousands of dollars. I find it difficult to believe that many parents decide on partial birth abortion for financial reasons. The most popular reason people are offered this option to end a child's life via partial birth abortion is simply because they found out that they are not going to get the "perfect" child that they were expecting when they conceived. Some parents just don't think they will be able to care for a child with special needs because of how it will impact their self centered lifestyle. Ultimately everyone is pro choice. The difference for folks like me is that we believe that the "choice" to engage in sexual activity is where you pass the point of no return in regards to a child's life. Vera,

I appreciate your input. I guess you should know that my son is on Medicaid. That means that your and my tax dollars help to keep my family out of bankruptcy as a result of the half million dollars or so spent on his care in the first year. Over 90% of that was paid for by my personal health insurance, but the part paid for with taxpayer money did reach into the tens of thousands of dollars.

I find it difficult to believe that many parents decide on partial birth abortion for financial reasons. The most popular reason people are offered this option to end a child’s life via partial birth abortion is simply because they found out that they are not going to get the “perfect” child that they were expecting when they conceived. Some parents just don’t think they will be able to care for a child with special needs because of how it will impact their self centered lifestyle.

Ultimately everyone is pro choice. The difference for folks like me is that we believe that the “choice” to engage in sexual activity is where you pass the point of no return in regards to a child’s life.

]]> By: Vera http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32029 Vera Wed, 02 May 2007 17:51:05 +0000 http://www.hoei.com/blog/archives/2007/05/02/357/#comment-32029 Thanks for sharing your story, and for your decision. I really wish there was just as much debate and concern about the children who are hungry, abused, and uneducated walking around among us today. I also wish there was more help and support for families so that fewer people would be pressed to make such a wrenching decision. For instance, a poor single mother without insurance might be talked into an abortion because it would cost taxpayers more to have a child with medical problems. I'm pro choice, and I believe that women and their families have just much of a right to not have an abortion as to have one. Thanks for sharing your story, and for your decision.

I really wish there was just as much debate and concern about the children who are hungry, abused, and uneducated walking around among us today.

I also wish there was more help and support for families so that fewer people would be pressed to make such a wrenching decision. For instance, a poor single mother without insurance might be talked into an abortion because it would cost taxpayers more to have a child with medical problems.

I’m pro choice, and I believe that women and their families have just much of a right to not have an abortion as to have one.

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