Baby's 'angelic' face haunts former abortion nurse

BP News ^ | 11/6/03 | Michael Foust

[truthandlife]

Brenda Pratt Shafer witnessed a partial-birth abortion. It was an experience she would rather forget, but cannot.

A registered nurse, Shafer in 1993 worked for three days in an abortion clinic in Dayton, Ohio, under abortion doctor Martin Haskell, who popularized the procedure.

Shafer's testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee in 1996 helped strengthen the push to ban partial-birth abortion and has been recounted often by senators and representatives in congressional floor debates. President Bush signed the ban into law Nov. 5.

"[B]ecause of the strong pro-choice views that I held at that time, I thought this assignment [in Haskell's clinic] would be no problem for me," she told the subcommittee in her 1996 testimony, according to a transcript. "But I was wrong."

On her third day in the clinic Shafer said she witnessed three partial-birth abortions -- the first on a young mother with a Down syndrome baby, the latter two on healthy mothers with healthy babies.

She described in detail the procedure on the Down syndrome baby, which she said was six months (26 and a half weeks) along. The procedure startled both her and the mother.

"Dr. Haskell brought the ultrasound in and hooked it up so that he could see the baby," Shafer testified. "On the ultrasound screen, I could see the heart beating. As Dr. Haskell watched the baby on the ultrasound screen, the baby's heartbeat was clearly visible on the ultrasound screen.

"Dr. Haskell went in with forceps and grabbed the baby's legs and pulled them down into the birth canal. Then he delivered the baby's body and the arms -- everything but the head. The doctor kept the baby's head just inside the uterus.

"The baby's little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his feet were kicking. Then the doctor stuck the scissors through the back of his head, and the baby's arms jerked out in a flinch, a startle reaction, like a baby does when he thinks that he might fall."

The abortion was nearly complete.

"The doctor opened up the scissors, stuck a high-powered suction tube into the opening and sucked the baby's brains out," Shafer said. "Now the baby was completely limp. I was really completely unprepared for what I was seeing. I almost threw up as I watched the doctor do these things.

"... Dr. Haskell delivered the baby's head. He cut the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta. He threw that baby in a pan, along with the placenta and the instruments he'd used. I saw the baby move in the pan. I asked another nurse and she said it was just 'reflexes.'"

Shafer said she had been a nurse more than 10 years and had witnessed many graphic procedures, but described this as the most shocking.

"I have been a nurse for a long time and I have seen a lot of death -- people maimed in auto accidents, gunshot wounds, you name it. I have seen surgical procedures of every sort. But in all my professional years, I had never witnessed anything like this.

"The woman wanted to see her baby, so they cleaned up the baby and put it in a blanket and handed the baby to her. She cried the whole time, and she kept saying, 'I'm so sorry, please forgive me!' I was crying too. I couldn't take it. That baby boy had the most perfect angelic face I have ever seen."

Shafer concluded her testimony by noting the baby was "only inches, seconds away from being entirely born, when he was killed."

"What I saw done to that little boy, and to those other babies, should not be allowed in this country." --30-- Following is a partial transcript of Brenda Pratt Shafer's testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on the Constitution from March 21, 1996. A complete transcript is available at: http://www.house.gov/judiciary/215.htm.

"Mr. Chairman and honorable members of the Judiciary Committee, I am Brenda Pratt Shafer. I am here before you, at the request of the Committee, to relate to you my experience as an eyewitness to what is now known as the partial-birth abortion procedure.

"I am a registered nurse, licensed in the State of Ohio, with 14 years of experience. In 1993, I was employed by Kimberly Quality Care, a nursing agency in Dayton, Ohio. In September, 1993, Kimberly Quality Care asked me to accept assignment at the Women's Medical Center, which is operated by Dr. Martin Haskell. I readily accepted the assignment because I was at that time very pro-choice. I had even told my teenager daughters that if one of them ever got pregnant at a young age, I would make them get an abortion. They disagreed with me on this. And one of them even wrote an essay for a high school class that mentioned how we differed on the issue.

"So, because of the strong pro-choice views that I held at that time, I thought this assignment would be no problem for me.

"But I was wrong. I stood at a doctor's side as he performed the partial-birth abortion procedure -- and what I saw is branded forever on my mind.

"I worked as an assistant nurse at Dr. Haskell's clinic for three days -- September 28, 29 and 30, 1993.

"On the first day, we assisted in some first-trimester abortions, which is all I'd expected to be involved in. (I remember that one of the patients was a 15-year-old girl who was having her third abortion.)

"On the second day, I saw Dr. Haskell do a second-trimester procedure that is called a D & E (dilation and evacuation). He used ultrasound to examine the fetus. Then he used forceps to pull apart the baby inside the uterus, bringing it out piece by piece and piece, throwing the pieces in a pan.

"Also on the first two days, we inserted laminaria to dilate the cervixes of women who were being prepared for the partial-birth abortions -- those who were past the 20 weeks point, or 4 1/2 months. (Dr. Haskell called this procedure 'D & X', for dilation and extraction.) There were six or seven of these women.

"On the third day, Dr. Haskell asked me to observe as he performed several of the procedures that are the subject of this hearing. Although I was in that clinic on assignment of the agency, Dr. Haskell was interested in hiring me fulltime, and I was being given orientation in the entire range of procedures provided at that facility.

"I was present for three of these partial-birth procedures. It is the first one that I will describe to you in detail.

"The mother was six months pregnant (26 1/2weeks). A doctor told her that the baby had Down syndrome and she decided to have an abortion. She came in the first two days to have the laminaria inserted and changed, and she cried the whole time. On the third day she came in to receive the partial-birth procedure.

"Dr. Haskell brought the ultrasound in and hooked it up so that he could see the baby. On the ultrasound screen, I could see the heart beating. As Dr. Haskell watched the baby on the ultrasound screen, the baby's heartbeat was clearly visible on the ultrasound screen.

"Dr. Haskell went in with forceps and grabbed the baby's legs and pulled them down into the birth canal. Then he delivered the baby's body and the arms -- everything but the head. The doctor kept the baby's head just inside the uterus.

"The baby's little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his feet were kicking. Then the doctor stuck the scissors through the back of his head, and the baby's arms jerked out in a flinch, a startle reaction, like a baby does when he thinks that he might fall.

"The doctor opened up the scissors, stuck a high-powered suction tube into the opening and sucked the baby's brains out. Now the baby was completely limp.

"I was really completely unprepared for what I was seeing. I almost threw up as I watched the doctor do these things.

"Mr. Chairman, I read in the paper that President Clinton says that he is going to veto this bill. If President Clinton had been standing where I was standing at that moment, he would not veto this bill.

"Dr. Haskell delivered the baby's head. He cut the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta. He threw that baby in a pan, along with the placenta and the instruments he'd used. I saw the baby move in the pan. I asked another nurse and she said it was just 'reflexes.'

"I have been a nurse for a long time and I have seen a lot of death-- people maimed in auto accidents, gunshot wounds, you name it. I have seen surgical procedures of every sort. But in all my professional years, I had never witnessed anything like this.

"The woman wanted to see her baby, so they cleaned up the baby and put it in a blanket and handed the baby to her. She cried the whole time, and she kept saying, 'I'm so sorry, please forgive me!' I was crying too. I couldn't take it. That baby boy had the most perfect angelic face I have ever seen.

"I was present in the room during two more such procedures that day, but I was really in shock. I tried to pretend that I was somewhere else, to not think about what was happening. I just couldn't wait to get out of there. After I left that day, I never went back. These last two procedures, by the way, involved healthy mothers with healthy babies.

"I was very much affected by what I had seen. For a long time, sometimes still, I had nightmares about what I saw in that clinic that day.

"That's why, last July, I wrote a letter to Congressman Tony Hall of Dayton, in support of the bill, telling what I had seen. And that led to me being asked to tell others what I 'd seen, just as I am doing here today."

[jwalsh07]

Evil is the only word you need.

[Sunshine Sister]

Murderer.

[NicknamedBob]

<"...I wonder if satan will delight in their just reward..."

Heaven doesn't want me, and H*ll is afraid I'll take over! that I don't meet their standards.

[biblewonk]

The American Holocaust (40 Million and counting ... we've surpassed the Nazis and are closing in on the Communists) was made possible by five evil men with law degrees.

It's the world's largest Satanic cult but they never wear black or pentagrams, in public.

[ArrogantBustard]

Leviticus 20:

1	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2	Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: If any man of the children Israel, or of the strangers that dwell in Israel, give of his seed to the idol Moloch, dying let him die. The people of the land shall stone him.

3	And I will set my face against him: and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Moloch, and hath defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my holy name.

4	And if the people of the land neglecting, and as it were little regarding my commandment, let alone the man that hath given of his seed to Moloch, and will not kill him:

5	I will set my face against that man, and his kindred, and will cut off both him and all that consented with him, to commit fornication with Moloch, out of the midst of their people.

[ArrogantBustard]

Judges robes ... I've been a juror. They really do wear black robes. ;)

[jwalsh07]

[xzins]

This gruesome fact is a burden on the soul of our nation.

If only there were national repentance.

[SwankyC]

Neither could I. Im a grown man, ex Marine Corps and all that. Ive seen alot of stuff that doesnt bother me. Ever since I had kids and I read this stuff, I get really upset. pretty close to tears upset, because it always makes me thing of my two boys. How can any of these f**king murderers claim it's a choice not a child?

[stainlessbanner]

I can't even finish reading this.

Me neither. I almost threw up my coffee.

[King David]

My daughter is almost 16 years old. She recently asked me about all the discussions of "late term" abortions. I told her it was really about Partial Birth abortions.

I knew I had to explain to her the grusome details of this procedure. I did. I held her and we cried for many minutes afterwards.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

.........and just to even imagine that there are still those that defend this horror. In the name of what??????

Is it evil for the sake of evil? It has to be. There is no other explanation.

I wonder how many of the same people who have no problem with these murders are also ones that are worried about some endangered species or a freakin' tree.

I'm sick all over again. Sick !!!!!!!!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

You did the right thing.

Too many wish to ignore the horrible truth of this vile and immoral procedure.

[gooleyman]

It's tough to read the description of the procedure. I'm surprised at how many people don't know what A gruesome procedure this is. They cringe when I describe it, but I don't back off because they need to know it's not what they think it is. The name "Partial Birth Abortion" does not provide an accurate description of this procedure. The name "Abortion" has been so anti-bastardized over the years and it is now equivalent to having a tooth filled. Damned Shame.

BUT...Thank God we have a Congress which kept its nose to the grindstone and passed this law over and over until we now have a President with some stones. The pro-death crowd whines that it's just a step toward outlawing all abortion. And you know what?...IT IS!!!!!!

[truthandlife]

Click to scroll to commentary.

Abortion tragedy happens every day ("Choose Life, choose death; choose a blessing, choose a curse")
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza ^ | 2/8/02 | David Strongin

Posted on 02/08/2002 5:00 PM CST by truthandlife

Four suicide assaults murdered more than 3,000 innocent people on the infamous 9/11. Another 3,500 murders were committed that same day in separate assaults against other innocent and utterly defenseless Americans. These killings were legal.

On 9/12, rising out of our initial shock, America's anger gathered, building an enormous, world girdling death-laden thunderhead. Uncle Sam's mighty arms prepared for battle. The American eagle turned its keen gaze from the peaceful to its right where it holds a sheaf of grain, to its left where it clutches the arrows of war.

On that same day, for money, another 3,500 lives were snuffed out by excruciatingly painful means. Steel forceps dismembered living babies. Saline injection burned many to death. Some of these American babies were helped into a breech position, then taken from the birth canal, feet, body and part of the head. Scant inches before the complete exit, the abortionist stops, drives a scissors into the back of the baby's head atop the brain stem, spreads the scissors to make room for the vacuum, applies it, sucks out the living baby's brain, then delivers it dead.

The Hippocratic Oath be damned. It was the same the next day, and the next as it has been for nearly thirty years. Abortion on demand is as legal in America as sliced bread or night baseball, or that of a master beating his slave to death, once was.

The logic of the US Supreme Court then and now is the same-slave, or babe in the womb. The court saw the black as not entirely human, the unborn not legally a person.

Neither had a right to life under law. Slaves improved the economic lot of their masters, though. Killing slaves imposed economic loss. Have we thrown another Edison, or Jonas Salk, into a Dumpster? Beethoven's parents were syphilitic.

The murder of more than 40,000,000 Americans at any stage of their development and by any means is legal under Roe v. Wade. Should we wonder that much of the world believes US to be mad, or worse. Our law protects Snail darters, turtle eggs, spotted owls and other lesser forms of life. Society frets over the killing of animals for food, hide, or fur, but cares not whether or how babies are slaughtered. Unborn humans are as safe as a mother's desire to keep or to kill. Why is it that when she wants the fruit of her womb a mother calls that her baby? Why, when she doesn't want to give birth does she call it something else?

For sale: Eyeballs, brains, organs, or any part of an aborted baby. If this doesn't disgust you, it should. An innocent human, murdered and dumped like garbage -- if not sold for parts, threatens you too. Your own protection from legalized murder has been weakened by the approval of euthanasia, first in the Netherlands, and now in Oregon. In the Netherlands not all doctors ask their patients if they are willing to die at their hands. It will come to that here, too. You live with increasing danger of a stranger, or a relative who wants no further responsibility for you, having you killed at their sole discretion. Are your parts worth more than your life? The unthinkable moral transgressions of yesterday have become commonplace. Worse will overtake US.

Our Declaration of Independence proclaims that our Creator endows US with UNALIENABLE rights. We fought the American Revolution against the divine right of kings to have the power of life and death, property, and freedom to pursue our own interests under law, over US. Why are we willing to cede back to corrupt men, the power our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to secure for US and for our posterity? We pounded the snot out of bin Laden and Omar and will pursue them to the death so that they cannot repeat a 9/11 attack. Will we go on supporting the killing of the little Americans, imbued with their unique DNA at conception, the ones whose death screams you cannot hear? Are you not your brother's keeper?

The "nice" Germans next door, looked away when their Jewish neighbors, declared not human by Hitler, were taken away. Americans, late at night heard a cry for help on the street below. Lights turned on, windows opened, people looked out. A woman was being stabbed over and over. Americans closed their windows and turned off their lights.

She bled to death in the street. No one wanted to get involved. The unborn have no voice but your voice. Remember: Your mother chose life.

If you have the courage or the curiosity to learn more you'll find challenge and information on the web. I use www.priestsforlife.org. There are many others representing varied Faiths; search Yahoo for pro life.

"Choose Life, choose death; choose a blessing, choose a curse." - Moses

---

[SouthernFreebird]

Sickening... I don't think I'll ever lose the image of what she saw either.

How can women support this!?! I can't comprehend their anger at losing this option of butchering their child....evil must run deep in the hearts of those who practice this, those who support this and those who seek this procedure so they won't be inconvienced.

[jwalsh07]

Anthony P. Levatino, M.D., J.D.
5406 Remington Rd.
Las Cruces, N.M. 88011
March 4, 2003
Mr. Douglas Johnson
Legislative Director
National Right to Life
S12-10th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20004

Mr. Johnson:

I am a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I perfomled both first and second trimester abortions from 1977 until 1985 including D&E abortions up to twenty-two weeks gestation. I was Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albany Medical College from June 1993 to September 2000 during which time I served as both Residency Program Director and Medical Student Education Director. I also served as the ACOG District II, Section IX Vice Chaimlan from 1995 unti11998. Currently I am engaged in the private practice of obstetrics and gynecology in New Mexico. My resume is attached.

The partial-birth abortion illustrations that I have forwarded to you were painted by Mrs. Tanja Butler who is currently a professor of art at Gordon College in Massachusetts. They were prepared under my supervision and, in my professional judgment, they accurately depict the D&X abortion described by Dr. Martin Haskell in his 1992 paper entitled "Dilation and Extraction for Late Second Trimester Abortion". This type of late-term abortion later came to be known by the legal term of art "partialbirth abortion" because of its similarity to full-term delivery of infants in breech position. The images are size-appropriate to a fetus of approximately 24 weeks gestation. This is a typical gestational age for partial-birth abortion although many of these procedures are performed at even later gestational ages.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Very truly yours,
~~~ Anthony Levatino, MD, JD

[brianl703]

Princeton professor Peter Singer, an icon of the animal rights movement, believes that killing disabled human beings shortly after birth is OK.

[hope]

An abortionist with a conscience?. All is not lost!

[ArrogantBustard]

Is it evil for the sake of evil?

No. "The love of money is the root of all evil." For many abortionists, baby-killing is a get-rich-quick scheme. For many women who seek to kill their children in utero, the is not as obviously monetary, but in some sense they feel that their lives will be "ruined" by the baby. In other cases these women are pressured by third parties ie sex partners or parents who fear that their lives will be somehow "ruined." Then there are those who follow some sort of population control or eugenics ideology.

I quoted scripture regarding the sacrifice of children to "molech". In America, people sacrifice their children to "convenience". Idolatry takes many forms...