Posted on 06/16/2005 8:15:30 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
prayer bump. V's wife.
Ping for a prayer list.
Prayers for this family!
Ping ping! His will be done!
And remember, its only a "baby" if and when it is wanted by the mother. Otherwise, it is to be referred to as a fetus or "mass of cells" at anytime convenience dictates.
Convenience can be any of the following or any other reason dreamed of:
No Money: Can't make a car payment
No Money- Can't play the lottery
Will not be able to attend the prom with fetus
Fetus would make it hard to dance at club
Fetus will be "drag" on sex life and dating scene
Fetus would rob beer, cigarette or drug money
Grandmother will not be able to raise fetus
"Torres said the fetus appears to be thriving, but his wife's doctors have told him they know of no cases in which a brain-dead mother with melanoma has delivered a baby.
Could that possibly be because the doctors always pulled the plug before she could?
Just a thought."
No, it's because the body that's nourishing this baby is filled is dead. The organs are not functioning correctly and no matter what the doctors do, the baby is being attacked by poisons. In almost all cases, this does not make for a healthy baby. Having a baby puts a major strain on a healthy body, never mind one ravaged by cancer.
I truly hope this case is the exception, but even if the child does reach 25 weeks, its life will be an awful uphill battle and most likely will never be close to "normal." I hope the family has tons of cash. If not, you and I will be paying one way or another for the millions in medical care.
If there are no known cases where a baby was delivered under these circumstances, on what basis do you make a claim that if it survives it will be in an abnormal condition?
Not necessarily.
Barbie Blodgett and Her BabyOn June 30, 1988, near Yakima, Washington, the car that 24-year old Barbie Blodgett was riding in was struck by a drunk driver. Three months pregnant at the time, she slipped into a persistent coma, and experts believed that she would never regain consciousness, because her cerebrum, the large part of the brain which controls consciousness and voluntary functions, was simply not working at all. She was unable to speak or eat and was fed through a stomach tube.[9]
Other experts predicted grimly that the baby she was carrying would die and/or would worsen her condition to the point of death.
However, her pro-life family maintained hope and continued to pray. And on December 9, 1988, 8-pound Simon Alan Blodgett was born perfectly healthy. Dr. Thomas Benedetti, director of perinatal medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, stated that this was the fourth instance known of a comatose woman giving birth.[9]
The day after the baby was born, Barbara Blodgett recognized her son, Simon, and began to regain consciousness. A month later, she could communicate and feed her newborn. A year later, she was still partially paralyzed and had to communicate via a computer keyboard. But she said that she "hoped to walk and talk before Simon does," and seemed ready to achieve the goals she had set for herself.
"Not necessarily."
I'll go ahead and point out a HUGE difference in the two cases. Barbie Blodgett didn't have cancer. The story points out that doctors are merely crossing their fingers that the cancer won't get to the uterus before 25 weeks.
http://www.susantorresfund.org/
Here's a link for donations.
God bless them all..
Cool, thanks.
"If there are no known cases where a baby was delivered under these circumstances, on what basis do you make a claim that if it survives it will be in an abnormal condition?"
On the basis that virtually every 25-week-old baby has at least temporary severe health problems. They can, of course, grow up to be normal children and adults, but up to 50 percent, according to research, have at least one moderate or severe disability. That is if they survive. Depending on the study, between 25 percent and 50 percent of 25-week-old babies die. At 23 weeks maybe 20 percent survive and at 22 weeks virtually none survive (notice I didn't say none -- a few have).
Prayers for Jason, the baby and his wife. I hope the baby makes it. What a story, tragic and full of hope, for the baby at least. I saw him on TV late last night.
Prayer bump!
Praise God!
I didn't think it was necessary to point out the obvious.
But since you've brought it up, I have to point you back to your original statement in post 27:
No, it's because the body that's nourishing this baby is filled is dead. The organs are not functioning correctly and no matter what the doctors do, the baby is being attacked by poisons. In almost all cases, this does not make for a healthy baby. Having a baby puts a major strain on a healthy body, never mind one ravaged by cancer.I truly hope this case is the exception, but even if the child does reach 25 weeks, its life will be an awful uphill battle and most likely will never be close to normal."
By this you imply that because the mother is "dead" --not because she has cancer-- that it is nearly impossible for the baby to have a good outcome.
That's why I gave the example of Barbie Blodgett, who by your terms was also "dead" because she had "suffered head injuries so severe that doctors proclaimed she was in a state of 'cerebral death.'" (source)
And that's the reason I gave the example of Simon Blodgett, also.
Too often I have personally heard doctors say of a baby, "its life will be an awful uphill battle and most likely will never be close to normal --and turn out to be totally, totally wrong.
"By this you imply that because the mother is "dead" --not because she has cancer-- that it is nearly impossible for the baby to have a good outcome."
OK, then I'll point out what else should be obvious -- I meant to emphasize the cancer, and if you look at the end of that paragraph I did indeed mention it. The woman's whole body is being attacked and poisoned by cancer.
As I said in my posts, there is a percentage of these children who grow up to be "normal" with no severe problems, but it's certainly not exaggerating to say almost all -- if not all -- face a terrible uphill struggle. During the first month every single day is touch and go. There are miracles and we should celebrate every one of them, but they are most certainly the exception, not the rule.
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