How many people have heard of Samuel Armas? Telling his story would be another example of how to impress people with the truth that the unborn are just as human as we are. Samuel was operated on at 21-weeks gestation in utero for a spinal cord defect. Pictures of his hand grasping the surgeons (above) are among the most powerful and unforgettable in recent years.
He was born on Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 weighing 5 lbs, 11 oz. Samuel’s mom, Julie later wrote, “He was born at 36 weeks but came into the world screaming his head off! He did not have to spend any time in a neonatal unit and came home with us on Monday, Dec. 6.”
Samuel at home, happy in his crib.
The Armas story and his pictures should be part of every Pro-Life Educational program. Students will have a personal story of “Life Before Birth” that simply cannot be denied or forgotten.
From the Web:
A picture began circulating in November (2000). It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, “Picture of the Decade.” It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the paper, you probably never will see it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by a surgeon named Joseph Bruner
The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb. During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby.
During the surgery on little Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life. "
Samuel, at home Summer 2003
Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person."
The LORD called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
Isaiah 49:1