When The Unborn Doesn't Go Quietly To His Execution, "Tiny Tim"

It was a relatively calm day in my hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I and two other nurses were trying to have a conversation amid the customary sounds of ventilators and heart monitors. I was in mid-sentence when the shrill ring of the red emergency phone halted everything. "Come fast," the voice said urgently, "We need a neonatal nurse here STAT!" (that's immediately). Fear gripped my heart as I ran into the delivery room, but instantly I knew the situation was critical, and I was now prepared for what I was about to experience. "What's happened here?" I asked. "It's an oops abortion, and now it's your problem!" responded one of the nurses. For us, an 'oops abortion' meant that the fetus had survived the abortion procedure.

A pediatrician had also been called to the scene. He ran by me with the fetus, (now called a baby), in his hand and yelled in my direction. I followed him into the resuscitation room adjoining the delivery room.

I looked into the bed of the warmer as I grabbed equipment. There lay a baby boy...... a very, very tiny baby boy. The doctor and I immediately made an attempt at intubation, that is, inserting a tube down the windpipe from the mouth or nose of the infant to the tip of the lungs to try to ventilate, expand and get oxygen into them. The doctor's efforts at intubation failed. All it did was further traumatize the baby. I glanced at the doctor and hesitantly asked, "Will you attempt intubation again?'

"It would be inhumane to attempt to intubate this poor little thing again. This infant will never survive." "Well", I said, "it is my job to ask." The doctor softened, "I'm sorry, Sharon, I'm just angry. The mother doesn't want the inconvenience of a baby, so she comes to the hospital so she can pay somebody to get rid of it -- all neat and tidy. Then the whole thing gets messed up when the little one has the audacity to survive."

"And then everybody takes it seriously, and they call the pediatrician, and I'm supposed to fix it, or get rid of it." With anger in his voice, he went on, "Some lawyers will fight for the right for the mother to do whatever she wants to with her body, but watch out for what they do when abortions aren't so neat and tidy!!! A failed homicide -- oops! Then all of a sudden everybody cares, and it's turned from a 'right' into a 'liability' that someone is blamed for!"

We looked at our pathetic little patient. He was lying in the fetal position in the wrong environment, trying to get air into underdeveloped lungs that could not do the job.

In a calmed voice, the doctor said, "Okay, Nurse, I'm going back to my office. Keep him comfortable and let me know when it's over. I'm sorry about this. Call me if you need me. I know this is a hard one. If it helps, please know it is tough for me too."

I watched the doctor retreat and then glanced back at the infant before me. He was gasping for air. 'Lord, help!', I prayed. Almost instinctively, I measured the baby's vital signs. His temperature was dangerously low. I pushed the warmer settings as high as they would go. His heart rate was about 180 - 200 beats per minute. I could count the beats by watching his little chest pulsate.

I settled down a bit and began to focus on this tiny little person. He had no name, so I gave him one. Suddenly, I found myself speaking to the baby. "Tiny Tim, who are you? I'm sorry you weren't wanted. It's not your fault."

I placed my little finger in his hand, and he grasped it. As I watched him closely, I marveled that all the minute parts of a beautiful baby were present and functioning in spite of this onslaught. I touched his toes and discovered that this premature baby was ticklish! He had a long torso and long legs, and I wondered if he would have become a basketball player. Perhaps he would have been a teacher or maybe a doctor.

Emotions swept over me as I thought of my friends who had been waiting and praying for years for a baby to adopt. I spoke aloud again to this miniature baby. "They would have given you a loving and happy home. Why would people destroy you before ever considering adoption? Ignorance isn't bliss, is it, Tiny Tim?"

So little Tim put his thumb into his mouth and sucked. I hoped that gave him comfort. I said, "I'm sorry, Tim. There are people who would risk their lives for a whale or an owl, but they wouldn't even blink an eye about what is happening to you." Tiny Tim gasped, and his little chest heaved as if a truck were sitting on it. With my stethoscope, I listened to his tiny, pounding heart. It seemed easier to focus on his physiology rather than on this tiny baby's humanity.

And then he wet...and my mind took off again. Here was Tiny Tim with a whole set of kidneys, a bladder and connecting tubes that functioned with a very complex system of chemistry. His plumbing was all working! I turned the overhead light up and little Tim turned away from it. In spite of eyelids that were still fused together, he wanted to protect his precious little eyes. I thought about them. They would never see a sunset, a mother's smile or the wagging tail of a dog.

I took his temperature again. It was dropping. He was gasping for air and continued to fight for life. I stroked him gently and began to sing to him.

Another nurse walked in. "How's the mother?" I asked. "Oh she's fine. She's back in her room resting." The family said they don't want to see or hear about anything. They said, "Just take care of it." The nurse retreated with one last glance at the tiny patient. "For such a little person, he sure is putting up a big fight," she said.

So there I was with this tiny, tiny preemie who had survived an abortion. The doctor had left. The family had said, 'Just take care of it'. Sharon had found the toes ticklish, and she watched him suck his thumb. She had turned the heat lights up, and he had turned his head away from the bright light to protect his eyes. And now he was wetting...his plumbing worked too.

I looked at Tiny Tim and wondered if he knew that what he was fighting for so hard was life -- and I knew he was losing his fight. He was dying...and his family was not even interested. Their words tormented me, "Just take care of it!" No muss, no fuss.

Then Tiny Tim moved and caught hold of my little finger. I let him hang on. I did not want him to die without being touched and cared for. As I saw him struggle to breathe, I said, "It's okay, Tim. You can let go.........You can go back to God." His gasping started to slow down, but he still clung to my finger. I stroked him ever so slowly and watched him take his last breath.

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A few years later, the same Sharon Dunsmore became the manager of a psychiatric unit. One day, Kathy, a young, severely depressed woman, came to see Sharon following an unsuccessful suicide attempt. As Sharon interviewed her and heard her story, she told of an abortion she had received three years before and was having recurring nightmares. A baby was crying for help and kept calling her name. In her dreams, Kathy kept searching for the baby, but could never find him or her. She did not even know the sex of her baby.

As Kathy gave the name of the hospital and the names of the doctor, a disturbing realization dawned on Sharon -- Kathy was Tiny Tim's mother. But because of hospital regulations Sharon could not tell Kathy what she knew.

But time passed. Sharon was no longer a nurse or a therapist. Kathy was no longer a psychiatric patient. They ran into each other at a restaurant, where Sharon gently unfolded the story that had been hidden for so long. Tears flowed as she gave Kathy the gift of answers. Her baby had been touched and loved by a mother. He had been given a name. He didn't die alone. He was sent back to a loving God.

They held each other and wept. Sharon looked into Kathy's eyes and saw new strength and calm. There were scars, but she was beginning to heal. The nightmares were being put to rest.

Sharon still lives with the haunting impact of this experience. A CHOICE that was intended to be 'no big deal', turned out to be a very big deal for everyone.

I was brought to tears by this story. In all my travels and experience in the Army, I have never witnessed anything like what Sharon Dunsmore did. I have seen people killed, I have seen the effects of war, and I have helped kill other human beings. It amazes me what human beings will do to each other. Still, in everything I have seen, I wonder how people can call 'Tiny Tim' just a piece of tissue, just a choice. We as a nation will answer for the infanticide that we practice. We as Christians will answer for what we have or have not done to stop this holocaust.

In Nazi Germany in the 1930's and 1940's the Christian Churches were well aware of what the Nazi's were doing to the Jews and other undesirables. In most cases the church chose to do nothing, reasoning, that they should let the state take care of earthly matters, while the church worried about saving the soul. The price for inaction, the destruction of Germany. Do not sit idly by while this country mortgages her soul through infanticide.

'Just take care of it.' How convenient to rationalize life by calling the baby 'it.' If you choose abortion, you choose stories like this! Unfortunately, we pay for our choices in life, Kathy paid a terrible price, as did Tiny Tim. But so did Sharon, the doctors, nurses and family involved. However, it is more than that, this nation is paying a price for treating our most helpless citizens as tissue. God says He knew us before we were born. He also says a man and a nation will reap what it sows.

Bible Reference: Psalms - 1:1-5, Psalm 4:6, Malachi 4:16, Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 2:12-22,
Proverbs 4:18-27

I believe that if America doesn't stop abortions, it will anger God Almighty so much because we are suppose to be a "Christian Nation", and Christians on the whole are doing nothing. It seems that Christians in America have become experts in willful ignorance, willful apathy, and willful complacency so that the first people who will feel God's anger will be the "Body Of Christ". How will God do this you say? What if a God hating person becomes president, and both houses of congress become controlled by a God hating party. Not just holding a majority but a super majority where the minority party will be rendered helpless. What would be the chances that this scenario would lead to suppression of the Christian Faith in America. We are already feeling the pressure from God hating groups and activist judges,so you can bet they will be super-charged to increase the pressure on Christian morals and ethics. The Bible will be band because of it's insensitivity toward homosexuals, adulterers, fornicaters, any other group who are revered and protected by political correctness. BUT, 2 Chronicles 7:14 states: "If MY PEOPLE, who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.

Second trimester abortions are rare, and just about everybody agree that the world would be a better place if they didn't happen.

Nobody seems to be willing willing to acknowledge that women die from pregnancy -- who are we to force a woman to risk her life to carry her baby to term?

the average maternal death rate when a pregnancy is continued to birth is about 66 per million births. The death rate from continuing the pregnancy to birth is about 33 times higher than having an early abortion (under 9 weeks gestation). (cite)

Reducing the availability of abortions (by harassing, threatening, and murdering doctors and picketing, vandalizing and bombing clinics), and making abortions more difficult to obtain (through legal and extralegal means, causes the rate of late-term abortions to increase drastically -- this leads to an increase in the rate of maternal complications.

Personally, I find it difficult if not impossible to justify the state intruding in the reproductive decisions of adults in either contraception or in the first few weeks after conception. Specifically, it is difficult to justify without bringing religion into the decision.

OTOH, I absolutely agree that as the fetus comes closer to being a viable person, the state's interest in the second life grows... Yet reading some of the posts above, I get the feeling that some FReepers would value the life of the baby above that of the mother?

Indeed a very emotional story.

And one that -- in contrast to so many others -- underscores the dignity that is dying with human touch and concern rather than an injection on a par with the local dog pound.

Sen. Bob Smith told a story at CPAC years ago preparatory to some hearing he was conducting on the "born alive" protections for folks like Tiny Tim.

One of his witnesses had worked in abortuaries as an agent for procuring parts. The abortionist came in one day with two excellent specimens (!) for her one day.

But when she looked in the metal pan, the two twin boys were still moving. "I ... I don't do this ..." she stammered.

The abortionist's response?

He took a pitcher of water and drowned them dog breeder style.

Nobody seems to be willing willing to acknowledge that women die from pregnancy -- who are we to force a woman to risk her life to carry her baby to term? I don't see what that has to do with this story. There was no indication that this had anything to do with the life or physical well-being of the mother. And, when so many of these babies are actually BORN and left to die I don't understand what the issue is. . . The average maternal death rate when a pregnancy is continued to birth is about 66 per million births. The death rate from continuing the pregnancy to birth is about 33 times higher than having an early abortion (under 9 weeks gestation). Again, anybody's guess as to what this has to do with a story with a baby that was actually BORN. OTOH, I absolutely agree that as the fetus comes closer to being a viable person, the state's interest in the second life grows... Yet reading some of the posts above, I get the feeling that some FReepers would value the life of the baby above that of the mother? Where did you see that? This looks like a canned response frankly, to an abortion thread. . . The pro-choice argument often pretends that the helath of the mother is their concern, but they wouldn't be okay with banning abortion even where the health of the mother was not at issue, so I never see the point in having the argument. Having said that, it is not the physical well being of these women that is at issue. Instead, it's what pro-choicers call mental well being. And everything gets lumped into that, so that every abortion involves the "health" of the mother. This was an incredibly touching story that gave a name, a life and a personality to just one of the millions of Americans whose life is permitted to be terminated because it's inconvenient and because the abortionist lobby has managed to de-personify them.

As someone who's ardently pro-life, I do not value the life of the mother over the child, or vice versa, they are equally important.

But your argument is based on a strawman. Nobody is suggesting that in cases where the pregnancy is actually threatening the life of the mother, that she be prevented from seeking treatment that might end in the death of her child, or failing that to abort the child.

But to argue that because some pregnancies can cause harm to the mother, therefore all abortions should be allowed based on that presumption of this potential risk, is ridiculous. It's as absurd as saying that because some men beat up their wives, therefore all wives should be able to kill their husband on the argument that the are committing self defense from this potential harm.

No, the husband must pose an actual harm.

..."I believe that if America doesn't stop abortions, it will anger God Almighty"....

I still remember the night The Supreme Court ruled for Dubya. I thanked God then because I knew He gave us another chance. Just think if Algore was elected. I knew we had received Grace,once again, because of our indifference to a liar and adulterer, who twice veto'ed the Partial Birth Abortion ban. How evil do you have to be to be noticed as evil, even in a pagan world? Have we repented as a nation? It's 50-50 again in America even with the clearest choice in decades who the better man is. Will God let US slide by again, or will He foist the leader we deserve upon us?

The Bible is clear who gives our leaders to us. We think it is our vote or our contributions that somehow elect our leader. God sends His man to us to reward us or punish us according to His justice. We must ask ourselves, as a nation, who do we deserve. We may be the most pious, righteous Christians on the planet as individuals, but collectively, what have we done as a nation?

David was a man after God's own heart, but when he sinned against God, somebody had to reap the harvest he sowed. He did repent when confronted, but all his living sons died before Salomon was born.

Pat Robertson was pooh poohed for saying 911 was our fault. Could he have been right? We won't really know until we find out, but did we repent? Have we really changed since that day? The churches filled after 911. Are they still filled? Do we pray in school? Is abortion still legal? Are homosexuals going to be married? Are people getting naked at halftime? Is Paris Hilton really a TV star?

We haven't repented as a nation. I shudder to think what God has for us next. Somehow Christian people believe they will escape judgment down here because they are saved. Our salvation lies in heaven, not here. Christians have been fed to lions and burned throughout history, why do we still believe it's different now. God used the Egyptians and Persians and Syrians to punish Israel, why not the same today, if you have claimed to be adopted in?

This election will say allot to me as to where we are standing with God, as a nation. There is a clear choice. Almost 90% of America claims to be Christian. About 60% are liars. Christians should have some level of discernment. Voting for a sodomite abortionist suporter should give a clue.

The Apocalypse of Peter (ca. 135)

"I saw a gorge in which the discharge and excrement of the tortured ran down and became like a lake. There sat women, and the discharge came up to their throats; and opposite them sat many children, who were born prematurely, weeping. And from them went forth rays of fire and smote the women on the eyes. These were those who produced children outside of marriage and who procured abortions."

2:26

"Those who slew the unborn children will be tortured forever, for God wills it to so."

2:64

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