Baby Doe. Actually there were several. What eventually happened to these cases?
"Gary Bauer shares a story that occurred during one of his regular lunch meetings with the President. Each senior staff member was given an opportunity to raise an issue or two with "the boss," after gaining prior approval from the chief of staff. Without asking anyone, Gary discussed a problem that he knew would make his superiors uncomfortable. He told the President about a little girl in Bloomington, Indiana, who was suffering from severe life-threatening complications associated with Downs Syndrome. Apparently, the child's parents had received terrible medical advice and instead of seeking treatment, had the baby rolled into the corner of the hospital nursery where a sign was hung on the crib that said, "Do not feed." A Christian nurse observed this barbaric situation and called the White House, wondering if there was any legal recourse available.
As Gary spoke, he noticed that his colleagues flinched because this story was not the kind of topic that is worthy of the President's time. Then he looked at Mr. Reagan and saw that he had tears in his eyes. He had been deeply moved by Gary's account of the hurting child. He ordered that the Justice Department seek to protect her from those who would allow her to die.
Incredibly, the judges who are able to find legal justification for killing unborn babies could not figure out how to preserve the life of "Baby Doe." (Dobson, James C. 2004. Family News from Dr. James Dobson, June, Issue 7.)
Reading this, I'm reminded of a conversation with C. Everett Koop a couple years ago in which we discussed Baby Doe. Koop was the Surgeon General at the time of Baby Doe's murder and he told me that during the days of starvation his office in Washington D.C. received fifty offers of adoption for this little girl. But of course, the cruel mercies of the girl's parents and the Bloomington legal and medical community refused to allow any one of these fifty loving couples to adopt this little baby girl--she must die."