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Mother sacrifices self for unborn baby (another saint enters heaven...)
The Washington Times ^ | 12/11/2005

Posted on 12/13/2005 7:49:21 AM PST by Rutles4Ever

A mother who found out she had cancer after becoming pregnant sacrificed her life for her unborn baby by refusing an abortion and chemotherapy, a British newspaper reported.

Devout Catholic Bernadette Mimura, known as Milai, shunned the potentially life-saving treatment because doctors told her it would kill the child, the Northern Echo regional daily reported Friday.

The 37-year-old, a native of the Philippines who lived near Stockton-on-Tees in northeast England with her British partner, Adam Taylor, survived long enough to see the birth of their son, Nathan.

But soon after seeing him baptized, she was transferred to a hospice and died about a week later.

"Being a Catholic, for her abortion was out of the question," Mr. Taylor told the newspaper. "It was a tough decision, but the decision was we could not give up on Nathan."

The boy, now 4 months old, was premature but was born fit and healthy.

Father Alan Sheridan, who performed the baptism, told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency: "Bernadette said the most important thing was the birth of her baby and she would not do anything to harm him.

"Having an abortion was never a consideration. I know she talked it over with Adam and because she was a Catholic, there was no way she would have done it.

"She had to judge which life was more important and she just prayed there would be a cure for cancer." Father Sheridan is spearheading an appeal to raise $6,490 to repatriate Mrs. Mimura's body to the Philippines for burial. Money left over will help her other three children from a first marriage.

The priest said he hoped the Manila government would help with a grant to fly the three youngsters from Britain for the ceremony.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: abortion; catholics; cultureoflife; prolife; sacrifice; unmarried; virtue
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To: utahagen
It is never morally permissible to directly do an evil (e.g., abort a baby) even for a good end (e.g., save the life of the mother).

It isn't morally permissable to kill an intruder who plans to rape my children?

121 posted on 12/13/2005 3:48:18 PM PST by Dianna
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To: Rutles4Ever

I don't see how dying and leaving your other three children motherless makes you a Saint. Dr. Laura would agree with me.


122 posted on 12/13/2005 3:48:27 PM PST by Hildy (Keyboard warrior princess - typing away for truth, justice and the American way!)
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To: Dianna

It think what they are saying is that one can treat the mother and save her, even at risk to the baby, but an overt act to abort the baby is not called for. IOW, it's OK to do the treatment. If the baby dies, it's not a sin.... And not an abortion.


123 posted on 12/13/2005 3:51:19 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: KOZ.
Removing a pregnant woman's cancerous uterus is not, strictly speaking, abortion. It is performing a legitimate, justified hysterectomy. It has the foreseen (but unintended) secondary effect of "moving" the child from one doomed situation to another (since he would have died in his mother's womb regardless.)

It's like if a building was on fire with several people in it, and one (say, very heavy) person was unconscious and blocking a door, you could "move" that person to save the others, even if you could only drag him to another part of the burning room. You didn't kill him. Whether he was in location "A" or location "B", he was a goner.

A judgment call. Tragic situation. Triage.

124 posted on 12/13/2005 3:51:49 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.")
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To: Burkean
The three children she had can be lovingly raised by any other family member or adopted out to a loving home.

So, we are required to sacrifice our lives and leave our children without a mother because HAVING mother isn't all that important... unless this is a day care vs stay at home mom discussion.

125 posted on 12/13/2005 3:54:30 PM PST by Dianna
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To: HairOfTheDog
I understood that. I was taking issue with the blanket statement that it is not morally permissable to do wrong even if it results in good.

I see this as a basic case of self-defense. That is why I used the example that I did.

126 posted on 12/13/2005 3:57:06 PM PST by Dianna
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To: Tax-chick

Quote "Now that was a very generous thing to do for her child ... but if she was such a "devout Catholic," why was she living with a "partner"?"

What a jerk you are. I am sure you have plenty of sins to repent for before morning. Unbelievable that that is all you have to say to this wonderful story.

Shameful at best...


127 posted on 12/13/2005 3:57:20 PM PST by silentknight
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To: calex59
She didn't choose to die. She chose a treatment plan which she hoped would save both herself and her baby. It didn't work out.

Your comments are like saying that a firefighter who dies in the line of duty is selfish, because he had a wife and kids at home who are now widow and orphans while he died "doing what he wanted to do."

Let's allow our hearts to be touched by this heroic Filipina mother. God bless her; God reward her.

128 posted on 12/13/2005 3:59:43 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.")
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To: Rutles4Ever

How sad. God rest her soul. I hope the baby is loved and well cared for and that he/she learns of Mother's Greatest Love.


129 posted on 12/13/2005 4:00:54 PM PST by buffyt (America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people. Pres. George Bush)
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To: Rutles4Ever

Placemark.


130 posted on 12/13/2005 4:02:17 PM PST by Steve0113 (Stay to the far right to get by.)
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To: HairOfTheDog
"It think what they are saying is that one can treat the mother and save her, even at risk to the baby, but an overt act to abort the baby is not called for. IOW, it's OK to do the treatment. If the baby dies, it's not a sin.... And not an abortion."

Yes, HairOfTheDog, that's succinctly and exactly right.

131 posted on 12/13/2005 4:10:33 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.")
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Well, thanks, I though it was kindof clumsily said ;~D... but I can see the distinction. It's not an abortion for the health of the mother argument. It's a treatment for the mother at risk to the baby argument.


132 posted on 12/13/2005 4:13:57 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: KOZ.; NYer; Aquinasfan; Coleus

There was no guarantee that having an abortion would save this woman's life.

Indeed, unlike an ectopic pregnancy, it was not the baby but the cancer that was a threat to the mother's life. The abortion here would only be a side effect to the mother's chemotherapy which may or may not have saved her life. Further, there was no indication that the child had cancer. So, again unlike an ectopic pregnancy in which there is essentially no chance that the child will survive but there is a great chance that the mother could die, here the probabilities were completely reversed. The mother's survival was hardly a fait accompli, whereas the baby survived, just as the mother expected.

I doubt that the Catholic Church sanctions abortion in just such a case. Am I wrong about that? If so, I'd appreciate correction.


133 posted on 12/13/2005 4:27:09 PM PST by bourbon
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To: calex59
This isn't Saint like it is extremely selfish and taking the easy way out, I.E.: It is easier to die than to stay alive and raise the other 3.

By your logic, she should have committed suicide before she found out she had cancer.

After all, it is easier to die than raise 3 kids. Puh-leeze.

134 posted on 12/13/2005 4:30:14 PM PST by bourbon
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To: Mrs. Don-o

I'd appreciate your input re: post #133. Forgot to ping you.


135 posted on 12/13/2005 4:32:13 PM PST by bourbon
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To: Dianna

What I meant was that this particular woman is not the only person who could raise these children. Many children go on to have wonderful loving adoptive parents after the death of their birth parents. By choosing to give her fourth child a chance a life, she is not dooming her other three children to a life without a family.


136 posted on 12/13/2005 4:33:59 PM PST by Burkean
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Maybe for mothers, as for Marines, "Uncommon valor is the common virtue."

It occurs to me that "Mothers and Marines!" could be something of a conservative dictum...LOL!

137 posted on 12/13/2005 4:40:50 PM PST by bourbon
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To: MineralMan
Difficult decision to make, and one I believe the person facing it must make for herself, perhaps in consultation with her husband and her doctor. It is not a decision that belongs to anyone else.

This should be the ruler that those considering abortion should measure with.

And the last sentence is the most important one of all.

138 posted on 12/13/2005 4:44:49 PM PST by UCANSEE2
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To: cyborg

Before the birth of all of my children, my husband and I always discussed what he'd do if something went wrong in the delivery room...the baby comes first. He always knew this and promised me he would follow my wishes should it ever come to that.


139 posted on 12/13/2005 4:53:23 PM PST by processing please hold (Islam and Christianity do not mix ----9-11 taught us that)
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To: HairOfTheDog
"It's not an abortion for the health of the mother argument. It's a treatment for the mother at risk to the baby argument."

Bingo.

140 posted on 12/13/2005 4:59:37 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.")
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