Mother sacrifices self for unborn baby (another saint enters heaven...)

The Washington Times ^ | 12/11/2005

[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.

[KOZ.]

Just an FYI, this is a classic case where the Catholic Church would NOT object to an abortion. I asked a Catholic Priest / Medical Ethesist (sic?) 'under what circumstances would the church permit an abortion'. This was the exact scenerio he gave, because you are saving the life of the mother, and removing the baby would save her life.

The church requires you to be moral, not a saint. What this woman did was saintly.

That was his response.

[Salvation]

Amen!

[A.A. Cunningham]

Here's the BBC's version and they make no mention of her being "devout":

Mother's life gift to unborn baby

Mother's life gift to unborn baby

Tributes have been paid to a Teesside mother who sacrificed her own life to save that of her unborn baby.

Bernadette Mimura, 37, from Ingleby Barwick, was diagnosed with breast cancer one month into her pregnancy.

Doctors urged her to try life-saving drugs, but this would have meant terminating the pregnancy.

Ms Mimura refused the drugs and gave birth to her fit and healthy baby, but lived just long enough to see her son, Nathan, baptised.

She was a very positive person, always fill of life, always laughing Adam Taylor

Ms Mimura's partner Adam Taylor, 33, said doctors urged her to try life-saving drugs, but she would not give up on her baby.

Instead, she was given a mild form of chemotherapy to suppress the illness while she carried Nathan.

He was born two months premature after her calcium levels shot up and doctors induced him.

Ms Mimura, who has three other young children, died just weeks later.

Mr Taylor told BBC News: "She was a very positive person, always full of life, always laughing.

"She was life, that's what she was."

The local community is now raising funds to help towards the cost of taking her body back to her native Philippines.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/4515202.stm

Published: 2005/12/09 19:28:18 GMT

© BBC MMV

Adam Taylor with Nathan who was born fit and healthy

[who knows what evil?]

I don't think there's ever been a time it wasn't tragic and sad.

I never said it wasn't. Perhaps 'gladly' was a poor choice of words (and I can always count on someone at FR to point that out when it occurs). My point being...back in my day, when faced with such an option, a woman wouldn't think twice about sacrificing her life for that of her child. Here in 2005, we have millions of women who routinely put their own *sses ahead of their children, and think nothing of it. Thank you, feminism.

[RobbyS]

Her action ws, nonetheless, heroic, even though the child died. The way you put it, one thinks that you think she was derelict in her duties.

[A.A. Cunningham]

How charitable of you to jerk that knee.

Saint Gianna Beretta Mola

[Burkean]

I agree. I have seen "partner" used many times in the British press as a catch all that can mean married or shacked up. Interesting that so many people here jumped to the conclusion that puts the woman in the poorest light.

As also the reading in of the word "divorce" where none was mentioned.

[RebelBanker]

Not derelict in her duties at all, just a very tragic situation.

[conservonator]

Abortion is a cure for cancer?

[RobbyS]

To quibble," tragedy" implies a fault in her. Just a very sad outcome.

[ssaftler]

Excuse me, but WHERE in the article does it say she was divorced? The three children were from a "first marriage". For all we know, she could have been a widow!

The living with a partner out of wedlock, however, is another story...

[calex59]

I know I am going to get flamed for this but who cares, I get flamed almost daily anyway.

IMO, this woman did NOT do the "right" thing. She has 3 other children who need their mother and yet she didn't care about that. She saved one more that isn't going to have a mother either. 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. I am against abortion BTW, but sometimes it is necessary and this was one of those times.

She is guilty of deserting her other 3 children.

[cpforlife.org]

Pro-Life PING

Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[Mr. Lucky]

...and you judge this woman not to have sufficiently repented? She gave what Christ himself gave.

[jackibutterfly]

"Didn't see this posted anywhere."

It was on SpiritDaily.com.

[Sir Gawain]

...and you judge this woman not to have sufficiently repented?

Did I say that?

[A.A. Cunningham]

CHARTER FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance

Abortion

142. Ethical delegitimization applies to all forms of direct abortion, since it is an intrinsically blameworthy act. The use of substances or means which impede the implantation of the fertilized embryo or which cause its premature detachment is also an act of abortion. A doctor who would knowingly prescribe or apply such substances or means would cooperate in the abortion.

If the abortion follows as a foreseen but not intended or willed but merely tolerated consequence of a therapeutic act essential for the mother's health, this is morally legitimate. The abortion in this case is the indirect result of an act which is not in itself abortive.[273]

273. CF Pius XII To "Face of the Family" and the "Associations of Large Families, Nov. 27, 1951, in AAS 43 (1951) p. 859.

[Pippin]

Now THAT's a Great mother!

Prayers for her family and Nathan.

[bitty]

This woman gives me hope for society even though she did somethings I don't agree with. She went against the me me me attitude of today. I think I would do the samething in her situation. It is easy to say you would but until you are in the situation...

[kx9088]

Would a lib-pro-choice-NOW type woman have made the same choice? I think not...............


In fact, it would've went down something like this: After the doctor told her that she had cancer, the lib-woman's first response was "Oh, I already know that I'm pregnant."