Tennessee Woman Chooses Child’s Life over Her Own

LifeSiteNews ^ | 3/2/07 | Hilary White

[wagglebee]

NASHVILLE, March 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Thursday, February 15, at the age of 31, Jennifer Ann Carlisle gave up her life to cancer after refusing an abortion that doctors told her might have extended her life.

Jennifer had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005. At two months gestation, long before any chance of saving the child’s life outside the womb, Jennifer was told that she would die from the soccer ball-sized tumour if she did not abort the baby.

“Even though the doctors did say it would extend her life to have the abortion, she and her husband made the decision to let God choose," said Carol Day, Jennifer's mother.

“They decided God would make that decision, not her,” Jennifer’s aunt, Jackie Murdock, told the Niles Daily Star. “She wouldn't decide somebody else's life.”

Murdock recalled her niece saying, “Whether she lives or dies she will not abort her baby.”

Gabriel Carlisle was born in January 2006 and Jennifer underwent aggressive chemotherapy but after a brief summer remission, her condition worsened. She attended church services Sunday February 11, and died the following week.

“I told her that I loved her," Joshua said, recalling when his wife died in his arms surrounded by family. "And I told her that she needed to go on, that God was calling her home.” They had been married ten years.

“I held her and she took her last breath. There was a peace at that last minute that's just indescribable,” Joshua told Nashville’s TV News Channel 5.

The Carlisles’ church and community are rallying to assist the family. A benefit auction and concert to help pay for medical expenses were held at Christ Community Church in Franklin Tennessee.

Joshua told local news media, “I’m hoping that we don't get any more doctor bills but they're still coming in.” 

“I guess she knew the secret of life and it is not in receiving but giving,” Joshua said.

[ChildOfThe60s]

I'd say, however, that it wouldn't have been a bone of contention with the docs if they were talking about a few months.

I don't that's necessarily the case. The medical community generally is willing pursue pretty drastic measures for relatively short returns.

When my wife's mother was 82 she very nearly died from an intestinal tumor. After it was removed she got strep from the OR and was on a ventilator for several days. It was a day to day thing. Now, you can imagine how frail she was when she did survive and come home 4 weeks later. The onocologist was in favor of chemo though he said it would improve her long term changes by only approx 20%. She decided (and we agreed) the chemo would kill her at that point before any cancer could re-occur. And ruin the quality of what life she had left.

Well, she turned 85 last month and is in better shape than before the tumor and is really enjoying life. That that would happen was not a given, not even likely. But, it did. And we all are very grateful. And if the cancer comes back right now, she has had a better life since the surgery than she could have had with chemo.

My point here is that they wanted to do chemo with what we considered very poor odds of helping and very high odds of doing just the opposite. One caveat, I was not closely involved so I can't tell you how hard they pushed for chemo, or even if they pushed at all other than suggesting it. But they certainly were willing to do it.

[montag813]

If Clinton and Janet Reno were still in power, they would have sent in jack-booted thugs to force the abortion.

[montag813]

“I told her that I loved her," Joshua said, recalling when his wife died in his arms surrounded by family. "And I told her that she needed to go on, that God was calling her home.” They had been married ten years. “I held her and she took her last breath. There was a peace at that last minute that's just indescribable,”

I can count on my two hands the number of times in my life I have cried. After reading those sentences I cried. The absolute beauty and love of God in this family is breathtaking and overwhelming, and makes me look at my own life and family anew.

[Harrius Magnus]

What a modern heroine. What a role model for her children. What love, given as so potent a remembrance of this brave deed. Wow... would we all have this much faith and strength.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[MHGinTN]

Indeed ...

[Explorer89]

re: what the children are wearing.....they are all holding bags of candy, and the little boy is clearly dressed as a Jedi Master (complete with light saber), so I would assume it is a picture of the family at a Halloween party.

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[gobus1]

That is a wonderful story. It should give us all reason to ponder life, sacrifice, and its meaning for us during Lent. I am going to light a candle for this woman in my Church today.

[cpforlife.org]

Pro-Life PING

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

[Hydroshock]

Prayers sent

[B-Chan]

HEROINE

[Theodore R.]

This is so unbecoming of the American people as a whole -- to see individuals giving their own lives for the cause of the life of the unborn. I suspect that many would consider this mother "paranoid" for her decision. And, yes, I am sure those medical bills will keep on coming. God bless this family.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Moral rectitude at its very best. This woman beats me hands down in that category.

[jmaroneps37]

Putting it all on the line for Jesus! God bless her and the whole family.

[Salvation]

Pro-life bump!

[kenth]

It is irresponsible
very irresponsible. Her first responsibility was to the children she'd already created.

---

I've taken such a disliking to politics that I haven't been around here much lately, much less considering looking at the dummies. But the depths of their depravity never fails to surprise me. They are so ingrained in the cult of death that they automatically oppose new life in any form.

They are so against life that they are angry that this woman dared to choose to have her baby, when all manner of excuses was given to her to kill her baby before she gave birth.

Yet they call us sick.

[Giant Conservative]

They want the baby dead. People underestimate how bloodthirsty the "pro-choice" crowd is. They can never have enough death by child sacrifice to satiate the horror they are.

[Giant Conservative]

1. There are Two Ways, one of Life and one of Death; and there is a great difference between the two ways...

From a document called "The Teaching of the Apostles to the Gentiles", a very early Christian sermon written by Paul and Barnabus around 49 A.D.

It is referenced in Galatians 2:2 and Acts 15.

Of course, it applies to the pro-life vs. pro-abortion contest.

There is a Way of Life, and a Way of Death.