Australia Practitioner Defends Decision to Do Abortion at 32 Weeks (baby diagnosed with dwarfism)

Life News ^ | 12.12.07 | Steven Ertelt

[Coleus]

Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- The man who did a late-term abortion at 32 weeks into a woman's pregnancy on an unborn baby diagnosed with dwarfism is defending his decision. Lachlan de Crespigny has been prevented by the courts from talking about the case until now, and he told Australian media he has no regrets about doing the controversial abortion.  Five doctors at Royal Women's Hospital were involved in the February 2000 abortion and the Australia Medical Practitioners Board ultimately decided against subjecting them to formal disciplinary hearings.

The abortion has drawn strong opposition form the pro-life community and Liberal senator Julian McGauran, who complained the condition was no reason to allow a woman to have an abortion so late into the pregnancy. In his interview with The Age newspaper, de Crespigny claims the woman was so distressed about the news that her baby had dwarfism that she became suicidal and pleaded for an abortion.

The hospital physicians injected potassium chloride into the baby's heart in what de Crespigny calls a "lifesaving" medical procedure. "If we didn't do it and the woman died we would have potentially been charged with manslaughter and gone to jail," he told the newspaper. "So in a legal sense, you could argue that we were compelled to offer it." He told The Age he has not seen or spoken to the woman in question since the abortion and hasn't been able to talk about the case since a court allowed him to do so last week. The names of the other doctors involved and the woman who had the abortion remain under court seal, but de Crespigny asked the courts to let him out of the confidentiality clause so he could tell his story.

"I feel enormous compassion for her position," he says. "I don't know whether she would support me or not support me in doing this." He admits he is still haunted by the abortion. "It's better now in that I don't think about it all day every day, but I think about it a lot every day," de Crespigny said. "I still wake up at night and I still lie awake thinking about it every night. It used to be for hours every night. But now I switch off and go back to sleep far more quickly."

[libertylover]

I hope someone will ask Matt, Amy, and Zach of “Little People, Big World” about this. During the lead-in to each show, Amy says, “We can do most things average height people can do, we just do them a little differently”, as they show her closing the hatch on their minivan by standing on the bumper.

Dwarfism is certainly no reason to kill someone!

[x_plus_one]

All hail the nazi master race alive and well in Australia???

[mtbopfuyn]

The Matt Roloff family seems to be doing pretty well with their tv show centering on Matt, his wife Amy, and son Zach who happen to be dwarfs. In the shows opening segment, Amy states they are just like everyone else just that they have to do things a little differently.

[RichInOC]

1. Dwarfism is not a lethal birth defect either to the child or the mother. At least that I’m aware.

2. If there’s a concern that the mother will do harm to herself because of her mental distress, it strikes me (as a layman) that the solution, and the attending physicians’ legal and ethical responsibility, is to treat her mental distress, not to abort the child.

3. Personally, I think getting struck off the Aussie medical register ought to be the least of these ghouls’ problems.

[Uncle Miltie]

One of the nicest, most productive guys at my office is a “dwarf”, or whatever the term is.

[cpforlife.org]

Pro-Life PING

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

[Sun]

What is it with Australia?

“BREAKING - Australia Supreme Court just ordered removal of life support against family pleas”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1941645/posts

[drhogan]

thank you for that post.
i’m glad that your daughter is doing so well!
your post is a gift to all of us who have read it.

[Yaelle]

I so wish I could have adopted this child. I am NOT alone.

[Yaelle]

Oh! Oh! I forgot to include, in my sadness, that I have a friend who had a baby a year ago, and this little boy was diagnosed with unusually short femurs in the 3rd trimester, and they told her that it was a sign he would possibly have dwarfism!! She was sad, and did LOTS of research online. I researched with her.

When her baby was born, he was absolutely beautiful and perfect. Every limb was the right size and is still so, one year later. No sign of dwarfism!! (Of course he would have been perfect as a dwarf too!)

[Grimmy]

“All hail the nazi master race alive and well in Australia???”

The entire abortion movement is a mirror to the nazi ideology.

Rid us of the weak.
Rid us of those born to the stupid.
Rid us of those born to the feckless.
Rid us of the mud peoples.

They’ve dressed that pig up in a new party dress and slathered it with sparkle makeup, but it’s still that pig.

[tajgirvan]

You are most welcome.Our daughters name is an old Welsh name that means “strong and able or Pearl” she has been all those things to everyone she meets. When I became pregnant with our third and fourth child, I had to sign a medical release to the state of CA. that I refused tests that would determine if the child had any defects. They were fine and both are over 6 ft. tall including my youngest daughter.So our “Pearl” has sibling’s and cousins that are 6 ft tall(even the girls) and yet she is the “Giant” because she has always gone the extra mile and tackled everything in her life with determination and The Grace of God! GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES OR JUNK TO BE THROWN AWAY!! Thank you for allowing me to do a little bragging and ranting. His Peace be with you,FRiend.:)

[snuffy smiff]

I notice the usual nazi-sympathizers haven’t shown up yet. Maybe it’s still early.

Or maybe even their warped mentalities can’t justify this.

[visualops]

GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES OR JUNK TO BE THROWN AWAY!!

Amen. But, you have to acknowledge God and have Faith in Him to believe that.

[tajgirvan]

Sad but True. I really enjoyed the link on your Homepage. Wish I had visited it before I finished my Christmas shopping! I put it on my favorites for Birthdays and Christmas next year, The Lord willing! Merry Christmas, FRiend !

[visualops]

Thank you! And a Blessed Christmas to you too!

[Coleus]

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