Posted on 12/19/2009 6:03:24 AM PST by NYer
Pueblo, Colorado - Nicholas Coke, a baby boy from Pueblo is a living miracle. He was born with no brain. He can’t see, hear, crawl or suck, but still managed to make a history. This week he has completed his one year’s tough fight for survival.
The disease Nicholas was born with is called Anencephaly. It’s a genetic disorder in which a person has no brain, just a brain stem. Anencephaly is a defect in the closure of the neural tube during development in the womb. The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes between the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy, forming the brain and the spinal cord. In rare cases, one end of the neural tube does not close. This results in the absence of a major part of the brain, skull, and scalp.
Anencephaly occurs in about 1 out of 10,000 births, although the exact number is not known because many of these pregnancies result in a miscarriage, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The cause of anencephaly is unknown, although the mother’s diet, including an insufficient intake of folic acid, may play a role. Most scientists, however, believe many other factors are also involved.
Nicholas, the miracle child has survived without doctors, or tubes. Her mother Sheena told that he even showed sign of emotion. It was his first smile that brings solace to her poor mother.
They are celebrating every moment as they didn’t know when that fateful moment would come and they had to witness their child breathing his last breath.
We wish Nicholas a Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas. May God bless him.
No brain means no personality. Does that mean no soul?
When he grows up he can be president just like Obama.
If he has no brain what is controlling his autonomic functions?
If this child is truly anencephalic (and I do not know if that is actually the case here), he will not now, or ever, feel anything or have any emotions. A "smile," if it in fact occurred, means nothing. He will never think a single thought.
While I oppose late term abortions, anencephaly is one case where exceptions should be made.
Flame away.
The brain stem controls breathing and heart beat. He has a brain stem but not the other parts.
***No brain means no personality. Does that mean no soul?***
My mother is at the other end of the spectrum with Alzhemier’s.
She is approaching being “alive” like this baby.
Because she is no longer recognisable as my mother, I too sometimes find myself wondering if she is no longer “there”.
I believe God puts very needy young and old with us for a reason. He judges US, (not them) by the way we treat them. God will bless this selfless mother. When the time comes, she will live in eternity with her son, who she will see healthy and grateful.
As someone asked above, is there a soul when there is no brain/mind/thought process?
Interesting comparison. I see your point. I’ll have to ponder that thought, though I know that makes no difference to God.
Why get an abortion? In the cold practical sense, the child's going to die anyway, so the woman's heart has to be broken (if she didn't want the baby, she'd have aborted it already). Why take the chance that God will consider it murder, or that she'll come to believe that herself? I don't have a problem letting nature take its course.
It's fine. She is not in pain, and comfortable.
I am loathe to think had this happened about 5 years from now, with the national takeover of healthcare.
Some might see her as a useless eater - but she is someone special to me.
No soul?
Since we don’t know the answer but the Lord does, I guess the best course would be to treat him like any other baby with intrinsic dignity and worth. And pray for him and his family.
Your right. I'm still pondering this article and child. The questions it raises are more than my tired old mind can answer. The whole thing makes me sad for everyone involved.
Folks can presume that these children have no feelings, aren't "people", or have no soul.
He only lived for 6 months, but he did respond. When the nurses came near him, his heart rate accelerated. When Mom or Grandma came near him, his heart rate normalized and his limbs relaxed. He anticipated the pain of the tests to come; anticipation denotes awareness.
He most definitely had feelings, and when you held him, you could sense the little soul inside of him. He would turn towards you, grab for your shirt or finger, and snuggle in when you kissed him. Imprisoned in a body that would not sustain him, but he was definitely there.
Before he was born, I would have agreed with some other posters that children like this are just vegetables. I saw the absolute best in my sister-in-law during that time, the strength of her love, and my nephew's daily battle to LIVE. It changed my heart completely, and I am now firmly pro-life.
All good points, and I would have no problem with "letting nature take it's course," either. But I would not impose that course on another, who may decide otherwise -- in this particular circumstance.
***Some might see her as a useless eater - but she is someone special to me.***
Exactly.
My mother has her own money for now. It is hers and we are spending it on her, letting her have the very best at the end of her life.
I fear for the elderly under Obamacare. Congress says no “death panels”. But the reality is, the $$$ will be so low that no facility will accept them, and families can’t physically care for them. The system will force them to be put down like animals.
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