Posted on 09/24/2005 2:08:34 PM PDT by wagglebee
I have written only a handful of columns that required fighting back the tears. This is one of them.
I got a call last Thursday from a colleague-in-arms asking me for help. He wanted me to write the story I am about to tell because it has been buried by a conspiratorial level of silence rooted in political and media bias.
This is the story about an incredibly loving young girl named Christin. A very active high-school graduate and a beloved member of her softball team and community, she was sweet beyond the norm as so often is the case for children with her diagnosis. She had Down syndrome. (I have heard it said, anecdotally, the extra chromosome which characterizes Trisomy 21, encodes for love. For those of you blessed enough to know anyone with Down syndrome, you will likely agree.)
There is simply something about these gifted children that reminds us all about what really matters in life no matter how busy and how complicated our lives appear. Sen. Brownback, R-Kan., made just that point last week on the third day of hearings on the nomination of Judge Roberts.
He spoke on the effects of Roe vs. Wade and on children diagnosed with a disability while still in the womb. Specifically, the records show that 80-90 percent of all children diagnosed with DS are killed. One tragedy to this statistic beyond the obvious taking of life is that waiting lists of people exist to adopt these children. These deaths are a great loss not only to the mother and family, but society as a whole. By way of example, Sen. Brownback spoke of a young man named Jimmy diagnosed with DS who operates an elevator in the Senate building.
His warm smile welcomes us every day. We're a better body for him. He told me the other day – he frequently gives me a hug in the elevator afterwards. I know he does Sen. Hatch often, too, who kindly gives him ties, some of which I question the taste of, Orrin ...(LAUGHTER)
... but he kindly gives ties.
HATCH: It doesn't have to get personal ...
(LAUGHTER)
BROWNBACK: And Jimmy said to me the other day after he hugged me; he said Shhh, don't tell my supervisor. They're telling me I'm hugging too many people.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWNBACK: And, yet, we're ennobled by him and what he does and how he lifts up our humanity and 80 to 90 percent of the kids in this country like Jimmy never get here.
What does that do to us? What does that say about us?
That means Jimmy and Christin were lucky exceptions to the general rule and trend to kill the unborn diagnosed with a disability. Sadly, Chrisitin's luck unexpectedly ran out this past year when she was not only sexually assaulted in January of this year, but remarkably became pregnant. No one seems sure of the occurrence that young women diagnosed with DS become pregnant. According to the experts I consulted, the numbers are likely too rare for an official count. One thing is sure, of those becoming pregnant, complications are likely to exist.
In Christin's case, she was taken by her family at 28 weeks pregnant to Wichita, Kan., to the infamous abortion clinic of Dr. George Tiller. At that time, a drug was administered to kill the baby and another drug to open the cervix for delivery or removal of the dead baby. After starting the procedure, which normally takes 3-4 days, Christin was sent to a local hotel to begin her labor.
Somewhat surprisingly, she returned to the clinic the next day, the abortion procedure was completed and she was once again told to return to her hotel room. Immediately her condition began to deteriorate. When she returned to the clinic, her symptoms were misdiagnosed as dehydration. She was given an IV and again sent back to her hotel where she began having episodes of vomiting and unconsciousness. She was advised to return to the clinic where she became unresponsive. By this time Christin was in serious trouble. According to one doctor who reviewed her autopsy report, she was "bleeding and oozing from every orifice of her body."
A clinic employee called 911. More worried abut the clinics image than Christin, she begged the dispatcher to turn off the lights or sirens of the ambulance. The ambulance arrived and took Christin to the emergency room at Wesley Medical Center, but it was too late. Christin died. According to the medical examiner's report, her horrifying and painful death was a direct result of the abortion. What's worse, it could have been prevented if not for the misdiagnosis and slow response of clinic staff.
I really must wonder how much she understood of what was happening to her during those painful and frightening hours and days leading to her death and the death of her baby. But without any coverage from the news, no outcry from her parents or the public, Christin is now dead. This sweet and precious little girl was sexually assaulted, her baby was killed (likely without her consent) then she herself suffered and died a brutal and painful end.
God help us for not protecting the most precious and vulnerable among us. I can only repeat the questions asked by Sen. Brownback: "What does that do to us? What does that say about us?"
This was so heartbreaking..there but for the Grace of God go I..I wish I could have talked to her parents first..Such a terrible, terrible waste and so awful to listen to and read.
Listen to the link in 178. From what I heard in the audio, (in this day and age of pro-abortion), is a lack of care and compassion from Marguerite. She sounds more concerned with not calling attention to her clinic than with the dying young woman.
Glad to hear it, for the sake of the women. Thanks for your courteous input.
Finally...someone else has heard and seen this. I couldn't just let this go. I couldn't go to bed until I knew this moved past myself. How *awful* was the caller? It is such a tragedy. Another raping of this young woman on the table.
We are one about this. I have been called murderess and names when I have spoken out on behalf of we women victims of abortion before, and it really doesn't faze me, but anyone who is truly pro-life and a true Christian would understand the repentance of women who have been through it. And would appreciate that we of all people have the ability to counsel against abortion based on experience and our regret can save other babies and women.
I have lost much sleep over my own experience with this horror. And I will gladly take on your burden of hearing and reading this. Get some sleep, friend, and know you are not alone in your distress.
I agree. This is something to consider.
Might be generalized under a "medical clinic patient" policy. So they would put it under the same umbrella as a person getting some other surgery.
The detachment of the caller Marguerite is chilling indeed. Heartless and soulless.
The autopsy report was equally disturbing. I lost it when I got to the place where it said: fingernails--chipped red polish. The poor child!
I see that her family brought her from Kenner TX to Wichita for the double slaughter. What kind of people are they?
This incident makes me want to get back into prolife work.
My apologies for my curt reply earlier. I went back and read the whole thread, and I see you are a recent convert to the prolife cause. Also grellis.
I am sorry for your loss of your child when you were younger. I admire your wisdom and grace in coming to the prolife viewpoint.
Now I understand why you were perhaps unaware of the numerous alternative-to-abortion organizations.
Please forgive me.
The loss of maternal life, post abortion, many times IS NOT reported as abortion related. Bleed outs from a perforated uterus, 'nicked' bowels, sepsis, etc., are reported as such and not AS A COMPLICATION OF ABORTION. If the dots were connected (how did a 19 y/o, in otherwise perfect health, develop an overwhelming infection?) the rates of abortion morbidity would be higher and accurate.
I believe the city is called Keller; and it's not too far from me.
And thank God for the lady who was, I believe, from Operation Rescue who took all the photos of the ambulance, and the baby killer Tiller. She also snapped photos of boxes of shredded documents being sent away from the clinic on a truck after Tiller was being sought to turn over files to the court.
My FRiend, there is nothing to forgive--I admire someone who can rethink a post and reconsider his/her response. Something I've had to do once or twice here myself, being a relative newbie both to FR, to God, and to conservatism, which has been such a blessing to me. My long-ago lost child is always with me and my newfound faith in God has helped me through it, as have so many in the pro-life movement who have embraced me. There have been a few who condemned me, but I do believe they need to search within themselves to find the source of their hate. I won't hide what I've done just to avoid criticism, especially when it could possibly save other women and children. Thanks for your humility and honesty. It is refreshing.
Blessings,
Ari
I'd like to see your source of facts to substantiate this. I can sit here and say that "bobbdobbs" is a total jerk. I know I've never met you but just saying it makes it so.....get the point. Back up your statement with facts or it's just conjecture on your part!
"...This clinic should certainly be made to pay BIG for killing this young woman...."
Not to put too fine a point on this, but were'nt there TWO murder victims here?
The next session of the US Supreme Court takes on two restrictions of abortion -- Parental Consent and Partial Birth Abortion. These might overturn Doe v. Bolton, if my response is correct...
God bless you on the excellent question!
But the spiritual mortality rate is infinitely higher for mothers who have aborted God's children.
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