Posted on 02/23/2008 3:16:44 AM PST by bad company
An artist killed herself after aborting her twins when she was eight weeks pregnant, leaving a note saying: "I should never have had an abortion. I see now I would have been a good mum."
Emma Beck was found hanging at her home in Helston, Cornwall, on Feb 1 2007. She was declared dead early the following day - her 31st birthday.
Her suicide note read: "I told everyone I didn't want to do it, even at the hospital. I was frightened, now it is too late. I died when my babies died. I want to be with my babies: they need me, no-one else does."
The inquest at Truro City Hall heard that Miss Beck had split up with her boyfriend, referred to as "Ben" after he "reacted badly" to the pregnancy.
She saw her GP before the termination, but missed an appointment at a hospital in Penzance. She then cancelled, but later turned up to an appointment at a clinic at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske. The counsellor was on holiday so a doctor referred Miss Beck to a pregnancy counselling telephone service eight days before carrying out the abortion when she was eight weeks pregnant, the inquest heard.
The coroner, Dr Emma Carlyon, ordered that the identities of the doctor who performed the abortion and her lead consultant be kept secret.
The inquest heard that Sylvia Beck, the victim's mother, wrote to the hospital after her daughter's death, saying: "I want to know why she was not given the opportunity to see a counsellor.
"She was only going ahead with the abortion because her boyfriend did not want the twins.
"I believe this is what led Emma to take her own life - she could not live with what she had done."
The doctor said: "I discussed Emma's situation with her, and wrote on the form, 'Unsupported, lives alone, ex-partner aware'.
"It is normal practice to give a woman the number for telephone counselling when a counsellor is not available.
"I am satisfied that everything was done to make sure that Emma consented to the operation.
She added: "We have since appointed more counsellors so there is more holiday cover."
Katie Gibbs, Miss Beck's GP, told the hearing: "She was extremely distressed by the abortion procedure, and I didn't think she ever came to terms with it.
"She had a long history of anxiety and depression. Despite my best efforts, she was not willing to see a counsellor after the termination."
Her boss at the clinic, said: "The time that can be given to a woman by a counsellor is limited in a busy hospital.
"I am satisfied everything was done to make sure Emma was consenting to surgery. I don't feel there was any gap in the counselling service.
"There were lots of individuals who would be alert to any doubts. The comments made by Emma's mother are not about a doctor I recognise."
Mrs Beck told the court: "Emma was considered a talented artist, and sold a number of paintings.
"She was pleased when she became pregnant, but Ben reacted badly to the news."
Recording a verdict of suicide, Dr Carlyon said: "It is clear that a termination can have a profound effect on a woman's life.
"But I am reassured by the evidence of the doctors here."
Agreed on all counts. What a tragic waste of so many lives. May God afford them all his Divine mercy.
Amen.
Yeah. Good point.
And just whose children are having all this divorce and decadence?
Sorry, but we've all contributed to this by act or omission.
Same as Social Security, etc.
The politcs of abortion have created this DBM impression of abortion as a trip to the hair dresser more than a serious medical procedure.
Perhaps POST abortion counseling should be mandatory. Perhaps those will lead to them being messagers to prevent other women from making the same mistake.
Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
So sad.
Any time.
Prayers to the babies.
I’m not sure the mental illness in this case is as unexplained as it may seem. Not present in your post is some of the judgment that has flowed rather easily in this thread. The condemnation of abortion is valid and necessary, but sometimes there are circumstances beneath the surface that help to piece together a more accurate read of the entire picture. So after awhile the condemnation of abortion becomes an obvious exercise, and the judgments can seem just a bit harsh.
Not mentioned in the Telegraph piece linked here or a lead on Fox News was something nearly buried in a story in the Evening Standard at
This woman suffered from ME, which is considered a psychiatric condition in the UK, but a physical condition according to the CDC. Here we would call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or perhaps Fibromyalgia. Controversy surrounds it, but the way it is handled in the UK causes a lot of problems for people with a physical condition who are treated as psychiatric patients.
Outside of the—again—obvious condemnation of abortion, I won’t make judgments here. This is a misunderstood condition that often leads to anxiety and depression...which are often pointed to as the causes, rather than the effects. In some cases this may be valid. In many, it is probably not. None of which excuses abortion. But there is more here than meets the eye, and it’s worth pointing out, especially when so many are so quick to judge.
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