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It's disgusting that this is even necessary.

Thread by me.

The Card to Protect You from “Presumed Consent” Organ Harvesting

October 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As the push for organ harvesting gets increasingly aggressive, and more and more cases of abuse by transplant teams surface, one pro-life leader has developed a card to ensure doctors respect one’s wish to live a natural lifespan.

“The card documents that they want to live as long as God gives them,” said Dr. Paul Byrne of the Life Guardian Foundation, who is a pioneer in the field of neonatology and a leading opponent of the notion of “brain death,” which is often used as the point where doctors can begin harvesting organs from dying patients.

Dr. Byrne argues that brain death is not in fact real death, but rather a set of criteria that were developed in order to be able to harvest healthy organs, including vital organs, thereby causing the patient’s true death.

“The fact of the matter is all organs that are transplanted are healthy organs and they always come from a living person,” he explained. “After they take the organ, the living person is either dead, when it’s a beating heart, or weaker if it’s one of two kidneys.”

Dr. Byrne told LifeSiteNews that it is essential to protect oneself from the presumed consent laws that have already been passed in 40 states, and are being promoted in the other states as well as Canada. Under these laws, a patient is presumed to have consented to organ donation unless he specifically opts out.

“The only way to stop what they do is to have some documentation of refusal,” he said. “This medical card gives the way to document refusal so far as being an organ donor is concerned.”

But even more importantly, he explained that the card gives life support directions. “It documents that they don’t want anybody to shorten their life or hasten their death,” he said.

The card also says that the patient does not consent to an apnea test, which doctors use to declare “brain death.” Dr. Byrne explained that because this test involves removing a person’s ventilator for up to ten minutes - increasing carbon dioxide, and thus causing brain swelling – it actually causes the patient’s condition to worsen.

Further, the card allows the patient to designate someone else to speak for him, who can ensure the person is properly treated. That person can only do what the card says and cannot take away treatment. It also allows the patient to indicate that they want a priest, minister, or rabbi to be contacted in the event of an emergency.

“Carry it with you. Have more than one. Give it to your relatives,” said Dr. Byrne.

Cards can be obtained from the Life Guardian Foundation.

This is an amazing story!

Thread by NYer.

Newborn Saved from Dumpster by Man who Later Finds Out He's the Father

CALGARY, October 21, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A newborn left to die in a dumpster in northwest Calgary was saved by a man who only later found out he was the boy's father.

Calgary police said that the boy's mother told them she did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth to the child. She allegedly put the living baby in a garbage bag and tossed him into the dumpster.

The 29-year-old woman's boyfriend said he had no idea she was pregnant because she was heavy set and always had "a bit of a belly."

On Tuesday, October 19, the man said his girlfriend was complaining of cramps and illness. He told police that on returning home for lunch a passerby alerted him to cries coming from a dumpster.

"A girl said, 'I think I hear a baby in the dumpster.' With no knowledge at the time that this is my kid whatsoever, I went running over there, stood beside the dumpster, heard the baby cry," the man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, told the Calgary Herald.

"I jumped in and removed the stuff. I personally opened the bag and uncovered all the stuff off," he said.

"My first thought seeing the baby there was disgust. I just thought 'we've got to get that baby out of here' and I didn't know CPR," the man said.

The baby was immediately taken to hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition. Hospital staff said it appeared the baby had been in the dumpster for about two hours before being rescued and was suffering from hypothermia when brought to them.

Police questioned the man after the rescue, and later that evening informed him that he was the child’s father. "It was the most shocking thing I've ever encountered in my life - to find that out from police is not something I'd ever expected to happen," he said.

The father said his girlfriend's behavior was perplexing but he feels she needs help rather than his anger.

"I'm not mad. I don't know if it's just my demeanor, knowing that getting mad isn't going to solve everything, not going to help the problem," he said, adding, "I'm not happy with her but I'm not angry, either. I want to make sure she gets the help she needs."

The woman is scheduled to undergo a psychiatric assessment and is facing charges of attempted murder, failing to provide the necessities of life and child abandonment.

Staff Sergeant Leah Barber of the Calgary Child Abuse Unit said that although "Information suggests the woman was not aware of the pregnancy prior to the birth," she believes there are reasonable grounds for the charges.

"The baby was put in there with no expectation to survive ... where it couldn't be found," Barber told the media.

"There's always other options. Obviously if something like this were to happen, 911 would be the first call I'd make," she said.

According to police, the custody of the child is being discussed with Alberta Children and Youth Services. However, the child's father told the Calgary Herald today that he hopes to gain custody of his son.

"I'm just going to try to be the best dad I can be. If he wants to get involved in sports, be a computer geek, try to be the next prime minister, I'll do whatever I can do to support him," the father said.