Couple watches baby die because of new law.
Nebraska Couple Watches Their Baby Die Because of New Law
By Being Pregnant | Parenting – Mon, Mar 7, 2011 6:35 PM EST
Nebraska mother Danielle Deaver, held her brand new, premature baby daughter last December. She watched her struggle to breathe for 15 short minutes, and then die in her arms.
Deaver's water broke late in November, just past 20 weeks' gestation. When she went to the hospital, doctors told her that it was unlikely that her baby would survive, no matter what they did. There was no therapy that would help a baby that young. The doctors explained that the lack of fluid would cause muscle tissues to shorten, affecting the baby's developing lungs. They would likely never develop beyond the 22-week point, and the baby would not be able to breathe.
After a long talk, the Deavers decided that they would like to terminate the pregnancy, rather than waiting for their daughter to be born naturally and suffer. However, in October, Nebraska recently enacted a new, stricter law that prevents abortions after the 20th week of gestation except in very specific situations where the mother's life is immediately in danger. Deaver's situation was outside the law, and there was nothing doctors could do to help her.
The Deavers were sent home to wait. Eight days later, contractions started, and Deaver delivered a beautiful, 1 lb. 10 oz. little girl named Elizabeth. She was physically perfect, but born too early to survive, even with medical help. And so they held her and waited.
Today the Deavers are speaking out. Although the law can protect babies, it also can hurt women who are in unique situations like Deaver's. She believes that no family should have to go through what they went through. The new law is based on research that shows that babies past 20 weeks' gestation can feel pain because their nerves are developed enough. But Deaver thinks that it doesn't take into account unusual and heart-wrenching situations like her own.
As I said before, in cases such as this , the parents should have been allowed to abort.
However, the law has to draw the line somewhere
xunayd and Brit, what might be easier for you, and easier for many, is not easier for everyone. Surely the parents should have the right to decide what they want to do.
To force a woman to go through the pain of labour to give birth to a baby who is only going to die moments after, is cruel and unusual in my eyes.
Some laws are implemented to further torture the human race.
If you cannot bear to hold the dying baby, the hospital does not force it on you. Usually Asians avoid seeing their loved ones taking the last breath, if given a choice and leave it to the nurses and doctors.
The Villagio triplets moms ask, why she was not allowed to stay near her dying daughter. All I can say is that those asian medical staff might have been trying to keep you away from witnessing those moments.
I have had a healthy pregancy and delivery, three miscarriages and a special needs child born. I feel I can hold my head high(To God) and say I have not done anything that will displease HIM.My uterus was damaged during the first delivery and it took us some years and the miscarriages to find it out.People dare to ask me"Why did'nt you abort?". But my child was born perfect and developed problem at the time of birth. Is it OK to kill her then? Just because you are not seeing the child inside and just because it is not "officially" born, you have no right to kill.
I am not talking about those lifethreatening conditions like preeclampsia of mother, in which the only way to save the mother is to deliver the baby.
My only question is "Where do we draw a line between decisions taken by the parents and hospital and decision taken by the creator?
Valid point. i saw a documentary on a childrens' hospital and parents always insisted on seeing and holding the baby - no matter what expected lifespan ..
I understand that the woman went into labor 8 days later. All I am saying is that the baby died naturally 8 days later, it wasn't killed. Each to their but I guess in this situation, if you really valued the unborn child as a child in its own right, wouldn't you want to see that child, hold it, say farewell to it? Or would it be easier for you to consider it like a medical mistake and just remove it?
well their country their law
agreed..we shouldn't as a species think of ourselves as advanced enough to pass moral judgement on life and death when not one of us knows when he will breathe his last..and the only consolation i'd have for a baby i lost (i hope never) would be that at least my child was spared the misery prevalent in the world today..
Your right Yazleeb, the suffering, fear & pain is 10 fold for the baby.
That 15 minutes she struggled for breath must have felt like 1500 years to her.
Poor thing. The suffering could have been over for everyone in an instant.
i feel one just needs to believe with all his heart/soul that a God exists; and then these quandaries are easier to deal with..leave religion aside you can take which one you like..but once we accept that we don't pull the strings, life is just easier i feel..have a good day guys and peace to that mother
As a mother of 5 children........let me say this baby had no voice, the suffering, fear & pain is 10 fold for the baby....who cares about the heartbroken parents?? not me! they will eventually get over their loss NO man has the right to interfere in nature whatever the circumstances.......same applies with euthanasia .....some1 has to draw the line somewhere!!!!! btw i also have had 2 miscariages 1 at 18 weeks & 1 at 10 weeks gestation.....so i do have an idea from both sides.......god bless the babies that cannot take their first steps
Is it human to allow the baby to be born and die in the natural way or terminate the pregnancy by crushing her head inside the uterus using a "tong",chop up the tiny hands and feet and other organs, then scraping her out using sharp instruments and vaccuming her out. Which one is more human?
Is it more human to kill her instantly or to watch her suffocate painfully for 15 minutes.
some law that is! poor mother!
abortion cld've saved her a trauma but i guess "the law" doesn't regard an incident like this a traumatic incident!
I for one would rather have gotten the abortion. I can't imagine watching my child die in my arms. I would be a wreck afterwards. Much easier on me mentally to have the abortion.
As for the 8 days, that's when she went into labour. Not sure why you think they purposely waited 8 more days?
xunayd..thanks for THINKING....
I WILL SHOUT. FORGIVE ME..
Is it human to allow the baby to be born and die in the natural way or terminate the pregnancy by crushing her head inside the uterus using a "tong",chop up the tiny hands and feet and other organs, then scraping her out using sharp instruments and vaccuming her out. Which one is more human?
I hate to say this. But that is the truth..
So it's easier to voluntarily abort a 20 week old baby then to hold it and watch it die when it is 20 weeks and 8 days? I for one would rather the later, at least you gave it a chance. We are talking about 8 days here. So in the case of abortion they medically abort the child and it is removed they don't get to see it and they feel better because the child would 'likely never develop beyond the 22-week point, and the baby would not be able to breathe'. But if they waited 8 more days everything would be completely different?
Oh people tried mohdata. All the pro-lifers tried and now that laws been passed and this woman (and probably many others) suffer.
If the pro-lifers had left well enough alone, this woman wouldn't now be fighting to reverse the law!
it's beside the point..'it will take time so let's not try'..'they might sue us so let's not try'..i know you're just stating how it works..but as long as you keep letting it happen; the more mothers like her have to suffer..besides there's been more than one instance where the sheer will of individuals has made the US govt. move it's a** and get things done..the sheer number of laws named after people/victims is testimony..let's not be fatalistic saying 'nah can't do anything about that that's the way it is':-)..just saying..no offense buddy:-)
I beg to Differ It is the Couple that have a right to Abortion not the Govt. It has its Benefits to others too.
You can't amend laws that easily in the US. It's not like here where it simply takes one Sheikh to make the decision and no one can protest it.
that sucks for that lady..so painful..however i echo brit's opinion and must say that you are shooting down the possibly promising alternative law before it's even been implemented..give it a chance i say..since we have decided we are great enough as a species to start deciding on who can live and die; it's only natural these issues come up; and only natural that these laws will need to be amended for each new unique case
That's not how the American system works Brit. If they were seen to make the wrong decision they could be sued and brought to court. Not to mention if Pro-lifers found out about the decision they could sue them in advance to the procedure. Look at how long right to die court cases have dragged out.
I don't think so. The panel or judge should have the authority to make instant decisions based on medical facts placed before them.
But how long would it take for a judge or a panel to make this decision? Cases like these would drag on for years in the courts.
I am anti-abortion and would agree with the law. However, i do believe that there should be exceptions for such cases with a judge or panel of doctors allowed to make such calls.
The parents should not have to suffer so.