Interestingly enough that there are even conflicting laws, we protect the life of the unborn child from acts of violence of 60 or so laws, but neglect the same child under provisions that their birth is inconvenient to the would be parents, based on the presumptions that it is up to the would be mother to give or cease the same life, we even sometimes justify the killing in the case of rape or incest.
Susan was conceived 12 weeks ago. She lays expectantly unaware of the pending decisions that her mother will make in less than 24 hours. She is blameless. Her parents on the other hand, both making the decision to give into the temptation of the flesh, engaged in sexual intercourse, rolled the moral dice and conceived a child.
In less than 24 hours, Susan will lay dead at a doctor’s hand. Who will remain blameless?
Mary is a junior attending college. She is afraid of what her parents might think of her, having struggled financially and placing their house up as collateral for her education, being the only child of her parents carried such high hopes and responsibilities. What would they think of her if she were to tell them she was pregnant?
Joe was a strapping young man a small town kid who was fortunate to find his grades and a talent for sports, good enough to get into the college of his dreams. Just as suddenly as the world seemed full of endless possibilities, the future lay shattered at his feet, along with his hopes of doing something no one else in his family has ever done, graduate college. How could this have happened, we only dated a few times, we were just having fun after all. Aren't there pills to prevent this sort of thing?
Susan lies sleeping inside the womb of her mother, cotton candy fields of clouds, little pink fluffy stuffed toys will never be enjoyed, 18 hours to go.
How could she possibly carry this child and finish her degree in pre-med. becoming the doctor she always dreamed she would be. She promised her grandmother, lying on her bed, weeping as she lay their dying, that she wouldn't let death steal another family member from her life ever again, she would be a doctor and find a cure for cancer. I promise.
Ben couldn’t believe his son; the middle kid in the pack of five was studying to become a lawyer someday. Joe’s lanky frame and talent for math won him a scholarship for baseball and possibilities to exceed any dreams they ever had for him. Ben’s wife Jane almost lost him in the first part of her pregnancy due to some difficulties with her blood pressure. God must be watching over him.
Susan is beginning to wake from her sleep, her mother, Mary is also awake, has been most of the night, unable to sleep having mostly made an important decision, a matter of life or death. Susan is just now 91 days and five hours old. Sixteen hours to go. Mary has some papers to sign. One of her friends is texting her and asking her if she has told Joe about her decision yet?
John and Laura tried for years to conceive a child, both children of the seventies, seems that some of the things they had done as young adults had come home to roost. John had experimented with pot, hash and heroin since his early teens. Laura on the other hand grew up in a tight knit Irish family, she believed in speaking her mind, she didn’t need any man to keep her; she could handle her own affairs after all, but she did like to drink.
They couldn’t stand one another, but they still managed to survive beyond the first date over the summer of their graduation, Laura will be in school this coming year, a junior college not too far away from home. John was working at the car dealership of his father, detailing cars.
Laura finally gave in to John’s demands and went all the way with him while his mom and dad were out of town, John had the place to himself, Laura could handle herself, she never had any problems standing up to him before, she could always stop him before things got out of hand, right?
Crying, she met John outside the burger place on the corner where they always hung out. She was late and scared to death of what her parents would say. Mortified John was scrambling to think, this is heavy decision, and this is her problem man, not yours. When they were together last, was it really 5 weeks ago?
Recently passed laws meant that she would not have to get anyone’s approval or permission, just go to the clinic, they’d talk to her, give her an exam and then get her set up for the procedure, John borrowed the money from his dad, Be a good boy Johnny, I am going to leave this dealership to you one day…learn to take care of your problems.
John and Laura were wed in a simple ceremony about a year later, both their parents so proud of the way John had cleaned himself up, Laura having taken classes at the local junior college now working in the accounting department for John’s dad, John was the assistant manager for customer service.
Mary met with her friends for coffee; she was scared to tell anyone, let alone Joe or her parents of her decision. This is the sensible thing to do, no one would ever have to know, and I’d just tell Joe I had a miscarriage. He could go on with his life.
Joe’s friends were trying to convince him that this is no big deal man, look it doesn’t have to be your responsibility, after all it’s not like it’s a living thing, just a fetus, there is a free clinic in town, helps college kids like this all the time, aside from the mother filling out papers his name never has to be mentioned. This sort of thing happens, no need bringing an unwanted child into this world, no need to struggle.
Susan is pushing her legs out, stretching; she is growing, oblivious to the events already in motion that will affect her tiny life in just 12 hours. Guiltless yet inconvenient.
Sitting on the side of the bed Laura is crying, had she given away the only chance she ever had at having a baby years ago? They have been trying for over four years now, is this punishment for the decision she made years earlier coming home to roost? Why is God punishing her? They have been going to church, they prayed about it. Is she to blame for all this?
John’s life was going great, finally promoted to Manager of Sales, in five or 10 more years the dealership would be his, why is Laura beating herself up over this, this is what she wanted wasn’t it? We could always adopt couldn’t we? Why can’t we have children?
Jane met Peter while he was stationed with the Army in Belgium. She was a linguist and he was a military policeman. Peter was from a small town in the northeast; Jane’s father was a military man, taking his family with him around the world. Soon they were engaged and Jane was pregnant.
Jane’s father made sure that Peter was a man of his word; he and Jane were married in the base chapel. Peter was going back stateside soon with a wife with one on the way. Soon Peter was making plans to leave the service; both he and Jane made their home not far from where he grew up, there was never any discussion of not having the baby or not getting married.
Medically speaking after her second child, the doctors warned them that any future pregnancies should be considered carefully; Jane had high blood pressure and would most certainly put herself and the baby at risk.
From the onset Jane was ordered on bed rest, she was placed in the high risk category. Pete dismissed this, Jane was a trooper, beside after two girls, and Jane was finally pregnant with a boy. But problems were just starting. Jane was bleeding, doctors feared that the baby would have to be aborted to save Jane, if she started bleeding during delivery they might not get it stopped if she carried to term; the odds were greatly stacked against them.
Pete’s partner at the security firm told him he was praying for them, although other than when they were married Jane and Pete never attended church, their future was in their own hands; life was what they made of it.
Susan’s hips are pressing down again, causing Mary to run to the bathroom for the hundredth time today, Mary cried as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, what was the future going to hold for them?
Joseph Anthony was born on a mild November evening in 1989. He would be the only boy child for Peter and Jane. He would have four sisters, two older and two younger. Joe would be something special his father declared! Just you watch and see.
John and Laura sat in amazement as they each held the tiny hands of their newborn daughter. God must have heard their prayers and given them the child they so long waited for, he had forgiven them for the sin they committed years ago. He was no longer holding them accountable for it.
Susan was causing Laura discomfort, her lower back was paining her something fierce, almost like cramps, what I can expect? How does any woman endure this for 9 months? I wonder how Joe will feel. Should I tell him? No way, this is my body; he would make the same choice if he had to carry this child, right?
In ten hours Susan will be at the center of the attention as she lay there in her mother’s womb, helpless, unarmed, at the mercy of a bitter battle.
The little girl John and Laura held hands with seemed to grow up overnight, one minute holding tea parties with her stuffed animals, the next clinging to her mother’s shoulder as they mourned the loss of her grandmother to cancer. Mary will be a doctor someday, she promised her grandmother.
Mary was rushed to the hospital that
evening, she was bleeding internally, Joe was beside her, he had stopped by her
apartment to see her, even though it was late, he needed to speak with her, he
had to talk with her, now this.
John and Laura found themselves in
the surreal moment of driving through traffic late at night, the call came from
the hospital, the doctor was explaining her blood pressure was good and the transfusions
seemed to be holding, but someone would have to make a decision about the baby
soon. What baby?
Joe was crying and his father could
barely understand him, something about a baby and some girl named Mary, all
they knew was he needed them. The drive would take just under 4 hours.
Little Susan never experienced
so much as an ache or pain, she was calm, unaware of all the excitement and the
danger she and her mother were in medically. Six hours left.
John and Laura arrived at the
hospital and were escorted in to see their precious daughter, their only
daughter. Memories of seeing her mother in the hospital came flooding back for
this once brave unstoppable Irish woman.
There in the bed of this small
hospital lay their daughter, hooked up to machines that were keeping their
daughter alive. How could this have happened, we just spoke to her earlier in
the day, she was fine, what happened.
They listened as the doctor
explained the medical terms and condition, their daughter had lost a tremendous
amount of blood, the placenta was separating from the wall of the uterus.
Surely the baby would be lost if they didn’t deliver the premature child in the
next hour, if nothing was done they would both perish.
John was staring out the window, his
wife beside him when Peter and Jane arrived to find their son, on his knees in
the hospital chapel, he was crying, his parents placed their arms around him as
he tried as best he could to explain what had happened.
The time had come, no more can be
done, the doctors gave John and Laura them very little chance the baby would
survive, it may have been without blood for too long, or perhaps suffered
brain damage, either way it’s chances of survival would be slim if at all, best
for them to keep the focus on their daughter and her health, she would need
more than medical help once through this.
There in the early morning hours of
a mild April morning, a life was spared; the life of their only daughter was
given back to them. Joe was holding Mary’s hand, his face buried against the
bed, he felt her grip his hand, and they began crying as they looked at one
another. What an emotional roller coaster they have been on for the past
several hours.
Dawn was breaking as the doctor came
in. He was asking Mary questions, it all seemed surreal. What had happened? The
doctor began to explain as their parents came in. He was explaining options
open to them, the baby was on a ventilator, there would be risks and a long
road ahead, there were medical insurance forms to sign or they could opt for
adoption.
Little Susan dreamt of butterflies
and pink fluffy clouds, she had entered the world in the most inconvenient way.
Her mother and father would be inconvenienced, their lives interrupted, Laura
was weeping as Mary and her spoke, Laura began to tell her daughter
about a secret she has held for over 25 years.
Tony was putting on a new shirt as
he got ready for his date with Donna his girlfriend, humming a song…maybe
tonight would be the night, completely…he’s been waiting so long…
