Despite two abortion attempts, twin survives
The Daily Mail in London is reporting the amazing story of a British twin who survived an attempt to end his life before birth. Doctors had discovered he was smaller than his twin and had an enlarged heart. They opined that if he were to die before birth, he might endanger the life of the other twin. The parents were convinced and agreed to the abortion.
[Did they ever think to ask, "If Baby A might die if Baby B dies in vitro, why are we going to kill Baby B ourselves, thereby potentially endangering Baby A?"]
Doctors attempted to cut the infant's umbilical cord, but it was too strong to cut through. They then cut the mother's placenta in half to hopefully extinguish the life of the smaller babe while keeping the larger one alive. In short, the docs tried to apply Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. But, the child proved all wrong and lived through both attempts. He was later delivered safely and is now at home growing strong...
-Read my husband's post here and then be sure to read the article.I seriously almost choked when I read this bit in the article:
Mrs Jones [mother of the twins] said: "They told us that if he died, it could be life threatening for his brother.
"We had to decide whether to end his life and let his brother live, or risk them both."
They said it would be impossible to keep him alive afterwards...
It would be kinder to let him die in the womb with his brother by his side than to die alone after being born.
"That made my mind up for me. I wanted the best thing for him."
The best thing? Choosing to kill your child in the womb is the best thing? How low have we gone in this world?
I can't help but wonder after reading an article like this how many other such babies have been mercilessly sacrificed because the doctors convinced the parents it was "the best thing" for these children.
Lord, help us.
Thriving: Gabriel, right, with his twin brother Ieuan, is now a healthy 12lb 6oz at seven months
posted by Crystal Paine at 4:03 PM
38 Comments:
'The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away'...not the world and their doctors! Thank you, Jesus, for proving NOTHING can stand against Your will and win without Your approval. I just love when I hear stories like this that show, 'somhow', that medical science facts didn't pan out and outcomes 'can't be explained'. It just glorifies our God all the more. And what beautiful children He had His hand upon!
Thank you for sharing this incredible story, Crystal. I reposted it at my blog.
Oh my. Can you imagine what it will be like for that little boy when he someday learns that his parents tried to kill him while in the womb? Very sad.
How wonderful, though, that he managed to live in spite of the attempts to extinguish his little life!
What a story! Just shows that God is always in control.
this sickens me. I think they should be removed from their home... HORRIBLE! Praise GOD he lived! She does not deserve these beautiful babies... I may sound harsh but that is how I feel. I hope she can come to the Lord through this some how, some way...
Praise God that he lived. We seem to now live in a culture that believes the medical community "knows all" and a doctor's word is Gospel. I blame the mother for being ignorant and misinformed, not for being an evil person. JMO
what beautiful little boys!
hmm, id have to respectfully disagree with homakerang.
after all, i dont think any of us really deserve such precious, unspoiled little ones, but the Lord blesses us anyway.
although i absoloutely think what the parents tried to do was very, very wrong, i think she really was doing what she thought she was right for her children. doesn't make it right, but i dont think there's any use for condemnation here. no doubt, she will agonize over it for the rest of her life.
just my opinion, anyway.
Thank you for sharing this story with your readers. How sad! But praise the Lord that He has allowed both of these precious boys to live! I am sure He has a wonderful plan for both of their lives!
I agree with the comments that anonymous made, as well!
In Christ,
Carla from Maryland
Now I'm headed over to Jesse's blog!
sick and sad, I also reposted it on my blog....
:*(
I don't think I could adequately convey how horrible this is.
I too reposted on my blog along with a conversation I had with a friend at her work. Her mom took everything a step further and told her she wishes she had aborted her.
That is horrible, but praise the Lord God gave this mother a second chance to raise both of the boys... and wonder what plans God has for him in the future.
The logic baffles--"If he dies, that would be bad. Therefore, lets just kill him now". My head hurts.
I hope that little boy will hear from someone (hopefully repentant parents) about the *miracle* of his survival and seek God's purpose for his life.
Oh I can't believe the names and pictures of these boys are on the internet. This means the should-be-aborted-boy will probably get to know what his parents wanted to do before he was born when he gets older. That's just... that's horrible... I really think his parents thought they were doing what was best when they tried to abort the fetus... I really do... But... how can they do this... how can they consider having pictures of their boys online, telling the world how they almost aborted one of them, a good thing? If they want to tell their story, why don't they do it anonymously? I just... I can't believe this. Why do they want this to be in the media? Really... I think this is something the child should never know... how does the child benefit from knowing this?
I absolutely agree with your stance on abortion. I completely loath the practice of killing babies in the womb. However, as I understand it, it was cutting the placenta in half that saved the smaller baby. Ironically, if they hadn't tried to kill the baby, it would almost certainly have died. By cutting the placenta in half, the smaller baby was able get the nutrients that the larger twin had been taking at the smaller's expense. The Lord works in mysterious ways!
The most shocking thing I find about the story is that the doctors told the mother it would be kinder for the baby to kill it. I find it apalling that a woman can be given this kind of 'advice' when she is emotionally distraught and looking to so-called experts for guidance.
im sad she never mentions God in her interview (although she does say miracle, it may have been edited out)
second i HOPE AND PRAY she treats him like the miracle he is and teach him HIS Lord knew better and saved him...that he doesnt grow up as the one that was supposed to die cause mom and dad listened to false logic...but the one that was saved to teach his parents the miracles of CHRIST
celina in canada
I don't think it is entirely fair to criticise the mother. She had been told that Ieuan would die regardless, and that Gabriel's life was risked if Ieuan was kept in the womb. So, in her mind, she had a choice between letting both her sons die and letting one live. Thank goodness the story had such a happy ending.
I feel saddened by those commentors who are judging the mother for what must have been a heartbreaking choice. She must have been under immense stress and pressure from the doctors to go along with what they thought. I wish people would have a bit more Christian charity sometimes.
I simply don't get this. His life is in danger, so... let's... kill this little boy?!
What an awesome miracle worked by our Lord God, and hopefully, an incredible lesson for the parents as well, that the doctors' word isn't the Word of God.
This kind of situation happens ALL the time unfortunately. I used to post at a pregnancy forum. A woman in my due date club was expecting triplets. Her husband was a doctor! She was told to abort one in order for the other two to thrive and have a better chance of survival. In addition to health concerns, one of her rationals was, "Having twins is a shock, but triplets would be more than we could handle!" How could she say this when she knew that the fertility treatments she was taking make the odds of multiples very likely? How could she choose her own convenience over such a great blessing?
I, and others, were so grieved over this whole situation and I prayed much for her. She made plans for an abortion. Before she had it done, one of the babies passed away, leaving the identical twins remaining. Even though she isn't a Christian, I can't help but thank God that He spared that baby a horrible death, and He spared the mother the awful guilt she no doubt would have suffered all her life, knowing she had one of her triplets "eliminated." Others on that forum were so excepting of her choice to abort, despite the fact that many were desperate to conceive and considered a fertilized egg a baby from Day 1 when it was "wanted" that I and some other strongly pro-life gals left the due date club for good.
It angers me that doctors try to play God and encourage these murderous decisions. I hope that this baby boy comes to Christ and his parents too!
It's a horrible story, and full of hope at the same time. The fact that this baby hung on to life no matter what only shows the immense power of God.
But I wouldn't too judgemental on the mother, even though at first it's very easy to fall into this temptation. At the extreme, she is a clear example of the choice many of us face: do I do what I THINK is best for me, or do I do what I KNOW is best for me, i.e. confiding in God, because He sees what we don't see?
By no means I condome the action, but I understand how, if you don't have solid religious convictions, it is easy to fall and "trust" the first expert who comes along with whatever idea, thinking that you're acting for the best.
I hope this woman will find the strength to trust God, and always be grateful for the second chance that He gave her, with His infinite mercy.
Isn't it dreadful that, instead of performing the placenta-splitting operation as a potentially life-saving thing, it was done with the express purpose of killing?
How sad that the first response to these hard issues is extermination rather than brave Doctors making brave choices to save and heal, like they're supposed to.
I agree with some of the other posters, to refrain from judging this woman. Afterall, it may seem from first glance that it seemed ok, and remember newspapers/media can be biased. For all we know, she could have been crying herself to sleep each night, mulling over such a tough decision.
And I have a feeling that in the future, the little brother would be sad about his parent's attempt to abort him, but children have such an amazing capacity to forgive. I'm sure his parents absolutely adore him and that will overcome any negative feelings that he may have..
I echo other posters above - please, let's all remember the importance of Christian compassion in considering this woman - it's our Lord's place to sit in judgement, not ours.
I cannot imagine the pain of believing one of your children was doomed, and his death had to be hastened to save another child. I do not know if I could ever have the strength to deal with such a terrible situation, and I thank God that He has shielded me thus far from any such experience.
That poor woman, I'm praying for her. I cannot judge her. She has my deepest sympathy.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this story. God had his hand on that little boy.
Ashley
God gives life and God takes away life. She and her husband did not regard the sanctity of life to begin with. Therefore, they made a decision TWICE to try and kill their child. Had they been pro-life before all of this came about, they would have walked out of that doctor's office, never to return.
I am shocked that so many people have compassion for this woman instead of this little life she tried to murder. The argument has been made that separating the placenta saved the baby's life. Obviously, God's hand was/is on this sweet baby and He worked it out for His good.
On a side note, my husband and I feel that it is VERY important to have a pro-life doctor/midwife attend to our pregnancies and deliveries. I am from a very liberal state and I was able to find a pro-life doctor who values human life as much as my husband and I do. Therefore, had we been faced with this medical quandry - abortion would not have even made it into the discussion.
God never changes and His hand was on that baby during those surgeries.
We should have compassion on the mother, because she was desperate and people do strange things in desperate situations. It is easy to sit in judgement and apply our christian standards to the world. However, is that what we should be doing? I think of the woman that commited adultery and how the law said she should be stoned. The "religious" leaders brought her to Jesus and challenged Him. Jesus, drew something in the ground and then said "He who is without sin cast the first stone." Many of you know what happened, one by one the stones dropped and the accusers left her with Jesus. What Jesus said next is a show of how compassionate He is..." Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir." she said. " Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
He did not berate her for the sin she commited, instead He forgave her and set her free. We need to be forgiving of people and allow them to see Jesus in us. He knows the moms heart and He is the only one who can touch it. Lets allow God to be God and keep our harsh judgements to ourselves.
I appreciate those of you who are encouraging compassion to the mom.
At the same time, though, let's not overlook the big picture here: This mother consented to having a doctor try to kill her son twice in the womb.
If this same child was outside the womb and a mother paid someone to try to twice kill him, would we also think, "Oh, that poor mother, what a hard decision, let's just all have pity on her!"?
I'm not saying we need to all be vitriolic towards the mother. I am sure she was heartily convinced by the doctors that this was "the best thing" - but sometimes I think we forget how *heinous* abortion truly is. When we start making excuses for a mom, we can quickly start going down a slippery slope which leads to the wide acceptance of abortion.
As Christians, we *should* judge righteous judgment. We cannot turn a blind eye at the sin-sickness in the world. Yes, we need to be compassionate and yes, we need to show Christ's love, but that doesn't mean we willingly embrace the killing of human life. We need to take a stand against this horrible bloodshed which is freely happening everyday.
I agree with you, Crystal. I believe abortion is wrong in any circumstance; I hope everyone knows that. I just think it's easy for Christians (in general) to get on their pro-life/anti-homosexual/whatever issue high horse and forget that there are real people involved in these sins, with real feelings and struggles. I know of a few women who have had abortions and all of them regret it and wished they hadn't done it. They are heartsick over it. Do we kick them when they are down ("Well, you should be sorry! You killed your own child!") or do we show them compassion that Christ would have and let them know that God can take their past sins and not only forgive them of their sins but He can use these women for His glory?
(Sorry for the run-on sentences...in a rush!)
Maybe someone already said this, but the fact that both twins survived shows that there is not much credit to doctors' advice that "the life of the mother (or one of the babies) is at stake." This is sometimes given as an exception to a pro-life or anti-abortion stance; it is obviously untrue (at least in some cases) as well as unbiblical (in all cases).
Oh, this breaks my heart.
Just in case I was not clesr...
I do not agree with abortion at all.
I do think it is a horrible thing, but I also believe in Gods grace and mercy. I do not think this woman should be 'strung up' by believers because she was led astray by the doctors. Any way, not arguing but wanted to clarify my stance.
I too was told that a *simple reduction* (that's actually what the doctor called it) of one of my twins would benefit the other one. Of course, this was not an option for me, but I have nothing but compassion for all the moms who assume that the doctor knows best. I still get choked up sometimes when I'm with my daughter (the one they said may not live after birth) and I think of how cold the doctor was about the whole situation. She is healthy and lovely and the doctor was completely wrong.
One can assume that this mom DID NOT value life BEFORE she became pregnant. We need to stand up for what is right or we will become desensitized to sin. The difference between this woman and those who regret having an abortion is there is no indication that she admits any wrong-doing. Ladies who repent and ask for forgiveness, should receive it with much love but should forgiveness be granted to someone who does not ask for it? Yes, the willingness to forgive should be in our hearts but she does not admit to doing anything wrong. Doesn't that seem a bit odd?
Then, going public with this story is unbelievable!! Her son will grow up and know about this someday along with millions of other people knowing about it. I guess people will do anything to have their "claim to fame".
I don't think that I am the only one that does my own research when it comes to medical conditions. I respect my doctor but if something is unclear, I will research and research until I am satisfied. This woman is a financial advisor (or something like that), and is obviously "educated". She had to have been aware of the many stories of doctor's mistakes in situations like this. I cannot stress enough that she did not value life enough to stand up for it.
Crystal is right - If she had tried murdering her son when he was outside the womb, she would be in jail. Just because he was in utero, she deserves my compassion for her "tough decision"? I have compassion for her lost soul but NOT for her attempts on her son's life.
I disagree that "we wouldn't know what we would do unless we were in that situation". I DO know what I would do because I value all human life with the strongest conviction possible! Obviously, she and her husband did not. We need to look at the facts not through the clouded view of our emotions.
Anonymous: You make some very good points. I really don't think that we would know it if this woman did regret trying to kill her child, though, even if she did. The secular media wants to convince women that they can "terminate a pregnancy" and have no lasting emotional effects. They say it's your choice and you can go on about your life when "it" is taken care of. I've yet to see anything in the media that details the guilt and anguish of women after abortions. It would derail their political agenda too much.
Crystal, i like what you said, "If this same child was outside the womb and a mother paid someone to try to twice kill him, would we also think, "Oh, that poor mother, what a hard decision, let's just all have pity on her!"?
We would not let her keep her children if she tried to murder them outside the womb, it is no different in my opinion if they are in the womb. I realize she does not have my beliefs but for the life of me i cannot understand how people decide to become parents when they also will choose to kill their unborn child?????
Crystal,
I have a friend going through the same thing now...expecting identical twins. They were discovered to have twin to twin transfusion syndrome and the doctors thought they would have to be delivered early. We had many people praying and the situation has reversed! The doctors are confounded and siad they have enver seen this happen. Both twins are still in the womb and weigh approximately the same! They are 31 weeks along now! Praise God!
Hi Crystal, I commented in the later thread but I just noticed you responded to some comments here and I think I was one of them.
You said this: "As Christians, we *should* judge righteous judgment. We cannot turn a blind eye at the sin-sickness in the world. Yes, we need to be compassionate and yes, we need to show Christ's love, but that doesn't mean we willingly embrace the killing of human life."
I completely agree! But I want to explain - when I urge compassion and love for women like this, it's not because I think the decision they making is right in ANY way. Of course it isn't, it's awful and we should say that.
I just think that our condemnation should be reserved for the CULTURE that creates a situation where a woman is moved to sin like this, and that pouring our ire over one woman is both wrong (because of John 8) and counter productive (it only increases women feeling like the world is against them and they can't possibly have a baby, everyone hates them, there is no hope - when we should be showing Christ's light in the darkness!).
So, I don't think that showing love for a woman who has sinned is condoning her sin. Not at all.
Oh, and also, although I think the first sentence I quoted 'As Christians, we *should* judge righteous judgment' is probably 'we *should* EXERCISE righteous judgement' - I have some reservations about that because of Matthew 7:1. Surely the judging is best left to He who is without sin? I mentioned in the other post how I really feel like we are all sinners like her. It's easy to say that we would NEVER commit such a grievous sin - but I know I have sinned in my heart in this manner all the time. I am as much of a sinner as she is. That's why I don't want to judge.
I've been praying (and crying!) about these two women all day since reading this. Thank you for hosting this discussion, because it is an important one and this is how we grow in faith - through the difficult questions.
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