This morning I was thinking of my great nephew. His name is Samuel. Samuel was born at 31 weeks. He was so tiny. His head was no bigger than a tennis ball. We prayed over his little body, asking God to grant him health and strength. As we stood there, several of the nurses came by and didn't seem to be nearly as frightened. As a matter of fact, they seemed hopeful - confident almost - that this tiny infant would be just fine.
That's not the first time this happened.
I remember seeing tiny Ian and Olivia, twins born even earlier, who seemed far too fragile to survive in this world. Today they are almost 18 years old. I think of Gibson. Again, as we prayed over this little boy, the doctors and nurses gave us confident assurance that he should grow up to be a healthy young man. This was hard to believe, yet those in the medical field seemed so sure. Today he is 10 years old.
Even my own granddaughter was tiny and frail when she was born. Many experts felt she would have health issues. Yeah right. Try getting her to sit still.
I could go on. I could tell you about people like Dillon who was born far too early. Yet He has survived. You could tell me your own stories as well; infants born far earlier than full term, yet who have grown to live full and healthy lives.
I am thinking about these children because I have had "experts" explain to me that when the mother's life is in danger, the best option is an abortion. "The mother will not survive a full-term delivery" I've been told. The abortion is necessary for the mother's health. Yes, there may be that rare occasion when this is true, but ...
Abortion is not the only option for a mother whose health is at risk because of the child. Even if she can't deliver full term, there is another choice. Most babies born after about 26 weeks' gestation do survive to one year (about 80 percent of those born at 26 weeks and about 90 percent of those born at 27 weeks), although they may face an extended stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Unfortunately, about 25 percent of these very premature babies develop serious lasting disabilities, and up to half may have milder problems, such as learning and behavioral problems. Read the full article HERE.
Yes, some babies do not survive when they are born very premature. But some do. And my point is, when abortion is given as the only option, a parent will never know if that child could have survived through a cesarean birth. When there are serious health concerns with the mother, but the baby's health seems to be stable, why not have a c-section and allow the child to live? Even if the birth is 10 weeks early, they have an 80% survival rate (according the article from babycenter.com).
Obviously, this could not work for every person in every circumstance. Each person and each pregnancy is different. I know that. But why are some politicians fighting for the abortion option when there is another viable option available? Why do we not hear this side of the story? Why is this "choice" not promoted?
It just doesn't make sense to me.
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