Suffocation or Salvation?
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
by Ted Gragg
Myrtle Beach Shooting Range
The tablet was manually
administered to the pregnant woman’s cervix. The woman’s body began immediately
to absorb the deadly chemicals contained in the tablet. Her cervix began to
dilate. Her uterus started contracting. This led to the expulsion of the
twenty-eight week old infant from the womb into the birth canal and out of the
woman’s body.
The baby, lungs still not
fully developed, unable to breath without aid, was wrapped in a towel and
placed on a shelf and left to die by suffocation. The helpless human infant
contorted and gasped for oxygen for eight hours before dying. The body was
incinerated.
This barbaric practice isn’t
regulated to a primitive tribe of savages. This is common medical practice in
some hospitals and abortion clinics. This is an abortion procedure using the
administration of Misoprostil, a powerful drug registered to treat stomach
ulcers that when administered into the cervix of a pregnant female results in
the abortion of the unborn child.
On the other hand, though,
battles are waged daily to preserve the lives of infants.
Wendy, my daughter, lost her
first child in the 7th month of her pregnancy. Expecting again,
still devastated over the loss of the first child, she bravely monitored the
baby’s growth and kick rate. This past Sunday evening, at the onset of her 27th
week of pregnancy, she called home.
“Dad, Mom, the baby isn’t
kicking. Should I go to the hospital? I am frightened!" she cried.
Grand Strand Hospital
received her and continued the monitoring of the mother and her child. There
was something wrong. The heart rate fluttered up and down from a low of 70 to
150 beats a minute. Doctors Susan Wilson, Christine Roberts, and Ben Martin
were concerned. Something wasn’t right with this pregnancy and fearing for the
developing child, they observed Wendy closely throughout the night.
Monday afternoon saw
deliberate decisions being made. Wendy and her husband John were encouraged to
consider ambulance transportation to the Medical University Hospital in
Charleston. There was a risk. Doctor Wilson explained to Wendy that an
electronic monitor and a nurse would accompany her in an ambulance to the
Medical University. But if the
baby’s heart stopped for any length of time along the way, the possibility
existed that the child could be lost.
Even though this danger
existed, the odds of the baby being born premature were great and the Medical
University had the proper neonatal unit to care for preemies, or premature
babies. Wendy made the decision.
Go! The ambulance arrived but the part for the monitor was not on board. There
was a delay while another ambulance was summoned. That’s when God intervened!
The child’s heart stopped
beating. The electronic monitors flat-lined. The room filled with doctors and
nurses. Minutes elapsed before they were able to establish a firm heartbeat.
The ambulance crew arrived with a gurney to move Wendy to the waiting emergency
vehicle just at the end of this pandemonium. The urgency of the situation was
apparent to all. If the heartbeat
had ceased while on board the ambulance….
Wendy was prepped for a
Cesarean delivery. A steroid
injection had been given late Sunday evening in case there was a pre-mature
delivery. The injection, designed to aid in the development of the baby’s lung
tissue, would increase the chances of the pre-mature child’s ability to survive
and breathe on its own without the use of a respirator. Two steroid shots were
required with a 24-hour interval between the injections to be effective. The IVs were in place, the incision
area had been prepped, and everything was in readiness for the doctors at the
Medical University of South Carolina if emergency surgery was needed. Precious
minutes meaning life or death for the infant could be saved by these
preparations if an emergency arose.
The journey was completed
without interruption. Sixteen hours later on Tuesday morning, the baby’s heart
stopped for six minutes. A
C-section was performed on Wendy and a perfectly formed but minute boy was delivered
and placed immediately in an incubator.
The incubator looked like
something from a science fiction film. There were access holes to receive
gloved hands, tubes that penetrated the baby’s throat, and IV assistance was
administered through the baby’s umbilical cord consisting of two large veins
and one artery. Special lamps shown directly over the incubator to apply
phototherapy to prevent the onset of Jaundice. The humidity was maintained at a constant 85% to prevent the
drying of the baby’s skin. The ventilator provided oxygen that was piped down
the baby’s throat and regulated the breathing pattern. The temperature was
maintained at 98.4 degrees to duplicate the temperature of the Mother’s womb.
The heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and glucose levels were all
being monitored by machines and dedicated nurses. There was even a very tiny
pacifier provided to teach this newborn infant the rudiments of suckling.
Three hours later this
space-age incubator was wheeled into Wendy’s room and placed by her bed. Five attendants, an anxious husband,
and other family members watched as the Mother placed her hand through one of
the arm openings of the incubator. Tenderly, she stretched out her fingers to
her infant son who in response lifted a hand scarcely an inch long and touched
the tip of its Mother’s finger with the tip of a very small and trusting index
finger as if to say “ I love you".
All wept.
I salute your honesty and courage. It is not pleasant to write or speak about these horrors but the silence about them betrays the precious lives of the infants who suffer so much. Keep up the good work. Rev Michael BrescianiReverend, I apologize for not responding to your comment of long ago, but the ommission was one of not knowing protocol on this site at first. No sir, it is not pleasant to speak of the horrors of abortion. As Americans though, and others of the World's peoples, better wake up to the fact that mankind is not an irreplaceable resource and all are numbered in God's good time. Thank you for the consideration and for speaking the truth.
Hi Ted, Thank you for sharing this very personal story and for touching on the horrors of abortion. It is amazing and sad to see the two extremes of medicine. When it is scared young girl is in a clinic, she is told its just tissue, when it is a mother fighting for her pregnancy, she is told it is an unborn child and we will do whatever we can. If every woman knew their "tissue" has a heart beat that can be heard as soom as 11 weeks, i wonder what they would so? Thanks again. Blessings to you. TeresaThank you, ma'am, for speaking out and proclaiming the truth. What God gives is too precious to destroy.
It distubs me that so many people look at being pregnant as an inconvenience or something not affordable and they just end a life without any concern. It is a life and in reading your article I was touched at the struggle of your daughter for fighting for her baby. God help us and God bless you for the courage to stand up for something we should be highly ashamed of.Thank you for responding and sharing your conviction on this matter. When enough people stand up and say that abortion for convience is Wrong and Immoral, then and only then will the world's governments respond. Regardless of what others say, the destruction of innocent infants is wrong.
Ted, Nice to hear from you after so long a time. Many of those who responded to your articles are known to me also. There are some good writers and good friends here at Search Warp and we are glad to have you onboard with us. Rev Michael BrescianiThank you. That's high praise.