Life at what price?
Stuck in a traffic jam yesterday I was nearly brought to tears by the story of Susan Torres, the woman who was on life support for several months so her fetus could develop. How tragic. A 26-year-old mother, pregnant with her second child, suffers a stroke from metastatic melanoma. Her family decides to keep her alive so that her second child gets a shot at life.
Whenever I hear this kind of story I am so thankful for all that I have, and all that I have avoided in life.
I can't imagine the woman's husband, getting a daughter the same day he loses his wife. And what of the two-year-old whose mother has been brain dead for months. Did he go visit her? How will he understand the events of the past few months.
Reading about this story on-line today, however, made me also get a little angry. The woman's medical costs were tens of thousands of dollars a week. People around the world donated to help offset the family's expenses.
Nice sentiments, but if one really wants to help infant outcomes or mothers in a bad position, think of what $400,000 (the amount they received in donations) could do for basic prenatal care in, say, Guatemala. Or the Sudan.
And though the baby is doing well, prematurity bring with it considerable risks. There is also a minor chance that the baby will develop cancer from exposure to the mother. This is a baby born into grief and without a mother.
Obviously I am not in a position to answer. But there are many reasons to say that the fetus die along with her mother could have been as generous, and no less heroic, an action.
Whenever I hear this kind of story I am so thankful for all that I have, and all that I have avoided in life.
I can't imagine the woman's husband, getting a daughter the same day he loses his wife. And what of the two-year-old whose mother has been brain dead for months. Did he go visit her? How will he understand the events of the past few months.
Reading about this story on-line today, however, made me also get a little angry. The woman's medical costs were tens of thousands of dollars a week. People around the world donated to help offset the family's expenses.
Nice sentiments, but if one really wants to help infant outcomes or mothers in a bad position, think of what $400,000 (the amount they received in donations) could do for basic prenatal care in, say, Guatemala. Or the Sudan.
And though the baby is doing well, prematurity bring with it considerable risks. There is also a minor chance that the baby will develop cancer from exposure to the mother. This is a baby born into grief and without a mother.
Obviously I am not in a position to answer. But there are many reasons to say that the fetus die along with her mother could have been as generous, and no less heroic, an action.
posted by doulicia at 3:52 PM
3 Comments:
I have had concerns over the potential challenges this baby has--and had not realized she was a second child.
Like you, I had wondered about the money; I guess I am a practical person. Dad had quit his job to be near the mother, but I wondered if that was practical, though definitely heartwarming.
Hh
If the article was correct, that is not only a premature baby but one with some growth issues. That's very tiny for seven months gestation.
I do respect the family's right to make this choice, but I also have reservations about the "life at all costs" mentality. I wonder, if the family had decided to let the baby die with her mother, if they would have been criticized for it? And if it would have been taken out of their hands?
Low price prescription drugs store online features:
Xenical drug (ORLISTAT)- a slimming tablet for those who are obese and who find it hard to lose weight although on a diet.
Acomplia drug (rimonabant) - the first in a new class of therapeutic agents called Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Blockers (CB1).
Generic Celecoxib drug (Celebrex) - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) that represents a huge breakthrough in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and stiffness of arthritis.
Generic Ultram drug (TRAMADOL) - an analgesic used to treat or prevent pain.
Imitrex drug - used for the treatment of migraine headaches with or without aura (eg, flashing lights, wavy lines, dark spots).
Urispas drug - used for relieving pain, frequency, and urgency of urination as well as nighttime urination associated with certain medical conditions.
Nimotop drug - used for reducing problems due to lack of oxygen caused by bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain
Neurontin drug (GABAPENTIN) - an anticonvulsant used to treat seizures associated with epilepsy.
Generic Deltasone drug (PREDNISOLONE) - a steroid drug, is used to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms in a variety of disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and severe cases of asthma.
Soma drug (Carisoprodol) - used along with rest and physical therapy, to treat injuries and other painful muscular conditions.
Generic Naprosyn drug (NAPROXEN) - a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) used to relieve pain and swelling (inflammation), also used to treat headaches, muscle aches, backaches, tendonitis, bursitis, dental pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis, or gout.
Post a Comment
<< Home