Friday, September 21, 2007

I see two victims in this story

This article showed up as a little AP blip in our paper Wednesday. I've been thinking about it ever since.

A woman gave birth to a baby at home and put it in a plastic bag. The baby suffocated while she showered after the birth. This is tragic. It's probably criminally prosecutable. But my sympathies go out to the mother not the baby.

What state must this poor young woman have been in to deny the pregnancy for so long, to have not sought medical care for the delivery, and to have let the baby die. Does the combination of denial and neglect not look a lot like shock?

How does an adolescent face unwanted pregnancy, particularly when she is far from family (this woman was at college) and short on options? Did she want to abort the pregnancy but felt she couldn't for financial or religious reasons? Did she proceed with the pregnancy hoping that some last-minute solution would present itself?

I wish someone had been with her when she had this unwanted baby, to help her accept what had happened and deal with the situation rationally. Instead, she was alone and made a decision she'll likely regret her whole life.

Women should not feel abandoned, alone or afraid as they face decisions about their pregnancy.

Labels:

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know whether the woman was religious, but as a student at a Catholic college she probably had limited access to support and information if she wanted to end her pregnancy in a sane and healthy way.

What a sad story. I hope she finds treatment.

1:49 PM  
Blogger Library Cat said...

What a sad story for the young lady and her family. It is hard to believe that there are still such harsh realities for some women. Trying in her agony to avoid a life-changing event such as a baby, she is now faced with a different life-changing event. I hope that she will find the help that she needs.
Flusi

3:56 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home