This is a beautiful story about a mother and a father’s love for a baby. Wesley J. Smith of Secondhand Smoke found it in the LA Times. I was just going to put it up on the CMR Reader but I wanted to make sure everyone saw it:
This is a sad but glorious story of selfless maternal/paternal love, but I think that at one time, it would have been the expected course: A doctor recounts the decision of a woman diagnosed with brain cancer to delay surgery in order to bring her baby to birth. From the story:
For the neurosurgeon, the verdict was clear: An immediate operation was needed to remove the growing tumor. The invasive and complicated surgery — under many hours of general anesthesia — was likely to greatly increase the risk of fetal injury or death…
The oncologist said that if the surgery were delayed until the child was ready for life outside the womb, the cancer would probably be untreatable. The obstetrician said that if the mother-to-be agreed to the recommended surgery and subsequent chemotherapy, the fetus was unlikely to survive. The woman was faced with a heartbreaking choice — her own survival or her child’s.
The young couple spoke quietly to each other in their native language for a few minutes as the specialists waited. Even I, who had chosen to study pediatrics because I loved children, reluctantly acknowledged that the woman’s care was the medical priority. Wouldn’t I — wouldn’t everyone? — opt for life-saving intervention for myself? Wouldn’t we all yield to the natural instinct to survive?
Go to Secondhand Smoke and then read the entire thing at the LA Times.
May 13, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Such a beautiful story. And I am so glad there was no comment form at the Times’ Website.
May 14, 2009 at 12:11 am
We have a friend who did about the same thing. She has melanoma, and it spread to her brain. Apparently, she wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant, but God had other plans. They induced labor at 31 weeks, and she went through radiation. As far as I know everyone is doing well. I know this couple, and the only option for them would be to save their baby first. God bless all mother’s who go through these types of things.
May 14, 2009 at 2:01 am
I think there are a couple of saints that went this way.
It’s the right choice– and I pray that if I ever face something half as scary, I’m strong enough to make the same sort of right choice.
May 14, 2009 at 3:15 am
Gianna Beretta Molla and Agata Mroz, among others, are such heroes.
It is my understanding that under the principle of double effect, in strict justice, it would be permissible to go ahead with the tumor operation immediately (however, aborting the child would necessarily be wrong).
I understand this choice as an act of heroism/sanctity, not justice.
Is my analysis off? Should probabilities of survival be taken into account? Any thoughts?
May 14, 2009 at 7:42 pm
You are correct, Sebastian. As heroic and praiseworthy as Gianna Molla’s actions were, they were “above and beyond” the requirements of Catholic morality.
May 15, 2009 at 3:47 pm
stop making me cry at work. 😐