A few years ago, I was on call to take unassigned patients from the ER. My job as an internist is to admit patients whom the ER doctor deems need to be admitted.
That night, I admitted a 32 year old man for chest pain. When I opened the door to his room, I realized that this was not a normal "chest pain" admission. Sure, that was his main complaint - however, he was in perfect physical shape, muscular, thin and healthy - not the usual McDonald's physique that would most likely produce coronary disease in a 32 year old.
He was, however, sobbing uncontrollably. He was completely stressed out - emotionally and spiritually. He cried and cried and cried. Through the tears, the story finally emerged. I would have been crying too, had it been me.
His wife was 28 weeks pregnant - about 7 months (far too late for a normal abortion). He and his wife had just been informed that day by their OB-GYN that the fetus had severe deformities of its heart's left ventricle and pulmonary veins. The fetus would live about 5 minutes upon birth. However, they were told, there was a surgical corrective measure that could be done immediately upon birth that would give the child a 10% chance of living to be 21. Furthermore, that procedure would require a 50,000 dollar co-pay - and the baby would have to have several very expensive open-heart procedures througout its lifetime. The total cost to them and their insurance company ( and by extension SOCIETY ) would likely be 2 - 3 million dollars in the first 15 years of the baby's life.
The young man was beside himself - not only with grief - but with overwhelming fear about the future. Any conscious human being with an IQ would be able to immediately realize the ENORMOUS FINANCIAL strain this would take on this young family.
This young man and his wife had discussed this together. They had decided that 50 years ago - if this had happened to their grandparents - the baby would be born and just die. They both decided together that they wanted to abort the fetus, mainly, just to get the death of the fetus over for all involved and to do so in a controlled way. They decided they would immediately begin working on another baby to join their other two. They had prayed about it, discussed it with their families and wanted it done.
Then they talked to their OB - and found out it was not going to happen in Texas. By the laws of the State of Texas - and by extension the Southern Baptist Convention, late-term abortions are impossible to be done here. And thus, in total despondency - my patient just could not handle the stress and ended up in the hospital with chest pain.
I spoke with Dr. Tiller's clinic the next day - and fortunately, he was able to help them very soon thereafter. This family now has 4 healthy kids - and more importantly, are not burdened with the financial disaster of having a child who needs open heart surgery every 3 years. They are ardent Evangelical church-goers and they called me this morning to share their intense grief at what had happened to someone they view as their hero.
These issues are so much more than just a surgical procedure for this family. Late-term abortions - despite what Bill O'Reilly has to say - are almost NEVER if EVER done for birth control or because someone just "doesn't want to be pregnant". They are NOT done to fix pregnancy-induced depression. They ARE done to abort fetuses who are found to have disastrous problems like this couple's baby. And in the process, relieve both the family and society from gigantic emotional and financial pain.
In all my years of practice, I have had a mere 2 women who have had to do this - one is above - the other was very similar.
I thank God there are men like Dr. Tiller who were out there doing this for the women of America.
May God Have Mercy on his soul - and be with his family in these trying hours.
