Good news! This update just in from Wesley Smith about Rachel Nyirahabiyambere, the severely brain damaged Rwandan immigrant whose feeding tube was removed after her family was removed from making medical decisions for her. She was off sustenance for more than two weeks. Yet, she lives! My sources have told me that the family obtained legal counsel, a court ordered … Read More
Video of Baby Joseph
“Baby Joseph” has been described by doctors and the media as being in a “vegetative state” – a term I think we throw around way too freely these days. According to LifeSiteNews, this “vegetative” baby has to have his hands tied down by doctors because he has managed to remove the tube from his mouth on at least two separate … Read More
Praying for Baby Joseph and Family
In case you’ve missed this truly awful story. In Canada, a family is fighting for the right to care for their sick 13 month old child. “Baby Joseph” has a severe neurological disorder and is is on a ventilator in a hospital in London, Ontario. His parents are very aware that their son is not going to recover, but they … Read More
The Baby Who Didn’t Make It
In a column for Salon.com, Helena Holgersson-Shorter writes about The baby who didn’t make it: By the time we were finally ushered into the ultrasound room my husband and I were engaged in a sotto voce round of bickering — can’t believe you messed up the time/stop ruining this for me — only to be struck silent by the magical … Read More
Man Shoots Wife, Daily News Takes Poll *Updated*
In Southern California, an 88 year old man shot his wife, who had “dementia and crippling infirmity” that “robbed her of her ability to walk, sit up, feed herself or recognize visitors,” in the head to end her suffering. The NY Daily News is polling its readers. Sadly, I’m not surprised by these results (as of 6 am), though support … Read More
JP II, the Church on Withdrawing Nutrition and Hydration
Last week I talked about withdrawing nutrition and hydration from sick and disabled people using a passage from Pope Benedict’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) on every human beings basic right to receive food and water. I forgot that in 2004 John Paul II discussed this issue specifically in an address to participants in the International Congress on … Read More
Food and Water are Universal Human Rights
Lately I’ve been reading Pope Benedict’s third and most recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. The whole thing so far has been an enlightening read, but I was particularly struck by this passage I read recently: The right to food, like the right to water, has an important place within the pursuit of other rights, beginning with the fundamental right to … Read More
Locked-In Quadriplegic: “All Life is Worth Living”
Excellent! France has awarded its Legion of Honor to a woman who has been a locked-in quadriplegic for 30 years (h/t Wesley Smith). And, get this: it’s for her fight against euthanasia and assisted suicide! Maryannick Pavageau (shown here with her daughter Myriam (r) and Senator Monique Papon (l), who bestowed the award) had a stroke which left her completely … Read More
Lessons From a Little Flower Redux
Four years ago, I started this blog as an extension of my pro-life apostolate. As you’ve probably noticed, I also write a lot about suffering and the Cross. That’s because it has been my observation after several years of pro-life advocacy that one of the underlying causes of the culture of death (abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, cloning/ESCR) is a desire … Read More
Pacino Wins Emmy for Dr. Death Portrayal
Life just keeps getting better for convicted murderer Jack Kevorkian. Not only was he recently portrayed by none other than screen legend Al Pacino in an HBO biopec, but Sunday night he got to attend and received special recognition at this year’s Primetime Emmy awards. “You Don’t Know Jack” was nominated for a total of 15 Emmys and won two: … Read More