file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News/1991: pln-0105.txt --------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 1, Number 5 May, 1991 --------------------------------------------------------------------- edited from a 6 Feb. 1991 article from "The Lionhearted" the PSU newspaper: Increasingly, medical technology enables doctors to save younger and younger premature infants. Viability has become a variable, a function of the medical equipment available, and the skill of the pediatrician. On New Years day in 1972, one year before the passage of "Roe vs Wade," Marcus Richardson was born in Cincinnati General Hospital, only 20 weeks after his mother's last menstral cycle and weighing in at 780 grams (1 lb, 20 oz). Marcus is now a normal 18-year old. What was unusual in 1972 has become more and more common. In the neonatal intensive care unit of McGee Women's hospital in Pittsburgh, pediatric nurses patiently watch over a premature baby in a heated bassinet. The child was born 23 weeks after her mother's last menstral period; The little girl began breathing air during the second trimester of her life, and her life is still at risk, but she has a greater than 10% chance of surviving. Down the hall and around the corner from the NICU where this small infant is guarded, doctors perform second-trimester abortions. One favored method of abortion in the second trimester is the use of the hormone prostaglandin F-2 alpha, marketed as Prostin 15M by the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan. A shot of prosaglandin induces violent labor and the mother delivers what, if it had been born at the other end of the hallway, would have been called a premature infant. Since the mother requested the abortion, it is called a fetus. The trauma of delivery typically causes the fetus/infant to be born dead, but not always. One of the complications listed by the drug manufacturer is "live birth." Dr. Willard Cates of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA estimated that 400 - 500 live births per year occur after legal abortions. Most die quickly, but to the horror of interns and nurses who are forbidden by doctors from attempting to save the unfortunate newborn that does not die. Another technique of late abortion, known as saline abortion also may result in a live birth. This technique is noted by the doctor injecting a concentrated salt solution into the bag of waters, causing the mother's body to reject the child. One such case occurred in Florida in 1976, where after a saline abortion, nurses found a baby girl alive in a bed pan. Today, that girl is fourteen years old. One of the folks on the mailing list, Melanie confirmed this to me: "Yesterday [11 April ?? - ed] I was at the Pro-Life Protest of Planned Parenthood at PP North Eastern Regional Conference, and last night at the Pro-Life Rally. Somebody told the remarkable story of a 14 year old girl who was aborted and survived. (She lived through a saline abortion, and when she was born a live, the doctor slit her throat and dumped her in a bucket. A merciful nurse heard her crying and took her to natal ICU) and about a younger boy who the pro-choicers tried to throw away as garbage." As pro-lifers, we are trying to stand up for the unborn that are forbidden from living. The "complications" of life that are left to die inside the womb, or even in buckets and bed pans around the country have no voice but ours to speak for them. Let us not forget that we have many such "complications" to speak out for. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments on "The Underground Pro-Lifer", run in the March and April issues: Melanie Hiranandani sent these comments: In your last proflife letter, you spoke about taking money away from Planned Parenthood's abortions. Unfortunately, this is not possible. See, Planned Parenthood is a government-funded organization, and if they get a big 1-800 bill, or even big regular phone bills, they just ask the government to give them more of OUR tax dollars. The same goes with their mailing lists etc.. What makes it even more scary, is that this, like any other government run program, is more likely to not be stopped when more funds (which to them equals more people using them) are given. It is like making an investment. You are less likely to stop investing in one thing when you have already invested into so much in it. The more money the us government gives them, the more committed the US government is to giving them more. That means that the underground pro-lifer has to do something else in the case of publicly funded organizations. (what you have suggested works really well in privately-funded groups.) The best thing I have ever come up with takes a lot of guts: Walk into planned parenthood as a customer, and while looking through their propaganda literature, leave factual literature there... just think about how many woman who are coming to have abortions and see the truth, would walk out! If you really want to hurt the an abortionist, get A LOT of pro-lifers together, and get on his/her/its mailing list. And if half of his mailing list dollars are wasted, well, you just won! One last thing. If you want to know just how Planned Parenthood works, read GRAND ILLUSIONS by George Grant. If you cannot afford a copy, write to Randy Terrel, he might be able to work something out with you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "It seems to me as clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime" - Mahatma Ghandi ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For those of a more feminist bend, there are some interesting bumper stickers available from a pro-life women's organization called the Professional Womens Network, with active chapters (that I know of) in Pittsburgh and Chicago. The sticker is green and reads "PRO-WOMAN - PRO-LIFE" and are available by contacting Marge Wallace at (412)279-4451 or by writing to Human Life Advocates at PO Box 112514 Pittsburgh, PA 15241 (USA). My information is a bit dated, but it looks like a good group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------