Abortion - what is wrong with our health system?

GlynD

So much was said on the Nolan show last night about that poor girl Sarah Ewart and now I see another case with very similar circumstances on the BBCNI news page today.

What is so wrong with our health system that the Ulster couldn't have contacted the Chief Medical Officer and asked him to raise the matter with Edwin Poots? Why can't they do that for this other woman?

I was furious at some of the comments by pro lifers last night who were arguing that a child should be born with these debilitating defects when the prospect of a useful and enjoyable life for the children is absent. Effectively they wanted Sarah Ewart's baby to die in the womb before they've give her an abortion.

Over the past few days us regulars have been discussing some of our long term political issues on this forum but they pale into insignificance when you consider that in the year 2013 our health service will condemn young women to this infinite misery and do nothing to help them. Isn't this something to consider when voting for Edwin Poots and his party? Do we really want people in government who can't make the proper decisions in matters such as this?

Both stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24458241

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24474353

amyloofoo

GlynD wrote: »

So much was said on the Nolan show last night about that poor girl Sarah Ewart and now I see another case with very similar circumstances on the BBCNI news page today.

What is so wrong with our health system that the Ulster couldn't have contacted the Chief Medical Officer and asked him to raise the matter with Edwin Poots? Why can't they do that for this other woman?

I was furious at some of the comments by pro lifers last night who were arguing that a child should be born with these debilitating defects when the prospect of a useful and enjoyable life for the children is absent. Effectively they wanted Sarah Ewart's baby to die in the womb before they've give her an abortion.

Over the past few days us regulars have been discussing some of our long term political issues on this forum but they pale into insignificance when you consider that in the year 2013 our health service will condemn young women to this infinite misery and do nothing to help them. Isn't this something to consider when voting for Edwin Poots and his party? Do we really want people in government who can't make the proper decisions in matters such as this?

Both stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24458241

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24474353

In cases such as this, there shouldn't be any interest in opinions other than those of the woman, her partner (if she has one) and her doctor Very sad that women are forced to go through circumstances such as this, then have them compounded by an archaic law.

warmhands.coldheart

I know this will make me sound like a heartless funker but I thinks it's disgraceful. As one woman said on a news program yesterday, surely that means there's no point, in theory, in actually bothering to give any woman a scan when pregnant as it doesn't matter if there is anything wrong with the child, they'll do bu66er all anyway...
Bl00dy bible bashers at it again IMO...
These same people saying there should be no abortion will then be the same people complaining when the parents of these seriously disabled children have to essentially rely on the state for all sorts of support to bring up their child be it carers, special education, equipment, etc. etc. etc. etc. The woman should have a choice !!

GlynD

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

I know this will make me sound like a heartless funker but I thinks it's disgraceful. As one woman said on a news program yesterday, surely that means there's no point, in theory, in actually bothering to give any woman a scan when pregnant as it doesn't matter if there is anything wrong with the child, they'll do bu66er all anyway...
Bl00dy bible bashers at it again IMO...
These same people saying there should be no abortion will then be the same people complaining when the parents of these seriously disabled children have to essentially rely on the state for all sorts of support to bring up their child be it carers, special education, equipment, etc. etc. etc. etc. The woman should have a choice !!

That's more or less how the memsahib and I feel. You expressed it much better than I ever could.

warmhands.coldheart

GlynD wrote: »

That's more or less how the memsahib and I feel. You expressed it much better than I ever could.

Maybe someone should take the Health Minister to court over it! If they are going to make these woman go through with these pregnancies against their wishes, then they should be bl00dy well expected to do all in their power to help them support the children and ALL THEIR NEEDS THROUGH ALL OF THEIR LIFE !! Won't take them long to change the law when they start getting all the bills for special housing adaptions and special housing requests, special schooling, special equipment, all the stuff parents of severely disabled children have to exhaustively fight for tooth and nail at the minute! :mad:

motorguy

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

Bl00dy bible bashers at it again IMO...

Totally agree. Forcing THEIR religious beliefs onto the rest of us.

BigAl94

Totally agree, here's who needs targeted first

http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/All-Party-Groups/All-Party-Pro-Life-Group/

I was gobsmacked at the stupid, narrow minded, intransigent, attitude of Bernie Smyth on Nolan last night.

mofopants

my heart broke watching nolan last night and not because i was actually watching the nolan show. I have a 4 week old baby and having recently given birth i think to expect the sarah ewing to give birth to a baby with such a shocking deformity and to expect her to continue with the pregnancy is cruel. The pro life woman on the program was a joke too - her idea of supporting someone was shouting abuse. I hope she never finds herself in such a horrible situation

GlynD

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

Maybe someone should take the Health Minister to court over it! If they are going to make these woman go through with these pregnancies against their wishes, then they should be bl00dy well expected to do all in their power to help them support the children and ALL THEIR NEEDS THROUGH ALL OF THEIR LIFE !! Won't take them long to change the law when they start getting all the bills for special housing adaptions and special housing requests, special schooling, special equipment, all the stuff parents of severely disabled children have to exhaustively fight for tooth and nail at the minute! :mad:

The thing is, there probably are children with severe disability in the community because of this stupid legislation and it's us who have to pay financially for these tragic mistakes. It's the children themselves and their families who pay the real price.

motorguy wrote: »

Totally agree. Forcing THEIR religious beliefs onto the rest of us.

Exactly but what else can you expect from the zealots who kept the troubles here going for much longer than they should have because they wouldn't bend with the progress of time and agree to treat all citizens equally. Treating us all equally doesn't mean to treat us all badly as with this law.

BigAl94 wrote: »

Totally agree, here's who needs targeted first

http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/All-Party-Groups/All-Party-Pro-Life-Group/

I was gobsmacked at the stupid, narrow minded, intransigent, attitude of Bernie Smyth on Nolan last night.

Bernie Smyth needs a good kick up the hole. Like you I couldn't believe the rubbish she was coming out with. "We will; reach out and support any mother and baby in this situation" - how, by forcing such a severely damaged, brain dead child into the world? To face what quality of life?

I can't believe some of the names on that list and it certainl;y means I will never vote for any of those parties whilst they allow the whip to remain with people who support these views. I am so offended to see Kieran McCarthy's name there in particular. David Ford was one of the few voices of common sense last night, which I didn't expect from him because I know he's a churchy person too. Fair play to him in reaching out to support Mrs Ewart.

Why wasn't an exception made though, that's what I want to know. Laws are there for guidance and MLA's could have intervened to save this young woman the hardship of having to go public. The whole affair is shocking and makes us look as if we're stuck in a time warp over here.

Torry_Quine

I do think that where an unborn baby has a condition which is incompatable with life then abortion should be an available option. Although some women do choose to continue with the pregnancy when the baby is anecepahalic for others this is not acceptable to them and to force them to continue to carry a child only to die is cruel.

lazer

If the child has zero chance of life and they are simply waiting for the child to die before inducing labour - then this is quite simply cruel.

I am very pro-life, but even I can see how in a case like this abortion is the only sensible option if it what the mother wants.

But what happens if you know a child is going to die within 2 months of being born, is abortion still the right option, or what if they will live to 5 - is abortion still the right option, or what if they will live to 15 - is abortion still the right option - in other words where is the cut off - to me the cut off is if the baby will be born alive.