Many of today’s medical advances are proving that abortion is simply not necessary. Embryonic stem cells have seen no successful treatments for humans, while stem cells from umbilical cords have cured many diseases. Also, a medical team just delivered a healthy baby girl to a severely disabled woman in Florida—a case in which some argued that abortion would have been the best solution. Despite these affirmations of life, some are still trying to destroy U.S. policy regarding abortion funding in foreign countries. Thankfully, President Bush is dedicated to truly helping women and children—not expanding abortion services.
Please read this issue of the Pro-Life Update carefully to understand some of the challenges we now face and how you, as a Pro-Life activist, can help advance the Culture of Life. Please share this information with your family, friends and church congregations. Make copies. Spread the news.
Umbilical Cord Blood
Umbilical cord blood is an extremely valuable resource for medical researchers because the blood is rich with stem cells. Unlike embryonic stem cells, umbilical cord blood cells have already been used successfully to treat such ailments as leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, immune system disorders, and many more. In one case, umbilical cord blood stem cells were used to cure three boys with defective immune systems.
Considering the continued debates over embryonic stem cell research (which, when taken from a human fetus, kills that child), umbilical cord blood offers a non-controversial option. The stem cells can be cultivated from the umbilical cord blood and then used to help treat ailments. According to Paul R. Billings, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Consultant to Cord Blood Registry, “Umbilical cord blood represents an easily accessible and high quality source of stem cells that does not involve fetuses, but rather a unique and invaluable by-product of a new life.”
Umbilical cord blood research is a way to work toward the medical advances promised—but not delivered—by embryonic stem cell research. Cord blood research is also a morally responsible alternative that does not rely on the death of children.
Unfortunately, many states still do not offer donation facilities. Only some facilities, such as Cryobanks International in Florida (800-869-8608), will allow potential donors to donate cord blood from other states. To find out which states provide donation facilities, log onto www.cordblooddonor.org. A new organization, Babies for Life, is associated with the American Academy of Blood Banks and will soon be able to help expectant parents who would like to donate their baby’s umbilical cord blood. (They currently only work with hospitals in Georgia but are in the process of establishing a relationship with a bank that will accept donations from any hospital.) These two organizations seek to increase public awareness and increase the availability of cord blood units. Once these units are donated, they are made available to transplant centers through international registries. This cord blood can then be used to treat diseases (which eliminates the desire to use embryonic stem cells). For more information on Babies for Life, log onto www.BabiesForLife.org or call (404) 303-9187.
Possible Threat to President Bush’s Mexico City Policy
On Friday, September 3, 2003, pro-abortion Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) inserted an amendment into a bill that would overturn President Bush’s Mexico City Policy. President Bush’s policy prevents taxpayer funding of organizations that perform or promote abortions in other countries. President Bush just recently expanded this policy to ensure that all State Department programs must also abide by it, not just programs funded by USAID.
Although the result of the amendment vote was not available, Pro-Life legislators in the Senate were unlikely able to defeat the amendment because two Republicans on the committee are pro-abortion. Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Ben Campbell (R-CO) have both voted against the Mexico City Policy in the past and may have voted in favor of Reid’s amendment. Reid, in a statement after the vote, said, “The global gag rule is a policy that should be abolished, not expanded. The amendment we passed today will protect women and free speech around the world.”
This amendment, however, will most likely not become law. Pro-Life senators may offer a motion on the floor to remove Reid’s amendment from the bill, or if that fails, they will likely remove it during the conference committee. (The conference committee meets to decide the final version of the bill when the House and Senate versions differ.) The U.S. House also is unlikely to vote for the final version of this bill unless the Reid amendment is stripped. Finally, President Bush has stated several times that he would veto any funding bill that removed the Mexico City Policy.
Baby Girl S Delivered Safely
In April 2003, a severely disabled woman at an Orlando, Florida group home was discovered pregnant as the result of a rape. Just this September, her healthy daughter, “Baby Girl S”, was delivered safely, without any complications. Florida’s Department of Children and Families was immediately granted emergency temporary custody of the baby. The mother is known simply as “J.D.S.” and was the center of a controversy over who would be appointed as her legal guardian and what would happen to her unborn child.
Rumors circulated that some tried to counsel J.D.S. on aborting the child. Patti Jarrell, who was appointed her guardian, said, “It is the guardian’s belief that completing the pregnancy/delivering the child is in J.D.S.’s best interest, and that therefore, unless otherwise directed by the court, the guardian intends to perform her duties under the assumption that J.D.S. will complete her pregnancy.” When doctors had examined J.D.S. twice in June, they had determined that there was no medical reason to terminate the pregnancy.
Governor Jeb Bush tried unsuccessfully to appoint a guardian for the unborn child, in addition to the guardian for the mother. According to the Associated Press (AP), the Bush administration will continue to appeal the process in order to protect the interests of the unborn child. Bush spokeswoman Alia Faraj said to the AP, “The J.D.S. case was very unique, involving a severely incapacitated woman who couldn’t care for herself or her unborn child. And we hope it would never be repeated. But if it tragically does, we would want both the mother and the unborn child to each have a guardian to represent their best interests and ensure their well-being.”
