One very beautiful Lady

[Elgalad]

Mother delays cancer treatment so baby can live (link) (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325458,00.html)

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8430/461motherdies320aq5.gif

Expectant mother Lorraine Allard learned the devastating news that she was in the advanced stages of liver cancer when she was four months pregnant, according to the Daily Mail.

Allard, of St. Olaves in the U.K., had a choice: Delay treatment to save her baby, or terminate the pregnancy to save herself.

She chose the former, waiting until the fetus was viable before scheduling a Caesarean section.

"If I am going to die, my baby is going to live," Allard told her husband, Martyn, according to the Mail..Heroism isn't always about facing enemies in battle or standing firm on one's principles when they are attacked..

Sometimes it's simply expressed through love.

I am deeply humbled by this courageous woman. God bless her.



-Elgalad

[DesertFox]

Agreed. This is the love that is greater than life.

Madame, my hat's off to you.

[MSGT]

Speechless

[Beowulf]

Very courageous Lady. God Bless her.

[BabyBeastie]

Courageous but wrong. She should have tried to save herself.

[ThomasMore]

Prayers sent.

Thanks, El, for posting this story.

[DoctorDoom]

Courageous but wrong. She should have tried to save herself.There is no being saved from advanced liver cancer except by God, who is known for rewarding goodness. She made the choice to give her child life. May Jehovah Rapha richly bless her.

[Beowulf]

Courageous but wrong. She should have tried to save herself.
Debateable. As Doc said, advanced liver disease is usually a death sentence. It wasn't "wrong" to her.

[BabyBeastie]

Now the other kids and this baby have no mother. The husband has no wife.

Great. Just great.:sad:

[Elgalad]

I think I know where you're coming from BabyBeastie, it seems incredibly unfair for this family to lose their Mother.

But you're not seeing the big picture here.. someone was going to die. It was going to be either the baby or his Mother. She chose to give her life to save his. That choice and that sacrifice are what makes her so beautiful.

She did not throw her life away. The moment she was able to get treatment, she did. The hope was there that since the baby was born naturally instead of via caesarean section, she'd have a much better chance to survive since they could start treatment earlier. And she DID want to live.

But she had already made her decision that no matter what, her baby deserved to live more.

It is tragic, and it's very sad, but I can't agree with you that it was the wrong choice.


-Elgalad

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I think I know where you're coming from BabyBeastie, it seems incredibly unfair for this family to lose their Mother.

But you're not seeing the big picture here.. someone was going to die. It was going to be either the baby or his Mother. She chose to give her life to save his. That choice and that sacrifice are what makes her so beautiful.

She did not throw her life away. The moment she was able to get treatment, she did. The hope was there that since the baby was born naturally instead of via caesarean section, she'd have a much better chance to survive since they could start treatment earlier. And she DID want to live.

But she had already made her decision that no matter what, her baby deserved to live more.

It is tragic, and it's very sad, but I can't agree with you that it was the wrong choice.


-Elgalad

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I would argue the same holds true for a parent and child. I do seem to recall a certain Son being sacrificed so that others might live as well.

IMHO (and from experience*) the mother made the right choice.

*My firstborn was in distress and there were complications. I made it known up front, vocally, and repeatedly that if there was a choice to be made between me and my child, let my child live. It almost came to pass because the cord was wrapped around his neck, I had to have an emergency C and they botched my epidural and we both almost died -- they got him out FIRST, before they began treating me.

[DoctorDoom]

Now the other kids and this baby have no mother. The husband has no wife.

Great. Just great.OTOH, before long, the other kids would have no mother, the husband would had no wife, and there would also be a dead baby. Cancer kills, and advanced liver cancer, absent a miracle, kills quickly. IMO, the baby is mom's gift to the family, to remind them of her love and her willingness to sacrifice everything, even her life, for them.

[ColonialMarine0431]

This Lady has a special place in Heaven. To give your life for another is the ultimate sacrifice.

[Maggie_T]

No other love matches a mother's love. May God reward this wonderful and corageous woman.

[BabyBeastie]

All points well taken. It was somewhat difficult to decide on what to post. It would have been easy to post something in support of the mother's decision, but I posted based on my initial feelings about who I felt is most important to the family. I also thought that this would have been one of those rare situations where an abortion quite possibly could have saved the mother's life.

I guess what really bugs me (and maybe I'm reading too far into the story) is that she was sick well before she became pregnant and claims she didn't know she was that ill until it was too late. That just strikes me wrong.

I wish their family well. Glad the baby is doing fine.