from AC 360 Blog: Interview w/ woman who had late-term abortion

[OneGrassRoot]

AC360° guest Lynda Waddington had a late-term abortion and spoke with Anderson over the phone for an exclusive interview about her experience.


http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/02/ac360%C2%B0-qa-a-personal-perspective-on-late-term-abortion/


As always, the comments are interesting...or not.


This is the same woman's letter to Barack Obama in 2008. It takes a LOT to open up to this degree and relive that pain. Good for her.

http://iowaindependent.com/2565/open-letter-to-obama-a-personal-perspective-on-late-term-abortion

[grantcart]

1. The comment from Beth was particularly informative and sad

Like Lynda, I was a patient of Dr. Tiller’s for a late-term abortion. I am a lawyer and my husband is a physician. We had a loved a wanted pregnancy-it was our first. I had a tragic complication while pregnant which led to a number of near fatal problems with the fetus, which were not diagnosed until my third trimester. While all of my doctors at a major teaching hospital in Chicago agreed that this baby would be deeply compromised and would have no quality of life, they told me that if I delivered the baby here that they would be forced to deliver me with a neonatal team that would be required to save the life of this severely disabled child, who was not likely to survive. They all agreed that an abortion would be best, but said it was illegal to perform one in Illinois past 22 weeks. (I have since learned that it was not illegal, it was just against every hospital’s policy in the area due to safety concerns caused by anti-choice violent criminals). It was recommended that I see Dr. Tiller, who was the closest of only three doctors in the entire country who was brave enough to still perform a necessary late term abortion. I went to Kansas with a broken heart to terminate a wanted and loved pregnancy on medical advice. Dr. Tiller required evidence from several of my doctors at Northwestern substantiating the host of medical problems with the fetus. He also conducted an ultrasound upon my arrival to further substantiate that the fetus was as compromised as my other doctors had stated. He then treated me and my husband with the highest standard of care and compassion, for which I will be forever grateful. His loss is a loss for women everywhere, and I can only hope that one day another brave man or woman will step in to fill his shoes. And for the record, Dr. Tiller and his clinic would only provide late term abortions to women whose pregnancies were severely compromised, and he required extensive proof of having such a condition. This procedure was never used as a form of birth control! The Anti-Choice movement needs to stop trying to scare the public into thinking that late term abortions are performed for women who flake out and decide they don’t want to have a baby. They are only performed when medically rational. Get real and start spewing facts for a change!!!

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Oh man, her letter to Obama is killing me....

I'm balling my eyes out and applauding her courage in sharing. I went through so much of what she is detailing here...back in 1991 when I lost a full-term baby and chose to induce labor.

[grantcart]

3. sorry about your loss, 17 years ago and it is still very real to you

Here is the actual link to Waddington's letter, it is very illuminating.


http://iowaindependent.com/2565/open-letter-to-obama-a-personal-perspective-on-late-term-abortion

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

6. Very powerful letter

Esp. the closing paragraph

<snip> When I end my story, it is always with the question that I would like for you to answer now:

“If your loved one was placed on life support and attending physicians said there was no chance of life continuing without the machines, who do you want to make the decision as to when and if life support is removed?” <snip>

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Wow

How touching.

[CornField]

18. deepest condolences

Losing a child is like a shotgun blast -- at first it leaves this big, raw hole in you. As the years go by time does heal those jagged edges, but the hole is still there.

[Arkansas Granny]

25. You're right. That hole just stays.

Even after 33 years, it never goes away.

[OneGrassRoot]

26. ...

:hug:

[Arkansas Granny]

28. ...

:hug:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. What got me were the comments

where it was obvious they had not read what the poor woman had to go through--they were intent on spouting their talking points, and, in some cases, outright lying about the situation. Sorry, but a baby born without a brain or skull isn't merely "handicapped".

[OneGrassRoot]

5. The lack of an independent thought process is evident....

and consistent with right-wing types.

Talking points only.

Sadly, it's dangerous to the rest of the world.

[chatnoir]

7. Those ppl completely lack critical thinking skills

They're ChristoFacist automatons droning on with talking points.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. These are the same idiots who thought Terri Schiavo was going to wake up one day

:crazy:

[OneGrassRoot]

11. I stopped reading with this comment...

I do wonder if many of these people would say the same thing in person, rather than anonymously online. The comments are astonishing, even to me, and I expecI people to be shits. Oy.

Here's the comment:

"My daughter Clare was born with anencephaly seven years ago. We knew at 20 weeks that she would not survive long outside of the womb. We put our faith in God and chose to enjoy her life, to celebrate her time with us. She lived 20 hours after her 9-month pregnancy. Her life was every bit as beautiful and meaningful as those of my four living children, just not as long. I have peace and joy whenever I think of her or look at her picture, cradled in the arms of her family.

To any who may think an anencephalic child has no quality of life... our daughter had a perfect life on earth, and now has joy forever in heaven. We cannot wait to see her again!"


I suppose that is subjective, the whole "quality of life" argument. But we know her daughter couldn't have lived more than one day. How does SHE know the infant wasn't in pain and distress?

My most powerful wish is that my loved ones don't suffer -- I mean REALLY suffer -- needlessly.

Suffering....these types seem to enjoy suffering, their own and others. Do they believe suffering offers them the keys to heaven or something? That's as bad as the whole "72 virgins" premise....

Oy again.

[grantcart]

12. If I was one of her living children I would wonder what all the years of interaction

contributed to the relationship that it was every bit as meaningful to an organism that was

blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a main brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch may occur.


So a life existence that is based on reflex and cell activity has the same quality of life as a sentient being.


The link has pictures of an anencephalic child, not for the squeemish. She may have thought that her sacrifice for the 20 hours of 'life' was worth it but I cannot understand how anyone would fault the parent for aborting this condition in the 8th month.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anencephalic

[OneGrassRoot]

13. I really do feel they take pride in suffering....

inflicting it as well as enduring it. I thought it was pure ignorance and brainwashing, but there is a sadistic (an almost sadomasochistic) streak there as well.

A compassionate person wouldn't fault Ms. Waddington.

[grantcart]

14. You are not far off. Mother Teresa, for all her good qualities, did not actually

want to reduce the number of people in poverty, just embrace their poverty with them.

[madaboutharry]

23. I am becoming more and more convinced that deeply

held religious beliefs cause mental illness. I don't say this in a glib or sarcastic manner. I honestly think that it causes people to suspend all rational thinking.

I find this woman's comment about her daughter's 20 hours of life sick and disturbing. .

[rvablue]

8. Did Cooper just post this on his blog or is he going to or did interview her on air?

I certainly hope it was on air.

People need to hear the real-life stories re: late term abortions and not the fairytale, horror stories the RWers like to peddle in order to unduly horrify and scare people.

[OneGrassRoot]

9. I only saw the transcript of their interview....

couldn't find an audio file of same, so I guess it's just a blog entry?

[CornField]

16. The interview aired on last night's show

Funny how things work sometimes... today has been a crazy blur of answering e-mail messages and reading comments, some good and others bad. It's been a day of hearing from women I've never met, some who have gone through similar situations as my own, and others who can hardly fathom it. So many people want to offer their opinions. So many others just want me to know that they read and they learned from the little I could offer.

In any event, I haven't been to DU in forever. I came over earlier today, checked out the state forum and breaking news before taking a link and getting sidetracked. When I return, I find a link to my story here too. LOL! I guess I was supposed to find it so I could thank you for posting it and reading. I really believe that if we are to have an honest conversation about abortion in our country that it has to be based on reality. Unfortunate, sad and devastating as it is, my story is one of those realities.

Thanks again to all of you who have commented. If anyone has additional questions, I'm going to be around for about the next 15-20 minutes.

CornField (aka Lynda)

[OneGrassRoot]

17. Oh my goodness.........

I'm crying again. I can't believe this.

I simply want to thank you. That's all. Just thank you for your courage.

And give you infinite hugs.....:hug:

[OneGrassRoot]

20. I do have a question...

First, thank you for the kind words and condolences. :hug:

I honestly don't have the stomach to read the remainder of the comments. Perhaps the answer to my question could be found within the responses.

In sharing your experience, have you found anything which tends to elicit compassion and understanding from the judgmental, rabid anti-choicers, or is the mindset so very different that it's hopeless to even try to tap into their humanity?

[CornField]

21. For the most extreme, reasons are a moot point

Some really do believe that no matter what their view of "God's will" must be allowed to play out. That means that even if a woman's health is at risk, even if it is very likely that a woman will die in order to carry a pregnancy to birth, then that is what they believe should happen.

I don't think those people can be reached because they simply dismiss the idea of anything that contradicts their "will" argument/belief.

There is another part of the population that honestly believes the misconceptions preached by those who are against abortion that foolish women have neglected birth control, neglected to have an early term abortion and then decide somewhere a few weeks or months before their due date to take care of "the problem." For those individuals, my story has really made a difference. They have seen, sometimes for the first time, that these issues are not all black and white, and that not all women who have late abortions are unmarried, uneducated, uncaring, etc.

(Edited for grammar)

[OneGrassRoot]

22. Thank goodness...

Surely your story is reaching -- and touching -- more hearts and minds than we'll ever know.

Thank you again for having the courage to share so openly. You have certainly impacted me today in a profound way.

:hug:

[CornField]

24. I hope so

That letter was written in July of 2008 -- while Obama was still a candidate. It took a lot of emotional energy to write it all out, to put it all back together piece by piece. I think when something horrible like this happens, it is natural to wonder "Why me?" I also think there is often a purpose behind the madness.

I know on a personal level that the whole experience with my son gave me strength. After all, if you can continue to live after dealing with the death of a child, other things in life seems relatively easy.

So, if telling the story allows some moms to realize that they aren't alone in their experiences, or helps someone else see the issue from a different vantage point, then the emotional energy expanded was worth it.

[MagickMuffin]

27. Thank you for speaking out, I know it isn't easy telling a story such as yours

I'm sorry for your loss and having to make such a difficult decision. I hope you know that there are some people who will not judge you for having to make a decision that isn't an easy one to make. Your letter proves that sometimes you have to educate people who don't understand all the details of late term abortions. You have shown a lot of courage in trying to educate the ill informed.


:hug:

[OneGrassRoot]

19. The subject of this AC 360 interview -- Lynda -- is a DUer...

and she's here in this thread. Cornfield.

:)

In case you have questions for her....

[Blue_Tires]

29. k+r