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Dear Friends For Life,
Last week we shared the following news: [[Ectopic Pregnancies Increase From Progestin: According to FDA labeling on Plan B, "ectopic pregnancies account for approximately 2% of all reported pregnancies, but up to 10% of pregnancies reported in clinical studies with routine use of progestin only contraceptives." This is a five fold increase in the instances of potentially fatal side effects of drug usage.]] This week I would like to attach a note about perinatal hospice which was founded by pro-life obstetrician Byron Calhoun. He is professor at U.of VA medical school. He has excellent resources for parents who are carrying a child with a presumed fatal prognosis. Please view the following http://www.perinatalhospice.org for sites which are more widely available. God Bless,
Jerry Novotny, OMI
(The Difference is LIFE) "You matter because you are you, and you matter until the last moment of your life." -Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement.
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(Due to volume of spam received, do not reply to this message but instead send all emails to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you!)
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Lifeissues.net Newsletter #562
February 12, 2011
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2. Soaring Sex Selective Abortions Slash Taiwan's Fertility Rate
3. Depression and the Elderly
4. Catholics unite in opposition to contraception mandate
5. Japan's Population Set to Plummet
6. Little steps bring great rewards in helping the disabled
7. 'The single biggest mistake of my entire life': a letter from a post-abortive woman
8. Threatened fertility: are fertility clinic success rates accurate?
9. Stem cell hope for millions with Parkinson's disease
10. The new outlaws: how same-sex marriage suffocates freedom
11. Think About It: "Genetic engineering endorsed"
12. Plan B, rape, and abortion: Err on the side of life
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(Focus on Time): "Perinatal Hospice and Palliative Care - A Gift of Time" - If you visit this site because of a prenatal diagnosis that indicates your baby likely will die before or after birth, we are so sorry. Perhaps you are considering continuing your pregnancy and embracing whatever time you may be able to have with your baby, even if that time is only before birth, while your baby is cradled safely inside of you. Please know that support is available (see the links on this site for perinatal hospice/palliative care programs and other resources) and that you are not alone. Parents who have traveled this path before you have found that it can be a beautiful, profoundly meaningful, and healing journey.
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ITEM #1: Life after Prenatal Disability Diagnosis
Kristal Dahlager, now a third year law student at Liberty University, has a remarkable story. Her mother was advised to essentially abort her because of a serious prenatally diagnosed problem. Yet Kristal, a thriving, beautiful and joyful young woman, survived and thrived. Click the 'play' button below to see to her tell the story:
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ITEM #2: Soaring Sex Selective Abortions Slash Taiwan's Fertility Rate
Last year, Taiwan's fertility rate became the world's lowest, dropping from 1.03 in 2010 to a record low of just 0.9 in 2011. The government blamed the decreasing birth rate on people's superstitions about which zodiac years were best for bearing children. It seems many people were waiting for the recently-begun year of the dragon, which is considered a particularly auspicious period to be born in. The Taiwanese government is now trying harder to ensure a higher birth rate, but also to ensure that more girls are born. Since last year doctors who perform sex-selective abortions risk losing their medical license.
***Letter From 12-Week-Old Unborn Baby: Please Don't Abort Me.
***South African bishops grieve 1 million 'lost children' after 15 years of legalized abortion.
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ITEM #3: Depression and the Elderly
Most people don't expect older adults to take their own lives, but this population has the highest suicide rate of any age group. There is an average of one suicide among the elderly every 90 minutes, which is why it's important to know the risk factors to keep an eye out for.
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ITEM #4: Catholics unite in opposition to contraception mandate
Critics of that contraception coverage provision in the mandate claim that the issue is not contraception itself, but government imposing itself on religion. Overturning the mandate is the most immediate issue for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., told NCR in a telephone interview Feb. 7.
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ITEM #5: Japan's Population Set to Plummet
The Japanese government has published stark new evidence that the nation is on the cusp of a demographic crisis. The country's population is expected to decline by 30 per cent, to below 90 million people, by 2060, by which time two out of every five people will be aged 65 or older, a government agency has said, underlining the financial burden on one of the world's fastest-ageing societies. "The trend of the ageing society will ...
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ITEM #6: Little steps bring great rewards in helping the disabled
Five million Filipinos are physically handicapped, according to Catholic Handicapped Development, and Fr Moortgat organizes initiatives, events and meetings for people with disabilities all year round.
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ITEM #7 'The single biggest mistake of my entire life': a letter from a post-abortive woman
As I sat there curled up in a ball crying, I physically and very clearly heard a strong yet soft man's voice in the darkness of my bedroom. The only words spoken were, "Don't do it."
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ITEM #8: Threatened fertility: are fertility clinic success rates accurate?
Many couples struggling with infertility look to fertility-assisted reproductive technologies to conceive a child. When evaluating fertility clinics, many would-be parents look for success rates or pregnancy rates. However, those statistics may not be what people think they are.
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ITEM #9: Stem cell hope for millions with Parkinson's disease
Dr Michelle Gardner, research development manager at Parkinson's UK, said: "New stem cell technology which allows nerve cells to be made from adult skin cells is opening doors for research into Parkinson's. "This study is particularly exciting because ...
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ITEM #10: The new outlaws: how same-sex marriage suffocates freedom
Those advocating the radical social innovation, which they label "same-sex or gay marriage," typically claim that they are fighting for freedom, championing a basic liberty. "Freedom to Marry" is indeed the name of a national organization devoted to the advocacy of same-sex marriage. Established in 2003 by civil-rights advocate Evan Wolfson and headquartered in New York City, this group takes "We All Deserve the Freedom to Marry" as its slogan. So effective has it promulgated this perspective that even former First Lady Laura Bush endorsed homosexuals' right to marry as a matter of basic freedom when she appeared on the Larry King Show in May 2010. But those who advocate homosexual marriage as a way of enlarging the American sphere of liberty are profoundly - and deceptively - misrepresenting their aims.
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ITEM #11: Think About It: "Genetic engineering endorsed"
[[Note: Think about it: You don't need genetic engineering to choose a girl over a boy baby; natural human "egg" and "sperm" suffice. So why is this fertility expert even mentioning genetic engineering for that purpose? Think about it: You do need genetic engineering to design a baby with certain eye color; and by the way, genetic engineering could also insert genes for a million other interesting and not necessarily good or desireable "traits" as well, while the early human embryo is still in the petri dish or in the woman's uterus. Think about it: Genetic engineering is usually done in vitro (in the petri dish), usually in IVF/ART basic bench research laboratories, before implantation; so where do these genetic engineers go to try out their genetically engineered experimental human embryos - they have to go to iinfertility clinics, that use all private monies, of course. Think about it: If the genetic engineering didn't work, then those experimental human embryos that they implant into women would abort - or be aborted to obtain required "data". Think about it: Precisely how would these IVF/ART "infertility" clinics make sure "thoughtful" and "proper" regulations were defined by law? - insist on terms like "sexually reproduced", "fertilization", "conception" (as already defined in many state laws as "implantation"), "in the womb"? And what about "regulations" for their bench research laboratories? HUMAN ggenetic engineering, human embryo and human fetal research, human embryonic and other stem cell research, "infertility" and "abortion" are all necessarily connected. Time to collectively pull heads out of the sand. Hello? Anybody out there? - Dianne N. Irving, PhD]]
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ITEM #12: Plan B, rape, and abortion: Err on the side of life
Comment: For those of you who missed it, I sent out this last August: "A New Drug for Emergency Contraception; But not in Catholic Hospitals?" (online at: http://www.chausa.org/2010_HCEUSA_Annual_Index.aspx) You have to go to the URL to access the article as a pdf file. It is from the Summer 2010 issue of the Catholic Health Assn.'s Health Care Ethics USA publication. As many of you may know, Ron Hamel (senior ethicist for CHA) has come out in favor of using the "emergency contraceptive" known as Plan B in Catholic hospitals for rape victims using just a pregnancy test. He doesn't accept Plan B's own info saying that it can interfere with implantation and thus has the potential for an early abortion. This has had very serious consequences in real life with conscience rights as states have passed laws mandating "emergency contraception" for rape victims at all hospitals.(for example, see CNS article "No opposition from Wisconsin Catholic Conference re emergency contraception bill" online at: http://m.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9241) Not to mention the conscience rights of pharmacists, nurses, etc. Not surprisingly, his position now seems a bit short-sighted as Ella, a new so-called "emergency contraceptive" with a mechanism similar to the abortion drug RU 486 and a longer acting time has come out. In this 2010 article, Ron Hamel now says that Ella shows the need for conscience rights at Catholic hospitals, although he still defends the hormone overdose known as Plan B as merely inhibiting ovulation. -Nancy Valko, RN
***Plan B and Ella: Morning After Contraceptives Can Also Induce Abortion, Evicting an Embryonic Person
***[ Note: Might take a look at some Irving testimonies on these issues, with scientific references provided:
--- "REQUESTED SCIENTIFIC SUBMISSION: Dec. 16 Meeting, New Drug Application 21-045, Plan B, and Preven, 'Morning-After' Pills" (December 5, 2003), submitted to Ms Karen M. Templeton-Somers, and The Joint Meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (HFD-21), Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD 20857, at:
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irvi/irvi_19newdrug21-045.html
--- "Testimony Submitted to FDA Re Change of MAP to OTC Status" (Nov. 19, 2004), at:
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_85newdrug.html
--- "Testimony to DHHS Re Rescinding Provider Conscience Clause" (April 6, 2009), at: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_139conscienceclause.html ]
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YOU CAN CHANGE SOCIETY: 1. BE INFORMED: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Visit Lifeissues.net Website for insights into current Life Issues www.lifeissues.net. Access to all prior Newsletters is located in the Archives on main page. 2. PRAY DAILY: for the courage to be God's presence in society and to strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 3. BECOME INVOLVED: Several years ago Fr. Jerry created a project entitled, "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia". The project appeals for donations to help finance plane travel for lectures and seminars to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is centered on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Universities, Parishes, Hospitals and Family/Pro Life related groups. The lectures place emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues, Trends and Challenges". For information about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. To become a supportive Missionary participant for this Asian project, kindly send your donations to: ** Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI ** LifeIssues.net, Editor ** Akebono-cho 1-15-9 ** Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072 (or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824) ------------------------------ Get a weekly dose of clear thinking: subscribe to our free Lifeissues newsletter! Sign up at www.LifeIssues.net. Pass this free service to your friends and various groups. ------------------------------ Contact EDITOR: Jerry Novotny, OMI Akebono-cho 1-15-9 Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072 [tel/fax: 088-843-0406] [email: jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp] ["Due to volume of spam received, we're asking you not to reply to this message but instead send all correspondence to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you! Editor"] ------------------------------ Websites by Editor: English LifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net, Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
HIV/AIDS Site: http://capcha.org OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
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