Archives

September 7, 1999
Focus on the Family, Family News in Focus "Therapeutic Abortion or Infanticide?"

Therapeutic Abortion or Infanticide?
By Stuart Shepard, staff writer

A suburban Chicago hospital admits purposefully delivering second trimester babies deemed "defective" in order to terminate pregnancy.

The practice first came to light from allegations advanced by "Jill," a nurse who claims to have held one such baby, aborted alive, in a warm blanket until it died.

"It's a different world, holding a person to die that you shouldn't be holding to die. It's watching their chest, seeing if you can still see a heartbeat and looking at their fingers and their hands and they are fully formed," said Jill, who asked to be identified only by her first name.

In April, Jill wrote a letter to the hospital administration at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill., outlining her concerns about the practice. She says a manager subsequently told her this was the most compassionate way to abort. But, according to Jill, when the hospital's schedules get too busy, all compassion can be lost. "The baby goes to the soiled utility room and is left there to die alone," she said.

Penny Pullen, with Life Advocacy Resource Project, says this is planned infanticide. And there are state laws against this practice in Illinois. "That isn't the way to give therapy to a patient. Therapy is care. Therapy is treatment."

In a statement released to the media, the hospital admitted that it engages in the practice of therapeutic abortion "only under rare circumstances" and that it "does not have an official policy regarding pregnancy termination" but is currently working on one.

"Our hospital is sponsored by the United Church of Christ and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, " said Sue Reimbold, spokesperson for the hospital. "The positions of both of those churches are being looked at as we are developing guidelines, and at this point both do support what the practice has been."

Jill says her own examination has found that 84 such abortions have taken place in the hospital since 1995. While the babies generally have serious health problems, the draft policy shows the hospital wants to expand the practice to include Down's Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, even the mental health of the mother, as suitable reasons.

Christ Hospital and Medical Center is the largest private hospital in Illinois, based on admissions. Nearly 4,000 babies are delivered each year.

Two prayer vigils have already been organized outside of the hospital.

Jill, meanwhile, says she will continue to work at the hospital in order to provide comfort for those she can help and to attempt to bring change to the organization. What troubles her most of all, is the fact that the name of Christ is on the building. "I am confident that because this hospital is named "Christ Hospital" that [this practice] is even more of an abomination to God."

Please also see: Letter to Christ Hospital

Media Coverage 
St. George Pro-Life | Parkview Christian Church