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December 3, 1999
The Indianapolis Star
"Induced-labor abortion shocked nurse"
Commentary by Tim Swarens


Jill Stanek examined the product of conception after the abortion.

Several facts about the fetus were evident. Male. About 22 weeks of development. Signs of Down's syndrome.

One other fact was clear. The little boy was alive.

Stanek is a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit at Christ Hospital in Oaklawn, Ill. Her job normally is to assist children as they enter the world. That night she helped a child as he left it.

Stanek cradled the baby in her arms for 45 minutes until his heart stopped beating.

Although appalled by what she had witnessed, Stanek remained silent. Nurses who talk about such matters risk losing their jobs.

But then it happened again. Another abortion. Another live birth.

Stanek, who was hearing similar stories from other nurses, decided she had to act.

She began by writing a letter to hospital administrators. Then she talked to reporters.

The hospital admits that induced-labor abortions have occurred about 20 times a year, occasionally resulting in live births. The children normally die in less than an hour. In one case, however, a baby lived for six hours after delivery. No medical care is offered the babies after birth.

At times, the decision to abort was a difficult but understandable choice.  The fetus suffered from such severe defects that sustained life was impossible. Sometimes the mother's life was in danger.

But in other cases, the babies' defects were less severe. Fear of a lower quality of life prompted the abortions.

In October, the hospital's parent company, Advocate Health Care, placed new restrictions on abortions at its facilities. Concern about quality of life is no longer sufficient reason to abort.

Stanek, although worried about loopholes in the policy, appears to have won her fight.   She may, however, lose her job. She's on a year's probation for talking to reporters.

The events at Christ Hospital shed light on another recent news story.

In a widely distributed videotape, a woman given the pseudonym "Kelly" says she witnessed live births at an abortion clinic.

Kelly, employed by a company that harvests fetal tissue at clinics, claims a doctor killed the babies after they were born.

Her accusations have been reported by TV stations and newspapers across the nation, including The Star.

Prompted by Kelly's allegations, the U.S. House last month voted to conduct hearings on fetal tissue sales.

Taken alone, the videotaped claims of an anonymous woman deserve skepticism.  Other evidence, however, supports some of her story.

We know fetal organs are routinely harvested at abortion clinics. It's against federal law to sell human organs, but companies that collect fetal tissue can charge fees to cover expenses. The companies determine their own rates for reimbursement.

Mark Crutcher, president of Life Dynamics Inc., the pro-life group that recorded the Kelly video, says the companies and clinics have found a loophole in the law allowing them to profit from fetal tissue.

Crutcher has released more than 50 order forms sent to an abortion clinic from researchers requesting fetal eyes and brains, lungs and limbs.

Many of the orders sought organs from fetuses aborted between 16 and 24 weeks gestation, the same developmental period in which live births occurred
during abortions at Christ Hospital. If a doctor decided to hasten a premature baby's death in the same clinic where he routinely destroys unborn fetuses,
we shouldn't be surprised. Neither should we be shocked that others have found a way to profit from the remnants of life.

It's bad enough that live, whole children are deemed worthless. Compounding that tragedy is the sad fact that their value increases with death and dismemberment.

Swarens is a Star editorial writer. His email address is: [email protected].

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