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Larson Hicks writes:
“My wife gave birth to a beautiful anencephalic little boy about seven weeks ago. He lived for the most wonderful 16 days we’ve ever had. We knew he wouldn’t live long, but we couldn’t be more grateful for his life. We were not only given the gift of getting to know our son, but we were given the blessing of true grief over the loss of our son. Had we chosen to do it differently, I’m sure we’d have always had a knot in our stomach about it and have never enjoyed the overwhelming joy that those 2 weeks with our son were. We’re starting to (slowly) blog about his short life here: www.levihicks.blogspot.com”
posted June 2, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I wonder how those 16 days were for the boy.
posted June 2, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Robert, it sounds like you are implying that if someone is going to suffer, we should prevent them from living. What do you mean?
posted June 2, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Larson thank you for sharing that precious little picture of your son.
And disregard any negative comments because there are cruel and mean people out there. You did the right thing and you let your son live if not for only a few days.
Robert wonders about what pain he might have been going through.
I ask you Robert, what do you think the pain would be like for the child in the womb when the doctor crushes its skull and inserts the scissors to kill it?
My niece was born at 22 weeks and is now seventeen and an honor student with a 4.5 grade point. She is going to Standford next year.
She had multiple surgeries after birth most with no pain medication. The medication would have been to dangerous. But she survived and does not remember the pain.
The doctors told my sister and brother in law to pull her off life support. I am so glad they did not. They allowed God to call the shots.
God bless you Larson.
posted June 2, 2009 at 9:17 pm
No, adamf, I am simply asking how it must have been for the boy. Did he suffer? Did his condition preclude his feeling pain? Did he struggle for every breath? You seem to be saying anything the child must endure for people who don’t even know him, like you and me, to congratulate ourselves on our morality is just fine. But I am asking, did the child suffer?
posted June 2, 2009 at 9:21 pm
“The doctors told my sister and brother in law to pull her off life support. I am so glad they did not. They allowed God to call the shots.”
Nonsense. The parents called the shots. They insisted on life support–or did life support miraculously appear around your niece? The parents are responsible for the child’s life. You rejoice in that, and, actually, so do I. I myself was the child my mother was advised to abort, and I’m glad she didn’t. But it was her choice to keep me.
posted June 3, 2009 at 12:25 am
For those who don’t believe in a world-to-come nothing in this world will ever make any sense.
posted June 3, 2009 at 12:49 am
Just for the record, I oppose late-term abortions. I believe that double standards help perpetuate them. But to answer the question, “I ask you Robert, what do you think the pain would be like for the child in the womb when the doctor crushes its skull and inserts the scissors to kill it?”
Apparently you already know the answer. If a child is allowed to be born with horrible disabilities does not feel the pain, obviously a child killed through a partial birth abortion would not, either.
posted June 3, 2009 at 2:02 am
Thank you Larson for sharing your story. I am sorry for your painful loss.
posted June 3, 2009 at 9:52 am
“For those who don’t believe in a world-to-come nothing in this world will ever make any sense.”
Some of us believe the world to come is just a revelation of the world that already is.
posted June 3, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Michael Antebi: I don’t believe in an afterlife. And I have to say, you’re right about one thing: your comment certainly doesn’t make any sense.
posted June 3, 2009 at 5:12 pm
@Robert – “You seem to be saying anything the child must endure for people who don’t even know him, like you and me, to congratulate ourselves on our morality is just fine.”
Touché Robert, although I simply wanted to understand your view, not congratulate myself on my morality, which you know very little of, nor I yours. All of these abortion debates seem fruitless, imo, without consensus on what a “life” is, and when it begins. Both sides make sense to me, according to what they view as life. If a 1 month old fetus is a life to someone, OF COURSE it is murder. That is not my stance, but it makes sense.
posted October 21, 2009 at 3:18 pm
After reading a little about anencephalic babies, most of the research states the baby has no developed sense of pain. I am sure Levi was happy to be with his parents as much as they were happy to be with him. I thhink it’s wonderful that you loved and nurtured him until his passing.