The little boy’s new baby brother was screaming up a storm, so he asked his mom, “Where did we get him from?”
His mom replied, “He came from heaven.”
“Wow!” said the boy. “I can see why they threw him out!”
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Well, the following is a true account of a baby who hadn’t been kicked out of mom’s womb yet and had only been there for 20 weeks. At that time the baby named Roman was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord is exposed through a gap in the backbone. The first option the doctors gave his parents was termination, making them aware of the worst case scenarios possible for bringing their child into the world.
However, Roman’s parents decided to look for other options. His mom discovered doctors could operate on their baby’s spine before he was born. In fact, they found out the quicker the nerves are placed back inside the body, the less damage that will take place, and an operation performed at 25 weeks would make a huge difference from an operation performed at 40 weeks.
As a result, after only being in his mom’s womb for 25 weeks, doctors operated on Roman. After the pregnancy reached full term, Roman made his grand debut into the world. In spite of being warned that Roman might be paralyzed from the knees down and have difficulty learning, thinking and solving problems, Roman grew up to be a bright little boy who couldn’t wait to learn how to walk.
Many of you may have seen video clips of Roman on the Internet where an adorable toddler can be seen taking his first steps while telling his friend, the family dog, “Look, I can walk!” That toddler is Roman, who is now able to take steps without the aid of a walker.
His mom said, “It’s been proven that fetal surgery allows you to function better.” Roman’s dad said, “We want people who get this diagnosis to think of Roman and how amazing he is.”
This amazing toddler was fortunate to have parents who spoke up for his human rights. Though it’s hard to believe, here in Canada, unborn babies legally have zero human rights until after they are born. That’s because a law that was struck down decades ago has not been replaced by Parliament to this day.
I found this statement on a government of Canada website: “Know your rights as a Canadian, understand how your rights are protected, and learn how to file a complaint if you have been discriminated against.”
Shouldn’t someone who is able to undergo surgery be able to legally possess human rights? And is the first option given to parents after their baby has been diagnosed the best and only option?
A determined little toddler named Roman has already provided his own answers to those questions.
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