Sad example of what a personhood law could lead to

[FakePigtails]

Dominican Republic abortion ban stops treatment for pregnant teen with cancer

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/world/ame ... hpt=hp_bn2

At the Semma Hospital in the captial city of Santo Domingo, a 16-year-old girl is dying of acute leukemia. Doctors say the girl, whose name is being withheld to protect her privacy, needs an aggressive chemotherapy treatment. But there's one problem: the teenager is nine weeks pregnant and treatment would very likely terminate the pregnancy, a violation of Dominican anti-abortion laws.

Rosa Hernandez, the girl's mother, is trying to convince doctors and the Dominican government to make an exception so that her daughter's life can be saved. "My daughter's life is first. I know that [abortion] is a sin and that it goes against the law ... but my daughter's health is first," Hernandez said.

According to Article 37 of the Dominican constitution, "the right to life is inviolable from the moment of conception and until death." Dominican courts have interpreted this as a strict mandate against abortion. Article 37, passed in 2009, also abolished the death penalty.

...

Bautista Rojas Gomez, the Dominican minister of health, has publicly indicated he favors chemotherapy over protecting the pregnancy, but doctors are still reluctant to act for fear of prosecution.

Pelegrin Castillo, one of the architects of Article 37, says the constitutional ban does not prevent doctors from administering the treatment. It does, however, prevent them from practicing an abortion in order to treat the patient with chemotherapy.

"It's an artificial debate," Castillo said. "What we have clearly said is that in this case doctors are authorized by the constitution to treat the patient. They don't have to worry about anything. They have the mandate of protecting both lives."

So it's legal for her to get the treatments, but maybe not? I'm not completely clear on the situation but it seems worth a discussion here. The Dominican Republic is majority Catholic, and officially Catholicism would be okay with the girl getting the chemo treatments, just not with a direct abortion. On the other hand, at least here in the US I've seen examples of glorification of mothers dying or risking dying of cancer to save a pregnancy (their choice, but you know how the tone can be, as if it's the only best thing to do, not a very personal choice), and then there are the fundies who would happily keep women from accessing needed chemotherapy if she were pregnant. I hope we don't find out how a similar law would turn out here.

[Frumpalicious]

NO! We need to protect teh baybeez! Doncha know, she sinned! To repent, she needs to have teh Baybee and it will fix everything.

Oh god. I think I just threw up a little. In all seriousness, this story makes me rage. She is the only one who matters in that situation. Not a potential life. Hopefully, she'll be able to get the treatment that she needs.

[NjoyingNsanity]

It's sad but very likely she won't live long enough to carry the baby to term anyways it sounds as if she's terminal if she doesn't get immediate treatment. The sicker she gets the higher the chances are she'll become too weak for her body to support the pregnancy and she'll miscarry anyways. It's really sad but I don't see this baby having much of a chance either way. Even if she could carry it to viability it's likely to be very sick premmie due to the complications the cancer would have caused. I also doubt the young mother could survive labor or a c-section if her cancer had not been treated at all. Sad situation no matter what they do, poor girl I hope they attempt to save her, the baby will die with her if they don't at least try and save the mother. If they don't want both of them dead they need to start treatments soon most cancers only have a short window of time where treatment has a good chance of working.

[Rowan]

According to Article 37 of the Dominican constitution, "the right to life is inviolable from the moment of conception and until death."

What about the girl's right to life?

If she isn't treated, she will likely die. And so will the fetus. So who wins in this situation exactly? I can't believe that nobody involved in this has any sort of logical reasoning.

[Minerva]

"It's an artificial debate," Castillo said. "What we have clearly said is that in this case doctors are authorized by the constitution to treat the patient. They don't have to worry about anything. They have the mandate of protecting both lives."

Yeah, I'm sure these doctors are risking a 16-year-old's life because they want to manufacture a debate. That makes a ton of fucking sense.

[luckystone]

What about the girl's right to life?

If she isn't treated, she will likely die. And so will the fetus. So who wins in this situation exactly? I can't believe that nobody involved in this has any sort of logical reasoning.

Yeah...it's like an ectopic pregnancy...there won't be a baby no matter what you choose. Do you want a dead foetus and dead mother or just dead foetus? Unbelievable.

[keeperrox]

I find this absolutely disgusting. How in the fucking world is potentially killing the mother and thus, the baby, the right answer? How is letting her cancer progress to the point she dies shortly after giving birth the right answer, either? Anti-choicers have let their stance cloud their judgment and warp their logic to a point where they have almost become laughable. That is, I'd be able to laugh at their ridiculousness if they weren't seriously fucking up women's lives. :(

[fundyfunland]

This is so disgusting and scary! What about the girl's right to life, and why can't they allow a fetus to die from the mother's treatment? It's not like she would be actively seeking to abort the pregnancy!

Tourism makes up a big chunk of DR,s economy. I wonder if a tourism boycott was started, if that would have some effect on the government's decision?

[maybeizfundie]

I can't find a direct link but I believe she is now getting treatment.

Earlier, the Catholic Church there agreed with her getting treatment, which is afaik consistent with Catholic "life ethics" http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2012/7/25/44505/

[CrazySister]

So sad; she passed away. Not breaking link, it's CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/world/ame ... ?hpt=hp_t2

[Angri-la]

That is so sad. and this is the slippery slope of these "personhood laws". Now a person is dead, as well as a fetus. Praise Jesus!

[Gil]

Good thing they totally protected the life of that fetus, right?

[lawfulevil]

That is so sad. and this is the slippery slope of these "personhood laws". Now a person is dead, as well as a fetus. Praise Jesus!

God is so good, y'all!

[Visionoyahweh]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/ame ... ?hpt=hp_t1

The 16-year-old's plight attracted worldwide attention after she had to wait for chemotherapy because of an abortion ban in the Dominican Republic.

Doctors were hesitant to give her chemotherapy because such treatment could terminate the pregnancy -- a violation of the Dominican Constitution, which bans abortion. Some 20 days after she was admitted to the hospital, she finally started receiving treatment.

She died Friday, a hospital official said.

ETA: oops, missed this thread!