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LivingWithTrisomy13.org

Ironman for Kids - The Living with Trisomy 13 Community thanks Michael Hennessey for helping to raise awareness for Trisomy 13 and other related disorders. See Video & Details>
 

 

 

 

 

Letter to Physicians:
Considerations in making a specified Plan of Care

·        Right to Life and Right to Die with Christian Dignity

 

Although there are many denominations of Christianity, there are several fundamental values intrinsic to all Christians.  Unfortunately, some parents may not be able to communicate inherit Christian beliefs during a time of distress and to others, they may be still learning what it means to live out their faith (faith in action is a learning process). 

 

If you are a physician or a person working with a Christian family and do not understand the families Christian beliefs, ask them to tell you about them.  Beyond understanding their belief system, each citizen of the United States has the right to communicate directives for their child's care within their rights as parents and their rights to practice religion freedoms. 

 

In relation to those who are sick, handicapped or disabled, the Christian beliefs are promulgated in the Catholic Catechism 2276-2279, and further elaborated on in the Declaration on Euthanasia (1980), Prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  I encourage all healthcare workers look into these sources (as links to these sites have been provided for your convenience).  Further information is available for you to peruse in The Charter For Health Care Workers written by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers in Vatican City - 1995. 

 

All children must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually under the first right of the Rights of a Child according to the Geneva Declaration endorsed by the League of Nations and further expanded by the General Assembly of the United Nations. 

 

With my child's Trisomy 13 diagnosis, the medical literature did not show favorable survivability statistics.  I ask you to look beyond the Failure to Thrive issues and treat my child as sick child who needs constant and chronic care.  For that, we will need the physician’s documentation for specified care. 

 

Christian parents are seeking a community of persons to be supportive of special needs children as well as compassionate to underlying spiritual beliefs.  If you are a physician, therapist, educator or other community member called to put into practice these beliefs, feel free to offer your support services to these families.  Links to your business, website or services will be added to our website upon request.    

 

Peace and Blessings to you for your support,

 

© Janina E. Arritola 2006
(used with permission from
http://gregoryarritola.tripod.com/letters.html_

 
 

 
Physician's Home

Not Compatible with Life, a diary of keeping Daniel
By Kylie Sheffield

Prenatal Diagnosis Information Package - Compiled by Kylie Sheffield (mum of Daniel, full Trisomy 13) in consultation with families on this web site

LINKS FOR PROFESSIONALS FROM MEDICAL AUTHORITIES
Articles on Eugenics, Ethics, Selective Abortion, Selective Induction and the killing of Disabled Children

Personal Qualms Don't Count: Hospital Forces Nurses To Participate In Genetic Terminations 
by MARNIE KO

ESSAYS BY TRISOMY 13 PARENTS
Free literature to share with your patients

WHEN WHAT SEEMS BROKEN IS PERFECT
By Barbara Farlow (Annie's Mom)

The decision to accept disability: One family’s perspective
By Barbara Farlow BEngSci MBA

A Letter to: Pediatric Physicians, OB-Gynecologists, Geneticists & Healthcare Providers, from ThereseAnn - A parent of a Trisomy 13 child

How Our Babies have changed our Lives
by Maria Demers

A Mother's letter to newly diagnosed Families (Printable to have on hand in your office to give to patients) by Julie Sexton

Message to All Obstetricians & Perinatologists
Message to  All Physicians, Specialists, and Doctors Alike  by Mary Mabeus

Letters to Physicians
-Trisomy 13 Survival Tactics
-Patients Plan of Care - Faith in Action
-Considerations in Making a Specified Plan of Care
by Janina E. Arritola

How can anyone say that these children do not contribute to society, therefore what is the point?
by Melissa Roy

Website & Articles for Surgical Procedures for those opting for medical intervention for specific abnormalities.
What is an Omphalocele? The method of delivery will be discussed with you as the time gets closer. The method of delivery is dependent on the size of the omphalocele. If the size is quite large and especially if the liver is involved, the doctor may prefer to do a cesarean section (c-section) to avoid the risk of injury to the liver. Otherwise, the preferred method of delivery is vaginal."

Decompressive cranioplasty may improve the clinical symptoms of children with mild trigonocephaly and intracranial pressure: report of 56 patients - June 5 2004

Mild trigonocephaly with clinical symptoms:  analysis of surgical results in 65 patients
- June 5 2004
Termination, Abortion the only choice?

(A must read for Physician’s who advise parents after early testing and prenatal diagnosis) These women share the immense pain a termination has left on their lives. When counseled by Professionals they were offered no hope. They were not given the option of carrying to term and holding their child, if even briefly. Nor offered the compassionate support this diagnosis requires. Instead these women felt they had to make the heart breaking choice to end their child’s life.
- - -
A Story of Regret - "Maybe if the professionals we had talked to had given us more information we would have made a different choice. To this day, I still live with the pain of the choices we made. Trisomy needs to have a bigger voice and all the professionals need to be more open minded and not so much on terminating
~
Katie -
Full Story
- - -
"It is a choice I cannot live with to this day.  I look at these pictures, read your stories and my heart aches.  Since I had a D&E, I never even got to see or hold my daughter."
~Laurie-Beth Full Story
- - -
After experiencing the effects of an abortion with a previous pregnancy, Elizabeth shares her experiences with carrying to term a child with Patau Syndrome - Trisomy 13.
~Elisabeth Slotkin Full Story
- - -
This is a portion of a speech given by Eagle Forum Alaska  President, Debbie Joslin on the capitol steps, January 22, 2008  Full Story

Click here to download printable LivingWithTrisomy13.org "awareness cards."

Living with Trisomy 13
Focused on prayerful support and gifts of love to those touched by a Trisomy 13 child.
Inspired By An Angel
Attn: LivingWithTrisomy13
15802 Springdale St.. #68
Huntington Beach, CA  92649

info@LivingWithTrisomy13.org

 

 

Text and graphics © LivingWithTrisomy13.org 2005-2007 All information found on this site was submitted to us directly by the families and used on this site with their permission.
Cover photo of Pamela Sullivan & her precious daughter Maria, copyright Pamela Sullivan 2004, used with permission.
If We Hold On Together  Song Copyright 2002 by Patricia Welch, Ltd. All rights reserved.   Used with permission.
 
*Disclaimer
All material on this site reflects our personal journey with raising a Trisomy 13 child. It is not meant to replace any medical advise of a professional familiar with your specific condition. The personal journeys of any parents on this site are only their opinions and their own journey with having a Trisomy 13 child. You should consult with your own physician or other medical professional regarding the opinions or recommendations expressed within these pages as to your own child's symptoms and medical condition.
 

Looking for ALL families who’ve had a trisomy child of any number. Whether you terminated, miscarriage, had a stillbirth, live birth - living or deceased. Including adoptive and Foster parents. Please fill out the TRIS survey  to help update the medical literature and to improve the quality and availability of medical care. Tracking Rare Incidence Syndromes (TRIS)  Click here to add your information

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