A Person's A Person No Matter How Small

When I lost my sons, both in the fifth month of pregnancy, many of my friends, family, and acquaintences seemed genuinely shocked when I told them about the babies - how big they were, how perfect, their tiny fingernails, their recognizable faces. No, they were not tumors, or blood clots, or gelatinous masses. I do have pictures of Jeremiah and Miles, but I've never shown them to anyone and don't intend to start here. However, the photos below (by Lennart Nilsson) are of babies of at 18 and 20 weeks gestation, about the same as mine. I believe it is abundantly clear that they are indeed human beings.









Click here to see more photos.




I was very surprised that my son Jeremiah (delivered at 21 weeks 3 days) was recognized as a human being by my state, in the form of certificate of stillbirth. My son Miles (delivered at 18 weeks 5 days) was not acknowledged in this way, since the law requires 20 weeks gestation to get a certificate of stillbirth. Neither of our babies is recognized as part of our family by our church. Additionally my own mother suggested we "just let the hospital dispose of it" (referring to Miles), when my husband and I both felt strongly that our sons, born at similar gestations and under nearly identical circumstances, should be treated that same and above all should be buried together, not treated like medical waste, or even like garbage:

Stillborn Baby Lost in Hospital Laundry (Australia)
Miscarried Fetus Flushed Down Toilet by Police Officer (Arizona)
Cops Search for Baby Discarded in Trash (New Jersey)
Parents Sue Hospital After Stillborn Baby's Body Sent to Cleaners (Texas)
Hospital Loses Stillborn Child (New York)

Another case I've found interesting is that of Amillia Taylor, the youngest preemie ever to survive long-term. She is now two years old and unarguably a person. It would be hard to argue that she was not a person when she was born at less than 22 weeks gestation and weighing just 10 ounces.

My son David, age six, has amazed me with what seem to be memories of life in the womb. Lest you think we gave him ideas by talking about babies, pregnancy, or any similar topics at our home, let me assure you that these are very sore topics which we never bring up with the kids. David once told me, out of the blue, that when he was in my tummy he was "alone and scared". About a year later, also out of the blue, he told me how he "played with a string" when he was in my tummy. He was very much a living human being long before birth.

I believe our society hurts not only the unborn, but all of us, when we deny the humanity of our unborn children. They are people just like us, only smaller.