Fr r r I a f,

flJTTr]rJ rl I
Positively
Protecting
Life
)
- I

--)

i,i

The recentLaw ReformCommissionReporton AdvancedCare Directives

has implicationsfor legal protectionof the righfto-lifeof the ill and elderly.

HealthMinister,Mary Harneyhas reiteratedher intentionto regulateIVF

in linewith the governmentappointedCommissionon AssistedHuman
Reproductionwhich voted24 to 1 in favourof destructiveresearchon
tl livinghumanembryos.

Recommendations
reducingprotection
for humanlife in its vulnerable
moments,at life'sbeginningor ending,mustbe resolutely
opposed.

Concern,and even outrage,among pro-lifesupportersat certain

:r_:::
governmentdecisionsis understandable.
Frustrationand impatience
r;:: r','
must not, however,becomepart of the problem.

Insteadwe must engagelegislators

on lifeissues,with respect,
well-informedcommentand feasiblealternatives. lf we commit
to this approachit will greatlyimproveour chances.

Thereis also an onus on politicians

not to shirktheirresponsibility
on
these vital matters.There is no true democracywheneverthe right-to-life
is threatened.Democracydependson trust betweenpoliticiansand
people.Pollsshowthat life issuesreflectpeople'sdeepestvalues.

The successfulintervention
of Gay MitchellMEP and othersin
preservingthe pro-lifeethos of the EuropeanPeople'sParty(EPP) is a
commendable
exampleof genuineefforton the partof some politicians.

The very positivepublicresponseto the Pro-LifeCampaign'sYourVote

Mattersinitiative,duringthe recentEuropean/local
elections,indicatesa
growingawarenessamong the electorateof the importanceof only voting
for candidatesand oartiescommittedto
protectinghuman life.
 C Gase woman regrets her abortion
The youngwomanat the centrethe C Caserecentlybrokeher silenceon the horrificcircumstances
surrounding hercase.ln 1997,aged13,hercasesparkedcontroversy whenshe becamepregnant
as a resultof rapeandthe thenEasternHealthBoardsoughta courtordergrantingleaveto takeher
wishesof her parents.
to Englandfor an abortionagainstthe expressed

ln an emotionalinterviewrecentlyon RTE'sTodaywithPat Kennyshetalkedabouther harrowing

ordealand howshewas completely unawareof whathavingan abortionentailedat the timeand
howshe deeplyregrettedhavingit.

The determination
of the socialworkersto securean abortionsuggeststheywere morefocussedin
tryingto changeour abortionlawsthanin the longtermwelfareof the youngwomanand her unborn
baby.

The HSEshouldconducta full-scale reviewof howsimilarcasesare handled. The lazypresumption

thatabortionis the answerin difficultsituations
runscontraryto the medicalevidence,including
the
Finnishstudyl,whichshowsthatwomenare muchmorelikelyto commitsuicideafteran abortion
thancontinuingwiththe pregnancy.
'The
EuropeanJoumalof PublicHealth2005 15 (5): 459-463,Iniurydeaths,suicidesand homicidesassociatedwith pregnancy,
Finland by Mika Gissler,Cynthia Berg, Marie Helene Bouvier-Colleand Piene Buekens.

CPA reveals its bias again

The CrisisPregnancy initiativetargetswhat it
Agency'slatestadvertising
calls"roguecrisispregnancy services."
However,the billboard campaign
is focussedexclusivelyon attackingagenciesopposedto abortion.

A responsiblepublicdebateon what constitutes

best practicein pregnancy
counsellingwouldbe welcome.Butwastingtaxpayers'moneysimplyto
demoniseand caricaturethe entirepro-lifemovementis an unacceptable
way for any Stateagencyto behave.

The CrisisPregnancy Agencyshouldstickto its remitand adopta balanced

approach.lt shouldalsochallengethe way in which'pro-choice'counselling
agenciesrefuseto makewomenawareof the latestpeer reviewedstudies
showingthe negativelong-termpsychological effectsof abortion.
-fQ Pro Womsn
Pro Life l
@

More Americans 3iPro-Lifett

than fi'Pro-Ghoicett for first time
A newGalluppollshowsthatthe majorityof Americans as pro-lifeon the issueof
self-identify
abortionfor the firsttimesinceGallupbeganaskingthe questionin 1995.The Gallupsurvey
showsthe percentage sayingtheyare pro-lifeat its highestpointin fifteenyears
of Americans
andthosesayingtheyare "pro-choice" at theirlowest,

TheGallupsurveyfinds51%of Americans pro-lifewith42o/o

callingthemselves
sayingtheyare "pro-choice"
andsupportlegalabortion.

Thedayafterthe infamous1973Roev. Wadedecision, whichlegalisedabortion, the

Thifi-six yearson the issueis stillfar
New YorkTimesdeclaredthe issue"settled."
HLffiffi :::*il:li:[:::,1*T,ffi
tion ' gtospeak
upro
rthe
Abu ffT':#;,ff:','
Living wills or euthanasla
hy the backdoor?
ln September, the Law ReformCommission issueda reporton AdvancedCareDirectives
recommending changesto the lawthatwouldallowpatientsto refusetreatments
to sustain
or prolonglifeundercertaincircumstances.

the reportsuggests
Controversially, classifying
nutrition as 'treatment'rather
and hydration
thanas basiccare,in situationswherepatientsare severelyincapacitated. lf implemented,
thiscouldleadto people,in effect,beingstarvedto death,as witnessedin somerecenthigh
profileinternational
cases.

The tragiccaseof KerrieWooltortonin the UK is a verystarkreminderof howadvancedcare

willscanworkin practice.
directives/living Afterattempting suicide,Ms Wooltortoncalledan
ambulance andon arrivalin hospitalhandedmedicalstaffa letterstatingtheywerenotto try
to saveher life.

The doctorssaidthat althoughit was a "horriblething",underthe 2005 MentalCapacityAct,

theyhad no alternativebut to accedeto her requestand let her die.

Any proposedlegislation
on advanced caredirectives
in lrelandwouldhaveto be vigorously
opposedunlessit fullyhonoursthe principle
of protecting
humanlife.
 HmoraryPresidentDesHanafin

ffi
Publishedby he ProLifecampaign,
104LowerBaggotStreet,Dublin2.
Td:01-6629275 Faxr01-6629302
Email:prolif@indigo.ie
Website:M.proliftrarpaign.ie
Chairper$n:DrJoeMccaroll
DeputyChairps$n:CoraShedock
LegalAdvisq:Profe$orWilliamgindty
Adviser:Dr Berryl(ely
[4edical
LegalCon$ltantCaroline
Simons
Secretily:JohnO'Reilly
Educalion Martin
Offctrs:Geraldine
Dr RuthCullen

Latest ethical stem cell breakthrough

havedeveloped
Scientists a newtechniquethatis 200timesmoreefficientandtwiceas fastas conventional
adulthumancellsintoinducedpluripotent
methodsfor transforming stemcells[iPS].
in Octoberin thejournalNaturcMethods.
Thelatestfindingswerepublished
Theresearchledby scientistsfromTheScrippsResearchInstitute(USA)makesgreatstridesin addressing
a majorpractical
challenge
in the development medicine.
of stem-cell-based
it doesnotinvolvethe useof humanembryonic
Crucially, stemcells.Embryoresearchinvolvesthe
destructionof humanlifeat its earlieststagesof development.
Thehopeof mostresearchers in thefieldis thatonedayit will be possibleto usestemcells- which
possesstheabilityto developintomanyotherdistinctcelltypes,suchas nerve,heart,or lungcells-
to repairdamagedtissuefromany numberof diseases.

Assisting the Pro Life Gampaign

TheProLifuCampaign needsall the supportit cangetto bringits message to thewidercommunity.
Perhaps thepro-lifemessage
youarewillingto devotesomeofyourfreetimetofindingnewwaysof bringing toyourcommunity?
Perhapsyouarewillingto makea smallfinancial
commitment oftheProLifeCampaign
theimplementation
to secure programme
overthenextthreeyears? Perhapsyouhaveyourownideas onhowyoucanbesthelpthecampaign?
ofhowyouwishtohelp,please
Regardless takethetimetocallustodayandwewillsendyoumoredetails.

F**es* r*ffi€**?tfu*r€fu* ffifutrFregr**r Wgg$,, , ,

Making a subscription
lf youwishto makea financialcontribution pleasefill in thecouponandreturnit to theaddresslistedbelow- thankyoul
to the ProLifeCampaign,

':

debitbyVisa/ Mastercard
ilr*ditilardOpti*n Please

ExpiryDate:I / Signature: