I came across this story which I must share. My wife and I lost a baby at birth at just over twenty two weeks. At that time in 1990 the doctors said the baby wouldn’t survive for very long on a ventilator. I baptised him and we named him in the delivery ward and later had a funeral for him. You don’t get over it. Just learn to live with it. It is a great consolation to know he is with God where we shall meet him one day.

A mother has criticised doctors who refused to give her care and said she should let her twin daughters die when she went into labour at 22 weeks.

Kayla Ibarra and her twin daughters, Luna and Ema, are now thriving at home with their older brother Noah and father Dardo.

One year on, revealing their story on her blog, the mother-of-three said the twins are “‘typical one-year-olds’ and no one would even know they were born 18 weeks premature.”

Kayla and Dardo were already parents to 18-month old Noah when they decided they would like to have another child. Both were delighted months later to find out they were expecting twin girls.

Kayla said the pregnancy felt “normal” until she noticed a small spot of blood when she went to the toilet. She called her midwife who recommended she went into hospital to make sure she didn’t have a bladder infection.

The pregnant mother rushed to hospital but had to wait four hours before seeing anyone because the nurses had “forgot” she was there.

When Kayla did eventually see a nurse, she was rushed into a backroom for a urine test and then called downstairs for an ultrasound.  

When the urine test came back clean, the mother burst into tears because she “knew this was labour.”

She continued: “I started bawling my eyes out as I was finally wheeled to the ultrasound room.

“While getting the exam done, I kept telling the tech I was having contractions. She kept telling me to relax and all would be fine. I stood up and BAM, my water broke.”

Through tears a concerned Kayla asked, “what’s going to happen to my daughters?”.

As she was pushed in a wheelchair to an upstairs room of the hospital, a nurse responded, “the babies will be born today and they will die.” 

By the time Kayla was taken back upstairs, her whole family was there waiting for her. They asked the nurse, “what do we do, what can we do?”.

However the nurse again said that “there is nothing that can be done, the twins will be born today and they will die.”

Realising they wouldn’t get the care or help Kayla and her family wanted for her twins, the family began to search for alternative hospitals with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who would give her unborn twins a chance at life.

The family found a hospital in Ontario that was willing to help premature babies from 24 weeks, but her doctor refused to transfer Kayla to the new hospital and even refused to administer medication for her pain.

Furthermore, the doctor refused to allow Kayla to see her twins or hear their heartbeats dismissing the plea as a “waste of time,” instead saying “this [the labour] is going to be quick, let’s get it over with.’”

However, Kayla’s contractions stopped and her doctor agreed to let her rest.

Despite the fact her labour had stopped, a new doctor who had been assigned to Kayla urged her to deliver the twins the following morning through an induced labour.

However, knowing they wouldn’t intervene to save her twin girls, Kayla said: “I told him I refused to start labour again and as long as the twins are in me they are breathing and safe. He also denied me medication that would help the twins lung and brain develop.

Four days later, a shattered Kayla went into labour again at 22 weeks and two days – which was four days too early for the nearby hospital to intervene.

“I felt so defeated. I lost,” Kayla said.

Fortunately, a new doctor had been assigned to Kayla just as midwives were setting up the delivery room.

The doctor thought it was worth calling the hospital in Ontario who agreed to take the premature babies on.

Recalling the moment, Kayla said: “I felt hope. Finally, someone was going to just call and see. Within 15 minutes, he was back in my room coat on and said, ‘two hospitals agreed to take you… Soon, we were racing down the highway.”

Within hours, Kayla had given birth to Luna and Ema.

The twins barely weighed 1lb when they were born and spent a total of 115 days in the NICU, but they recovered remarkably well and were able to go home before their original due date.

Kayla said her twins have changed her life forever and she now wants the world to know premature babies can survive and can thrive.

“We went from a 0% chance of survival to celebrating over one year of life,” she added.

The survival rate for extremely premature babies in the UK has doubled over the past decade, prompting new guidance allowing doctors to try to save babies born as early as 22 weeks into a pregnancy – the age of Kayla’s now healthy and thriving twins.

The previous clinical guidance, drafted in 2008, included a presumption against attempting to provide life-saving treatment to a baby born before 23 weeks, on the basis it would not be in the child’s best interests.

In 2008 only two out of ten babies born alive at 23 weeks went on to survive. Today it is four out of ten, according to a new analysis from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine.

Furthermore, the majority of premature babies grow up to be healthy adults without any major health problems, a study revealed last year.

In a Facebook post post, Kayla recalled what a doctor said to her on day 65 of the girls’ NICU stay:

“The girls really have changed the way we view micropreemies here and in particular 22 weekers. It’s because of them that we have put certain protocols in place when dealing with micros and we have learned so much do’s and don’t’s from the girls. They have taught us so much and because of them, other 22 weekers will have the chance in our hospital. You did that, the girls did that.”

Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said:

“Stories of premature babies fighting and thriving, like Luna and Ema, along with recent new guidance and advances in medicine, showcase why this issue is one that Parliament should urgently revisit. It has been over a decade since time limits were last debated fully in Parliament in 2008. 

“Independent polling from ComRes shows that 70% of women in the UK want to see the time limit for abortion reduced to 20 weeks or below. Our current abortion time limit is way out of line with the rest of Europe where the most common abortion time limit is 12 weeks.

“We support any change in law that would help lower abortion numbers and save the lives of babies in the womb.”

The Sunday Gospel in Catholic Churches this week is the parable of the wheat and the darnel about a man who sowed wheat in his field but an enemy came and sowed darnel among the wheat. The man’s workers noticed and wanted to uproot the weed but the owner tells them to wait until harvest time then separate the darnel and burn it. (Matthew 13. 24 – 43)

Jesus explains that the owner represents the Son of Man, the field is the world and the good seed represents those in God’s Kingdom. The darnel is the subjects of the evil one. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers the angels.

This parable helps me to answer the question which came to me while pondering the news this week, ‘where is God in the suffering, discord and disunity in the world. God created a beautiful world and we are making a mess of things. Why does God allow it?

There are those including national leaders who are part of the problem. Those who wield power and see themselves as all powerful. Those who are arrogant and indifferent to suffering, those who lie and manipulate.

But then there are those who are part of the solution. People of good will who will eventually win through, changing things for the better as they go.

In the end the darnel is burned as useless. The wheat is harvested.

God provides the opportunity to be co creators and to build a world of justice and peace which looks to heaven, our ultimate goal.

Martin Luther King said in his farewell speech in 1968 the day before his assassination, “He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

I pay tribute to John Lewis, the American civil rights activist who died aged 80 yesterday and who marched with Martin Luther King and lived to see the first black American President, Barack Obama.

The darnel can also be understood as our faults and failings which we need to correct, areas where we come up short. This is a life journey and the ‘name of God is mercy.’ (Pope Francis)

In the words of David Bowie, ‘ageing is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.’  

I have just learnt that 26 residents in a care home I visited regularly have died in this Pandemic.  A man who I had got to know who worked in the laundry was in tears. Again we have to ask the question why were so many elderly people discharged into care homes from hospital without being tested for Covid 19? This is an important question for bereaved relatives who have lost loved ones and who could not be by their bedside when it most mattered.

Yes, relatives would like to make sense of this. When mistakes have been made which have caused the premature death of mum or dad an apology at least is due.

Yes, we’ve heard that it wasn’t understood how those discharged could be asymptomatic. But we know that as with colds and flu people can be infectious before symptoms emerge. Surely this is in the realms of common sense? And why did carers in homes struggle to get PPE?

On the 25^th March Unison said, “Social care staff looking after the elderly and vulnerable are ‘frightened and frustrated’ at not getting access to protective equipment.”

And why were care home deaths not included in the daily figures for deaths before the media flagged it up?

Go to this link to understand better the humanity of people in care homes. In no way is this meant as criticism of care workers but… see for yourself.

https://www.carepathways.com/anoldladyspoem.cfm

Covid 19 has brought into sharp relief so much that needs changing. Care homes yes but much else.

There are so many questions. Why is the government only now after so much vacillation recommending people wear face masks in shops. We don’t need anyone to tell us that coughs and sneezes spread diseases. Surely it should be mandatory as in Scotland? As I write there is fresh news about the likelihood of wearing of face masks being required in England.

We are now into dangerous territory as lock down is eased and schools are going back again without properly consulting teaching unions who regard a full return in September as “pure fantasy.”

 If travellers from named countries where Covid 19 figures are low can now come to the UK as from 10^th July without self isolating what might this mean?  Will no one alighting from a plane have Covid 19 or be asymptomatic? The airlines have been lobbying hard for this concerned for their businesses. Understandable, but is this a calculated gamble for economic reasons?

Could this be an opportunity to take a look at carbon emissions caused by airlines. The Guardian reported that carbon dioxide emitted by commercial flights rose by 32% between 2013 – 18

Will  missed opportunities include;

An overhaul of care for the elderly

Continuing care for the homeless – 5,400 face a return to the streets by the end of July

Infrastructure expenditure for social housing- not part of the Government’s planned expenditure.

Better rights for those in private rented accommodation.

Much good might come from this dreadful Pandemic if lessons are learned.

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POSTSCRIPT for previous post

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State for the Holy See summoned US ambassador, Callista Gimgrich, and Israel’s ambassador, Oren David, for separate discussions on the planned annexation of parts of the West Bank. The Holy See expressed concern about this and, “reiterates that the State of Israel and the State of Palestine have a right to exist and to live in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders.” 

It is a privilege to visit the Holy Land which is considered very special by Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. Given the number of adherents to these monotheistic religions throughout the world the Israeli government has an awesome responsibility when it comes to shrines and places of worship and the historical importance of these places also cannot be over estimated. The quid quo pro of course is that thousands of pilgrims flock there every year – except of course during this pandemic. Foreign currency brought by pilgrims is vitally important for Jews, Palestinians and indignant Christians as I discovered on my visit this year.

For an English citizen, checkpoints, having your coach boarded and checked out and armed security personel in the streets is unfamiliar. The wall which Pope Frances prayed at on 25^th May 2014 during his visit is stark.

Christians read and pray the Jewish Scriptures contained in the Old Testament, the largest part of the Bible, everyday. The Judeo Christian legacy for Western morality and law is inescapable.

The ‘Great Commandment’ affirmed by Jesus in Mark 12. 28 – 31 and found in the Torah, (OT Deuteronomy 6.4 – 5 and Leviticus 19.18) is a central tenet of belief for Christians and Jews.  

There is also the Golden Rule ‘Do to no one what you would not wish done to you,’ which is common to main world Faiths.

Edward Kessler, the Jewish founder director of the Woolf Institute and a leading thinker and writer on interfaith relations, says the following in an article published in the Tablet, (20^th June)

“We are at a watershed moment in modern history of Israel. The proposal to annexe land in the West Bank would not only deepen division and threaten Israel’s security: it would undermine the moral basis upon which the state claims to sit.” Further he talks of this “trampling over the fundamental rights of Palestinians, with jaw dropping disdain for the values of equality, freedom and self-determination to which they (Netanyahu and Trump) give lip service.

So how does annexation of the West Bank square with loving your neighbour and treating others as you would like to be treated?

Boris Johnson should be congratulated for his stand on annexation. “I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead, if it does, the UK will not recognise any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties.” Johnson says this and describes the plan which was to be discussed last Wednesday as illegal in the Israeli newspaper ‘Yedioth Ahronoth’

This was reported by the BBC on 1^st July. The report also includes there are some 430,000 Jews living in more than 130 settlements built since Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 war and that these settlements are widely considered illegal under international law.