When it comes to life — jumping the gun for short-term expediency is a mistake

“Clare Daly, in her attempt to introduce legislation to allow for termination of pregnancy in the case of fatal foetal abnormality, did the State some service”.

Michael Clifford (Opinion, Feb.12) champions this cause as he decries the failure of the body-politic to accommodate same.

The tidal wave of media consternation belies another significant perspective which is attracting only modest coverage.

Opting for ‘erasure’ of a clinically predicted foetal fatality is an unfortunate pre-emptive strike. It belies any empathetic logic, on three distinct counts:.

1. Medical predictions of ‘fatal foetal abnormalities incompatible with life” are very frequently flawed, both in diagnostic correctness and predictive life expectancies.

2. The emotional processing of the life, birth and death of the child is a key journey and cathartic release for mother, father and family alike.

3. The basic human right of the child to have its full-term of life, however medically challenged, will resonate long in the family psyche as a core responsibility addressed and as an authentic personality fully cherished.

I know something of these things because 15 years ago we were advised of a ‘fatal-on-birth’ condition of our first child.

One month out from delivery date, she was judged (erroneously as it turned out), to have ‘thanatophoric dysplasia’, and could not thus live beyond some hours after birth.

We were, nonetheless, committed to allowing our child her full life expectancy.

At delivery date, this assessment was abruptly changed to another related condition, ‘osteogenesis imperfecta’, a challenging scenario but not imminently death-bringing.

Hers was, sadly, to be at the lethal end of that O.I. spectrum, as it was sub-titled ‘perinatal-lethal’ degree.

Our little girl was beautifully born, and lived for seven life-laden months. She radiated love and had a winning personality that melted all hearts.

The impact she had on our worldwide circle of friends and family was astounding and life-arresting.

We would not have missed it for the world, and are still relentlessly inspired by her doughty spirit and determined radiance in adversity.

This is a simple entreaty to consider with total care the fulsome value to all of us of all babies, however challenged or shortened their life might be.

We know several friends with their own so-called ‘incompatible-with-life’ babies, who are still living, and some who have succumbed but who still live warm in their family’s memory.

Jumping the gun for short-term expediency denies all.

Jim Cosgrove

Chapel Street

Lismore

Co Waterford.