Women as Incubators

There seems to be a growing trend in this world of high technology, one that is extremely and profoundly disturbing in its’ moral and ethical implications for all women.

Remember Marlise Munoz? She was the pregnant woman (and paramedical professional) who was 14 weeks pregnant when she collapsed with a blood clot on her lungs.

She was declared brain dead by the doctors at the hospital 2 days after being admitted. The hospital, however, refused to remove her from life support because they were adamant that the fetus inside could be brought to term while she was kept ‘alive’ artificially.

Her family disagreed, and stated that she would not have wanted to be kept on any kind of artificial life support even if she was pregnant.

It took 62 days of this gross application of a mis-read state law to end. Finally a judge ordered the hospital to remove her from artificial support and to give her body to her family.

That was bad enough…or until I just read this article about a similar case in Canada-but the husband wants his wife (who has been declared brain-dead by the doctors) to remain on mechanical life support until the fetus she carries is viable enough to be born via Cesarean section.

This set of ‘posthumous birth’ cases disturbs me greatly. Not only the fact that both women were declared dead at the time of their admission to the hospital, but that everyone but the women are the ones making the last wishes for them.

Because they were pregnant at the time of their deaths. That’s all the reason needed. Women who are being viewed as nothing more than incubators for society, even when dead.

Just how dehumanizing can we get when it comes to the rights of a woman who is incapacitated? Even dead?

You’re nothing but a walking womb-even in death.

Oh, and as a real kick in the pants to the Munoz family:
They may be forced to pay the costs of her last hospital stay.

All $300,000.

Totally disgusting on all levels.