Category: Disability, Sickness & Suffering

Opportunities to Glorify God
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Opportunities to Glorify God

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I was recently told I have cancer. We often hear that other people have the dreaded “C” word but now it is my turn. Initially it was hard to get my head around the news. The oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute was unsure how to approach my treatment. My situation is complicated by the […]

Suffering and the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
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Suffering and the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood

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Yesterday the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of St. Thérèse, a lovable little saint whose example of humility and abandonment is a reminder of the strength that can be found when we embrace the limits of our human nature and place all our hope and trust in God who is “more tender than a Mother.” […]

A Major Threat to Disability Rights and Inclusion
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A Major Threat to Disability Rights and Inclusion

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The goal for disability inclusion into mainstream society has made major strides forward. But make no mistake, it has been a long and difficult road toward equality and inclusion for people with disabilities. A reluctant public was unaccustomed to seeing people with profound disabilities in their midst. Remember, for centuries people with serious disabilities were shut […]

My Dad, Dying with Dignity
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My Dad, Dying with Dignity

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My Dad, bless his heart (which nearly killed him more than once), has been dying since 1980.  Thirty-two years ago, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Marshall Islands when a telegram arrived for me in Majuro, and informed me to fly to Eugene, Oregon on the next available flight.  My father had a […]

US Experts Testify on Dangers of Disabilities Treaty
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US Experts Testify on Dangers of Disabilities Treaty

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A panel of experts warned U.S. lawmakers this week that the UN Disabilities treaty could threaten the rights of parents and advance abortion rights. “This treaty… would allow unelected bureaucrats in Switzerland to determine the meaning of the words ‘disability’ and ‘sexual reproductive health,’ said Congressman Jeff Duncan following a briefing to the House Sovereignty […]

The Silent Repeat of Eugenic History
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The Silent Repeat of Eugenic History

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This week I read a very disturbing article titled “New prenatal test is bringing eugenics back to Germany” , and I could not help but think of the famous quote from American philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” This month a new prenatal blood test for Down […]

A Brief Catechesis on Mental Illness and Violence
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A Brief Catechesis on Mental Illness and Violence

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The first written catechism of the Catholic Church, known as the Didache, and dated somewhere in the first century A.D., begins with a sentence of great clarity. It should be memorized: “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways.” Discussions of the recent mass murders, […]

Morality in Medicine: Advice From Dr. Fox
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Morality in Medicine: Advice From Dr. Fox

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Dr. Paul Fox has been a family physician for over three decades in the sticks of rural Virginia,  Florida and western Pennsylvania where he earned the respect and trust of his peers and patients. He and his wife have four children and six grandchildren. Dr. Fox is a convert to Catholicism and worships in the Byzantine […]

Healing in the Fire: Conclusion (Part 7)
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Healing in the Fire: Conclusion (Part 7)

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Please click for: Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part 6 In 1991, the MS forced me into medical retirement from the Canadian Civil Service. I sank into a clinical depression. Being put out to pasture at 38 years of age is not a pleasant prospect. Now, more than 28 years since my diagnosis with MS, my physical health is gone, but […]

Diminishing the Disabled
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Diminishing the Disabled

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The results of a recent survey of parents of children with disabilities ran cross-grain to the mentality that characterizes our society’s culture of death.  Published in the medical journal Pediatrics, the survey included parents of 272 children suffering from the extreme genetic conditions Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18—conditions where a child is born with an extra 13 […]

Life in a Wheelchair is Not as Awful as You Might Think
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Life in a Wheelchair is Not as Awful as You Might Think

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This week the Sundance Channel premiered Push Girls, a new reality series about four women in wheelchairs. All of them have spinal cord injuries at various levels. Like me, three of them were paralyzed from car accidents, one from a ruptured blood clot in her spinal cord. After watching the first episode, I can’t say […]

CL70 - hbratton notxt web
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To Weed or Not to Weed…That is the Question

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Without any kind of a deep freeze this past winter, the weeds have had a field day (pun intended) this spring.  I don’t know about your neighborhood, but ours is totally infested with chickweed.  Now, chickweed looks innocent enough, with its dainty little white flowers and delicate stems, but don’t be fooled.  It’s a cold-blooded […]

Setting the Record Straight: Tracy Latimer Was the Victim, Not Robert
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Setting the Record Straight: Tracy Latimer Was the Victim, Not Robert

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In response to the previous article of mine entitled “Canada’s Seething Prejudice Against The Disabled” I received an Anonymous comment concerning the tragic case of Robert Latimer murdering his disabled daughter Tracy nearly twenty years ago. The comment was typical of people who relied on the gross distortions presented by much of Canada’s secular, liberal […]

What Unspoken Message Does a "Wrongful Birth" Lawsuit Send?
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What Unspoken Message Does a “Wrongful Birth” Lawsuit Send?

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A Portland OR couple sued their obstetrician for failing to diagnose their now four year old daughter with Trisomy 21 and last month they were awarded $3 million dollars in “damages.”  The money is to pay for the extra care their child will need as experts say that she is not expected to ever be […]

Canada's Seething Prejudice Against the Disabled
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Canada’s Seething Prejudice Against the Disabled

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Earlier this month, Global Television Network in Canada featured a documentary about the so-called “mercy killing” of children with severe disabilities. The very fact that such a topic is even entertained on national television reveals something about the moral state of my country. The documentary featured two parents: the first was Annette Corriveau who wants […]

Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day at the UN
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Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day at the UN

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A cheerful crowd of young people with Down syndrome and their proud families filled a UN conference room on Wednesday to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. Brazil and Poland hosted the event showcasing the achievements of differently-abled people who are allowed to live up to their potential. About 7 million people worldwide have Down syndrome, […]

What is "Normal"?
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What is “Normal”?

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Today is World Down Syndrome Day, a day to celebrate the lives of those who have an extra 21st chromosome. It’s also a reminder that we should love and value all people with disabilities. Speaking of which, a couple of my fellow contributors over at the Ignitum Today blog have been asking for lots of prayers […]

Consolations
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Consolations

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Do you know what it means to receive a consolation from the Lord? In the work of prayer for example, it is when you feel a deep sense of His presence. But even in our day-to-day lives we can receive consolations from the Lord. These come in the form of a perk, or a little […]

The Privilege of Remembering for Both of Us
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The Privilege of Remembering for Both of Us

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Last year it was a distinct privilege for my wife and I to grow close to an elderly lady in her last few months. We were not officially “family,” so we weren’t told any of the medical details. But two things were obvious to anyone (including those members of my Adult Sunday school class who […]

The Importance of <em>Christian</em> Perinatal Hospice
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The Importance of Christian Perinatal Hospice

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I do not know what it’s like to lose a child and I hope and pray I never do. All my children, and now grandchildren, are healthy and strong. My family is truly blessed and I try not to forget that fact. There are expectant parents who face the terrible reality that their baby will be […]

Why Not Sterilize Drug Addicts?
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Why Not Sterilize Drug Addicts?

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Not too long ago I came across a news piece on the mission of Barbara Harris, a woman who started a group called Project Prevention which offers $300 cash to drug addicts if they agree to get on “long term” birth control. According to their most recent statistics, they have paid 3,848 addicts, with tubal […]

The Killing of Unborn Children with Down syndrome – A Crime Against Humanity?
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The Killing of Unborn Children with Down syndrome – A Crime Against Humanity?

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The following has been released by Right to Life New Zealand Inc. The Killing of Unborn Children with Down syndrome  –  A Crime Against Humanity: Complaint to be lodged with the International Criminal Court Right to Life applauds the producer of TV3’s 60 Minutes programme for providing a service to our community by producing an […]

Join Fr. Frank Pavone's Urgent Plea: Release Baby Joseph's Medical Records!
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Join Fr. Frank Pavone’s Urgent Plea: Release Baby Joseph’s Medical Records!

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As I’m sure you know, the now-famous case of Baby Joseph in Canada is becoming critical. He could die in the next couple of weeks if his breathing tube is removed as the hospital and the government intend. Baby Joseph is only 13 months old and often has difficulty breathing on his own. He needs […]