Robert:

I applaud your courage you did the right thing to save a life, not to mention he is your son. The doctors there should just sent your wife to a hospital immediately and not to even consider aborton which it is allowable and give them an option to kill lives.

However, I do beleive aborton need to be existed in some ways, like women have been raped, financially cannot afford to have more kids not to give burden to the government, or it is crucial to mothers' lives and health.

Robert:

Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on the wonderful development of your son.

L.F.

Thanks Robert. I too had to lose a child because my fiance's health was in danger. (We ended up separating over it later and about 2 years after, she did die from another pregnancy.) It's a horrible, HORRIBLE act and believe me, even if you son had died, it would have been worth everything to have tried than to live with the shadow of killing him. You're story was a bit of comfort to me today, thanks.

Nice story Robert.... the best to you and yours.. even if your son follows in your footsteps and is wrong on most issues.

Thank you for sharing your story Bob. And I'm so happy to hear your son is healthy young man today.

Robert:

A fascinating story. Putting aside the politics and deeply held belief that folks have on this issue, I wonder how often this happens, and how often are those who might not be in the same position as were you to fight back and not simply accept the opinion of the doctors?
How many kids are put in this position, and don't have the maturity or education to stand up for their rights?

This is a chilling story, but I'm so glad it worked out for your family in the long-run.

How about how many people die in hospitals due to negligence..period?

Wasn't there a story in the Chicago Trib about 20,000 deaths per year due to infections, etc?

We all grow up in fear of asking doctors questions. Maybe it's time for a change.

L.F.

The issue here is when there is something available for an option and the doctors did not even try and do something else, and go ahead to do abortion. It is insane. If abortion does not exist at all, what will the doctors do? Lives are in their hands, think before you do something please.

To all teenagers, think for the outcome, a live is concerned, before you do something just for fun and there is always abortion, right?

Anon writes

"financially cannot afford to have more kids not to give burdon to the goverment."

Ah yes, Mother Goverment!

Why does it feel like the temperture in the room just dropped 30 degress?

Robert great story! Thanks for sharing. I love in the heat of the moment you had a..........Donald Trump moment! You're fired!!! It's not the same but, I fired a veterinarian once. Said the cat was not going to last a week. I was on the road at the time.(Jackass called me three times in one hour on my cell phone.) Vet said he was going to take matters into his own hands and put the cat down. I told him my lawyer's number was on speed dial. Dropped everything and flew home. Needless to say the cat lived happy and healthy another two years with a new vet.

It's not the same but, episodes like these does fine tune you're appreciation for life.

Thre are so many out there are on food stamps, the more kids they have the more they can get from the government. So they will not get thier butts out and find jobs.

I think Chris Matthews has once said, can't remember I think it is him, Democart will provide you all the benefits, Republican will tell you to get it. Government is always the last source. This is what I believe.

Bob,

Thanks for sharing that.

I was very moved by your courage and that of your wife and son.

I really didn't want to read that story, Robert. But I'm sure glad I did. Thanks.

Interesting story. I'm glad everything worked out for the best.

One question: was the issue a lack of pediatric ICU facilities or gross misdiagnosis? How could a doctor live with themselves over an abortion that could have been avoided by a simple patient transfer?

As a secondary note - let's try not to be too hard on doctors. The vast majority of them really are trying to do their best and the public would do well to remember this. Just remember that when you transferred to a different hospital, it was still doctors who saw your son through his eventual delivery.

Not to be snotty, but will this signal the end of this website complainig that K.O. is too self-referencial, seeing that you yourself are breaking that rule?

Quite a self-serving crock of shit there, Robert. Oh yeah, I'm quite sure the medical industry is simply awash with incompetent doctors who want to needlessly abort fetuses just for the fun of it, and then duck into "closets" as soon as they're found out. Ha! Keep on dreamin', fantasy-based boy, it fits in well with all your other delusional belief systems.

I agree with the Chemist; we can't be too hard on doctors. Like any profession, there's a small number of bad actors, but the overwhelming majority are dedicated practitioners.

That said, Robert: I realize you may be reluctant to discuss further, so ignore this if you feel you should, but I am curious as to what, if any, further contact did you have with the physicians in question and the hospital?

KO self-referencing is promotion and here, Robert is bringing up the issue when abortion is avaiable as an option, doctors won't even try to help. In this case, it is obvisou that Mrs. Cox needed to be transfered to a full-facilitated hospital, not just to kill the baby and go home.

Powerful story.

I encourage everyone to follow Robert's example....From personal experience in my 10 years as a Family Doctor, I have seen many patients coerced into wrong decisions by unethical practitioners for many reasons.

Abortion is a particularly common procedure "sold," to patients....usually without all of the facts. Remember, doctors make a lot of money on procedures they perform.

Robert's situation was particullary disturbing because his wife's life was entered into the discussion and many would have taken as gospel the advice to save the mother's life by terminating the baby's life.

By the way, the doctor was incorrect to suggest he could perform a procedure on Robert's wife without her or his consent....she was not displaying any signs of delerium or incompetence and understood the dangers of refusing the prescribed treatment.

The doctor who suggested he would proceed on his own authority should have had his licence to practice medicine revoked!

Always question your doctor's prescribed plan....alternatives are almost always possible...If he or she dismisses, out of hand, a standard of care alternative....run away!

Your children must make you and your wife very happy, Robert. God Bless.

Robert,

Thank you very much for posting your personal story. All too often, each of us (regardless of the side we take on the issue) think of issues such as abortion in abstract terms, having not been there firsthand experiencing that very decision.

I both applaud your courage on that ultimately joyous day for you, and pray that God never places me in such a difficult situation.

Kudos to you, Bob. I am grateful that you shared quite a personal and moving story with us. I admit that it was difficult to read at times, but how wonderful the ending is. It serves as a testament to how precious life is.

I had a long week in DC and took the weekend off so I am just getting back to checking emails and OlbyWatch.

I saw that The Monarch wrote: "what, if any, further contact did you have with the physicians in question and the hospital?"

My wife was hospitalized for several days after the birth of my son but my son remained in the ICU from May until August. He was released but a few weeks later he developed further complications and was hospitalized again for several more week. I believe his total time in ICU was about 5+ months. I mention this because after a woman gives birth it is standard for her OB/GYN to do a check up a couple of months afterward. The first time there was any contact with either of the two doctors from the hospital (my wife's OB/GYN and her partner) was when a staffer from the doctor's office called my wife to schedule a check up. I was amazed that these two doctors had the temerity to imagine that my wife was going to continue to go to them. I suggested that my wife ask to speak directly her doctor. When the doctor got on the phone I picked up the other line and took the opportunity to ask her whether, given what had happened, she really thought my wife would ever trust her again. When she tried to justify her behavior I began to blast her pretty good. In the coup de grace I asked her what kind of doctor could see her patient wheeled out of a hospital in my wife's condition that day and not once bother to call my wife to see how she was doing or come by the hospital to visit. When the doctor responded that "that's not how it works", that she WAS calling doctors at the other hospital and monitoring her progress and that as a "doctor" that was the extent of her responsibility. Fed up, I asked something like "how about your responsibility as a human being? You nearly killed my wife and my son...you never bother to apologize for your screw ups or explain yourself and now you have some secretary call for you to schedule an appointment as if nothing happened." I told her she was a pathetic excuse for a human being and a disgrace to the medical community before my wife and I hung up the phone.

I have never seen her again but my wife has several times. The doctor lives not far from us and on several occassions my wife has been shopping in our local downtown; each time, when she caught sight of my wife she blanched and ducked into whatever store was closest in attempt to hide from my wife.

I've been told that shortly afterwards the doctor stopped practicing as an OB/GYN. I only encounted her partner once, indirectly, when I saw his name was engraved on a plaque at my local Catholic parish to acknolwedge his financial contributions to my church. The irony of the Catholic church accepting money from an abortionist was not lost on me.

Robert Cox,

How is it ironic that the Catholic Church accepts money from an "abortionist"? All money donated to the church is from sinners. Glad your son has turned out well and healthy.

Dave,

If I need to explain it to you then it's not worth the trouble.