December 18, 2013

From Jim McGuiggan... "They do that all the time."

From Jim McGuiggan... "They do that all the time."

"They do that all the time."

I received a remarkable picture. It was of a tiny developing human (Samuel), still inside the mother’s womb, but his hand is reaching out of the womb and grasping the finger of a surgeon. The growing little human’s hand is fully developed and as the story via the link below will tell you, the surgeon tested the strength of the grip by trying (not too hard) to shake Samuel off but Sam would have none of it.
The sequence of pictures is absolutely riveting and in and of itself says more than the twisted tale that surrounds the surgeon (Dr. Bruner) and LIFE magazine (as Michael Clancy tells it). The story that LIFE magazine would have offered would have been marvellous enough. It purposed to write a story of medical brilliance and progress and intended to use a posed photograph of a marvellous operation to help a little developing human with spina bifida to make that point. They were going to use the picture of a 24 week-old tiny human but journalist and photographer Michael Clancy was hired by USA Today to cover the event involving a 21-week little human. He was astounded when he saw the uterus, untouched by anyone, shake and then an arm burst through and then withdraw, until only the hand was showing. At that point the surgeon offered his finger to Samuel and he grabbed it and held on.
Makes the heart leap! We have no reason to wonder at the skill and dedication of many in the medical profession—thank God for them! But doesn’t it take your breath away just to think of the drive for life in that tiny little human, 21 weeks old? Pay special attention to what the surgical nurse told Clancy when Sam burst through the uterus!
Maybe I should leave it at that and just let you wonder as you look at the pictures as I did. But maybe it’s important that you get a sense of how greed and a hunger for acclaim can slither into even moments like these. 
You must read Clancy’s entire account of what happened and see what you think of his account. See

For a lovely "sequel" to it all see also
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

No comments:

Post a Comment