A tale of two pro-life doctors

By Matt Abbott
Op/Ed

When Jane McCaffrey was 19, she had an experience that changed her life.

"I was working for a Catholic OB/GYN, and my job was to assist in the front office and in the exam room," Jane said. "One day, the doctor summoned me to his office while his patient was still there. This was very unusual.

"I entered the room, and he asked me to take a seat. I was to witness a conversation he and his patient were having," Jane continued.

"Yes, I hear you Mrs. (X) - you feel you cannot afford a third child," Jane observed the doctor say to his patient. "I am chief-of-staff at (X) Hospital. I will take care of you throughout your pregnancy, free of charge. Your delivery will cost you nothing. You will receive no hospital bill.

"After the baby is born, I will bring it to your room, and you can strangle it."

Jane was stunned and speechless.

The patient, insulted and indignant, retorted, "How can you speak that way to me?!" The doctor calmly said to her, "That's what you're asking me to do."

"We never saw that patient again," Jane said. "She may have found someone else to do the horrible deed for her, but I pray ... she decided to give birth to her unborn child and found that God provided for all her needs.

"That was in 1953, and my life will never be the same. I carried this experience with me through nurses' training and have told the story multiple times. God bless our faithful doctors who do the will of God, even today."

And speaking of faithful doctors, Edgar A. Suter, M.D., recently contacted the Phoenix, Arizona affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation regarding its grant to Planned Parenthood.

Pat Elder, executive director of the Phoenix affiliate, responded in typical fashion (excerpted):

"Dear Dr. Suter,

"Thank you for your note regarding the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and our 2006 grant to Planned Parenthood. We appreciate the opportunity to share with you information about this issue from our perspective....

"The funds granted to Planned Parenthood in 2006 by the Komen Phoenix Affiliate specifically funded two visits of the Mobile On-Site Mammography unit to provide mammography exams to 60 women, and provided educational materials that further our mission to eradicate breast cancer and serve the breast health needs of the medically underserved in central and northern Arizona.

"In many urban and rural areas, Planned Parenthood may be the only source of free or low-cost women's breast health screening services, such as mammograms or clinical breast exams. Is this a case of funds already allocated that can now be used for other services? No, because without our grant, more than 15,000 women each year would be unable to have these potentially life-saving services and information.

"So to us, this is simply a case of providing a breast-health service at no or a low-cost to many women who need them. It is also important to note that there is overwhelming evidence that there is no link between abortions and breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) review of recent scientific literature reveals that no conclusive evidence exists...."

Dr. Suter's response to Pat Elder:

"Dear Mrs. Elder,

"'Spin' does not make me dizzy. You give money to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood kills babies. Even if your grant money is supposedly earmarked for breast cancer screening, you free other Planned Parenthood monies to pursue their grisly murders. I reiterate, I will share this with all my patients encouraging them not to assist your foundation in any way. Catholic ethics demand no less of me."

Web sites of interest:

www.abortionbreastcancer.com

www.childpredators.com