Tiny Hand Of Hope
by ArrogantlyBluntJune 3rd, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Filed under: Science & Technology
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www.Urban Legends “A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the paper, you probably will never see it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by a surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb. During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. During the surgery on little Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person" "The Hand" of the fetus. You can see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible. Pass it on.. The world needs to see this one.”  www.Urban Legends “This amazing photo, taken by Michael Clancy and originally published in USA Today and The Tennessean on September 7, 1999, is authentic. It began circulating via email within weeks of its first appearance in newspapers. The accompanying text is basically accurate, as well. The photo was taken during a surgery performed by Dr. Joseph Bruner and Dr. Noel Tulipan at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville on August 19, 1999 to treat a 21-week-old fetus for spina bifida. The operation was a success, and three months later a healthy Samuel Alexander Armas was delivered by C-section. Doubts have been raised about the assertion that the fetus actually reached out of the opening in the womb to grasp the surgeon's finger, inasmuch as there are at least three different accounts of precisely what happened at that moment, two of them from eyewitnesses: Email text: "During the surgery on little Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger." Photographer Michael Clancy: "Samuel came out from under anesthesia too soon and thrust his clenched fist out of the surgical opening to his mother's womb. In my opinion, Samuel was in pain. Dr. Joseph Bruner reached over and gently lifted Samuel's hand, and Samuel reacted by squeezing the doctor's finger." Surgeon Joseph Bruner: "Depending on your political point of view, this is either Samuel Armas reaching out of the uterus and touching the finger of a fellow human, or it's me pulling his hand out of the uterus ... which is what I did." Perhaps it all boils down to semantics. Dr. Bruner has stated elsewhere that Samuel's hand "appeared" in the uterine opening before he reached out and lifted it, lending credence to photographer Clancy's version of events. In any case, although it appears the email does exaggerate when it says the fetus "reached ... through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger," something akin to that really did happen. Such quibbles don't lessen the impact of the photograph itself, which Dr. Bruner has described as "powerful" and Michael Clancy calls "miraculous." It should come as no surprise that both the image and Samuel Armas' success story have figured prominently in the abortion debate ever since.” |
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I agree, the picture is something. I also feel that abortions should be banned after three months. But I'm not convinced that a fetus at 12 weeks is a human being. In fact, I don't think it is. Five months? Sure, I agree that is a child. Pro-choice should be the path this country takes, but only allowed to have abortions in the 3 months or less time frame. Just an idea.
Glad to hear it Julita. I'm doing fine also. Just returned from my son's wedding in Illinois. I had a great time. Enjoy your summer.
Hi Shall01, everyone...Doing fine on this corner
I saw the article in the St Pete Times and was touched by it as well. I agree that a picture like that should never go by the wayside...it was a great picture and article. It has been quiet on this site for a while it seems. What can we argue about now Arrogant? I hope all are doing well.
Hello Retired_Navy_Rob,
I can not help but notice that you have fallen into the age old trap: ... a fetus can fell pain and has a sense of touch ... -- Retired_Navy_Rob
What is the trap, you may be asking? It is, "lower the worth of some thing or someone to make that person of no value, or worthless". Just as a wife abuser will call his wife a "cow", "bitch" and any number of things to lower her humanity, so will an abortionist call a "baby" a "fetus" to lower the effects of murder. Just as a radical Muslim calls a Jew a "pig" or a "monkey", an abortionist will not want to acknowledge that what is growing in a woman is a "person", a small little copy of a full grown "human being". If this "fetus" is really a "child", how can it be "killed"? They, the abortionists, will never call the "baby" what it really is, because then it is just out and out murder.
When a pregnant woman walks down the street, does she have a T-shirt that says "Fetus on Board", or does it proudly say, "BABY On Board"?
Hey Arrogant, as always a great article. Pointing out that a fetus can fell pain and has a sense of touch is a good point. I always find it curiously odd that most proabortionist are against the death penalty because it might cause pain to the condemned.
My first time seeing this picture. I am silent because if I were left to help this mother I, wouldn't have been able to. Special thanks to the trained doctors who do this kind of procedure. julita
One thing that I find ironic is that if a woman “chooses” to kill their baby its ok but if the baby dies as a result of a crime committed against her some states will charge the accused with a count of murder or manslaughter. I love fuzzy legislation.