Friday June 13, 2008, 8:50 am
Noted with tears for the mircle that happened here.
Thank you Francesca for this beautiful story and I loved that it included a follow-up on how little Samuel is doing.

Friday June 13, 2008, 12:00 pm
What a heartwarming story. Bless Samuel and his mom! Thank you so much for sharing this Francesca! The picture is worth more than words could ever say.

Friday June 13, 2008, 1:09 pm
Great article Francesca!

Friday June 13, 2008, 1:55 pm
SAW THIS BEFORE IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY PROVES LIFE DOES BEGIN BEFORE BIRTH

Friday June 13, 2008, 2:08 pm
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-handofhope.htm
LOL Do you know this has been circulating since 1999


Please read what the doctor says:

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."
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-handofhope3.htm

Friday June 13, 2008, 2:37 pm
thanks for your info IAMD - I posted it as it was something I just came across - it didn't matter to me what date it happened, it was just a wonderful picture and story. And whether it was the surgeon pulling out the baby's hand (though why he would do this, I'm not sure, plus that's his version of the story) or it is in fact the baby himself, doesn't really matter. The fact is, there was a living baby being operated on inside it's mother's womb...that alone is a miracle.

Friday June 13, 2008, 2:49 pm
All life is precious!

Friday June 13, 2008, 3:19 pm
The doctor needed room to operate and moved baby's hand and people who oppose abortion used the picture intentially saying it was the baby who hold doctors hands.

Saturday June 14, 2008, 1:18 pm
I have seen this beautiful picture before..its incredible and shows that life does start before birth...I agree with Mary ann that all life is very precious...and that little guy reaching out should be an eye opener to us all regarding all life...

Saturday June 14, 2008, 2:09 pm
Remarkable! Beautiful article Francesca!

Sunday June 15, 2008, 10:19 pm
If you touch a foetu's hand, the touch causes a reflex which makes the fingers close around your fingers or hand. Just like when you touch their cheeks they turn towards the touch. It happens to all "living cells". If you've taken Biology, Microbiology, related sciences, you've run across this phenomena. Reflexes are involuntary and it's a shame to try to use this to influence people who may not know it.
I respect people who don't believe in abortion not to have one. But I stand firm in defense of someone who decides to have an abortion because, 1-I'm not going to raise their kid, 2-I know better than to confuse reflex with feelings. 3-When we respect each other, educate ourselves and don't tell untruths, we have a superior chance of having a better life overall.
May Spirit guide us all towards knowledge, wisdom and freedom from chains that keep us ignorant of much more important realities and growth.

Monday June 16, 2008, 1:22 am
Thank you RZ for the scientific explanation - I completely agree with what your saying and please don't think I was spreading 'untruths' - it was just how this article made me 'feel' - because as a human and spiritual being, we cannot neglect our feelings; they too are part of who we are, and are there to relay truths, instincts and knowledge - even if only of ourselves.

And I do believe it is a woman's own choice whether she has an abortion or not - I just felt that this was such an incredible picture, of a new human being filled with the life force (babies don't just act on reflex alone - they are very connected to their need for survival, which is why they cry for food etc.) So I think it's important to show that even at this early stage of life, babies do fight for their life. The actual bithing process itself is very traumatic for babies, and to survive this experience we block out the memory of our birth (unless we go through a 'rebirthing process').

As a balanced and wise person, I feel that we must pay attention to both the scientific and the the spiritual aspects of life; to ignore the emotional/spiritual part of 'reality' we are not living to our full potential. And the original impetus for me to post this article, was purely the fact that all was being done to save this little baby, whilst still in the womb - and even after the spina bifida diagnosis, the mother bravely went ahead with the operation to help her child, and didn't choose to abort him. That takes alot of faith and trust in the medics and in the Greater power.

Monday June 16, 2008, 10:45 am
Thanks for understanding why I objected to this, Francesca. Actually, my hurried explanation is very poor. Some cells turn away from stimulus (touch). However, Mother Nature must have given wee ones the reflex to grab on to things and turn to the source of food (breast) as a means to get attention & survive.
I wouldn't have done what the Mother did here. In the laboratory of Nature many times things get crossed, interfered with... Often it may be better to let it go and hope for a better outcome next time.
We can not kill a spirit. The body is just a sack that has"life" while the spirit animates it. I firmly believe this - until better "proof" to the contrary. Namaste.

Monday June 16, 2008, 10:57 am
I might add that such reflexes exist in all of Nature.
If you touch a large crab's claw even right after it has been removed (let's say in a fight w/ another crab), it'll clamp on whatever touches it. If it happens to be your finger, it may be severed, due to the muscle strength of the crab.
That tiny foetus most likely would do the same to you, except it doesn't have the muscle strength & hard exoskeleton of a crab.

Monday June 16, 2008, 12:59 pm
Hi Rz - I agree that the body is only animated by spirit, or life-force, which is why I felt this to be such a wonderful story; the unborn baby does have a spirit, for that is what brought it into being. And yes, certain things do turn away from stimulus. And as babies, we each react to the stimulus of touch, food, water, warmth - but it is all thes things which act on our sympathetic nervous system, which in turn effects our emotions and feelings of well-being.

If the basic needs of a baby are not met (whatever age....and this can continue to adulthood!) the baby will feel vulnerable, unloved and frightened. It is natures way that all those basic drives need to be met, so that we may thrive and have a good sense of wellbeing.

Personally, I would not abort a foetus, even if there was a problem (for even at 12 weeks, the foetus (alive with 'spirit') has developed it's brain, spine and 'feeling' sense. But I respect another woman's choice to abort; it is definately a personal choice.

And perhaps the mother in this story wouldn't get another chance, as she had already had two miscarriages and was receiving fertility treatment (from which she became pregnant with this little one). So I understand her wanting to save her child. Yes, nature's laboratory isn't always perfect, but surely as humans, we have evolved ways and means to prolong life;it is all around us, each day in surgeries, hospitals and research. And I studied Social Biology & Child and Maternal Welfare at college...so I learnt about the scientific, psychological and emotionsl aspects that are inherent in our lives and environment. As human beings, we are complicated creatures and there is always a multitude of factors going on, at any one time, that influence our life-choices and actions.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 12:19 pm
Beautiful story! Thank you Francesca. I believe that all life is precious.

Abortion is evolving away from "pro choice" into genocide. Millions of women are forced to abort because they are carrying the wrong sex. Millions more are forced to abort because they are unwed and will shame the honor of their family. Babies are being aborted, because their parents only wanted one or two not the five fetuses produce from fertility drugs. Millions of babies are being aborted because they are not seen as "normal" even though they can have a productive life and give a lot of love.

I have known women that aborted because economically they felt they were not ready, or their career was still a focus, wrong father, or feared their man will not stick around and did not want to loose them over a baby. And these women struggled conceiving when they were ready, career on track and met the "right" man. I know one woman that was forced to keep her baby, because the doctor warned her that one more abortion will prevent her from carrying a child ever. Ironic isn't it?

What is next? Abort babies, because they not straight or gay, wrong eye and hair color?

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 12:32 am
Icredible indeed!

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 4:15 am
Thank you Francesca

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 4:25 am
This is such an interesting story. So many thoughts come to mind about this subject. And there are so many things I would like to say... One of my fist thoughts is how abortion is such a controversial issue in our culture. I'm not going to debate here with those who approve of abortion. In fact, at one time I held that position. I do believe that if the mother's life is at risk, then that can be a valid reason to choose ending the life of the baby.

Now, I'm speaking to those who may have had an abortion and regret doing so. It is my spiritual belief that someday they (the mothers) will be reunited with their child when they pass from this world to the next. To some, what I'm about to say is going to sound unusual (to put it mildly): Begin by giving your baby a name. And, talk with the baby. And, talk with God (if you believe in a higher power). If you sincerely want God's forgivenes, the God that I believe in will forgive you.

For those who don't want to bring a child into the world - for whatever reason, I hope and pray that they will consider adoption. So many couples desparately would like to have a baby and can not.

And, to those who are usually young and immature who deliver a child (not in a hospital) and then try to dispose of it, I say: DON'T! Please take the child somewhere - anywhere - that is safe place - and give the baby a chance to live!

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 6:32 am
Baby Samuel Armas is truly a miracle, as is every child ever conceived. This photo is moving, to say the least. The surgery was performed with Samuel out of the womb, then the doctor carefully and gently placed him back into the his mother's womb. Samuel grapsed the doctor's hand as he was being put back into the womb, but he was fully sedated and did not actually reach out.

All life, from the instant of conception, is sacred, unique and special. Samuel certainly helps to demonstrate that. Praise God.

Since all at the instant of conception there is a unique and complete human being, any action to end that life adds to the American Holocaust called abortion. Thanks so much for sharing this item with us. God Bless.

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 9:58 am
Thank you Carol and Frank for your views - I hadn't realised that this article would raise so many thoughts on abortion/anti-abortion, but it is definately an issue that needs attention. And this article and the accompanying picture is what really struck me - how fragile life is even from the very beginning...peace and blessings to everyone who has taken the time to read and respond to this story - it really does show that people care x