Courts Say Teen Not Mature Enough to Make Health Care Decisions . . . but Abortion’s Okay
By Christian Martin. I remember the day the governor of Connecticut came to visit my church. Governor Dan Malloy talked to our congregation about increasing the minimum wage and urged those without insurance to sign up for the Affordable Care Act.
As I listened to his speech, I realized I had to talk to him. I knew that if I didn’t take the opportunity to approach him, I might not have another chance. As he left the building with his companions, I hurried after him. After thanking him for coming, I asked to share something important. He obliged, and I told him that allowing abortions without parental notifications or consent was dangerous for young women in our state. I shared that pimps use abortion to keep sex-trafficked girls in business. I mentioned that it’s unsafe for teenagers to be able to get a potentially life-altering procedure without allowing their parents to know. The governor looked at me and politely nodded.
Connecticut is coming under fire after its Supreme Court ruled that a 17-year-old girl must undergo chemotherapy against her own will. The teenager in the case, Cassandra, and her mother Jackie are interested in seeking alternative treatments to chemotherapy. Cassandra has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Medical experts say chemo can give her an 85% chance for life, and without it, she could die in two years.
ABC News reports that Cassandra let the press know she doesn’t want such “toxic harmful drugs” in her body. She shared that “being forced into the surgery and chemo has traumatized me.” She wrote a letter stating, “I do believe I am mature enough to make the decision to refuse the chemo, but it shouldn’t be about maturity, it should be a given human right to decide what you want and don’t want for your own body.”
This case has received national attention. Many question why the court would bypass the wishes of this teenager and her mother. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Children and Families claimed they had a “legal and moral responsibility in this case.” They stated, “Under this circumstance — when there is medical consensus that action must be taken or the child will die — the Department has a clear and urgent responsibility to save the life of this child.” (Read more about what the courts say on the girl not being mature enough to make health care decisions, but it’s okay for an abortion at her age HERE)
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Kelly Clarkson’s New Song Called “Heartbeat Song” is Set to the Beat of Her Unborn Baby’s Heartbeat
By Josh Shepherd. On Monday, new mom and pop/country superstar Kelly Clarkson released “Heartbeat Song” — an upbeat, synth-driven single that celebrates her new baby girl in a unique way.
“The beat is actually River’s heartbeat slowed down from when she was in my tummy!” shares Clarkson in a radio interview. Clarkson and her husband Brandon Blackstock, married in 2013, welcomed their baby girl River Rose into the world on June 12, 2014.
A preview of the track released first on Twitter, in a video featuring pink-clad baby River. (Read more from this story HERE)
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