Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A Terrible Tale from El Salvador & 24 Weeks

My husband shared this podcast with me last night.  Quintanilla, an El Salvandorian woman, lost a baby at 7 months.  She was accused of aborting the baby, even though it was stillborn, and was imprisoned as a result.  I can't even imagine being imprisoned after the trauma of having a stillborn baby - being accused of aborting your baby when you had a horrific medical event that caused your baby's death.  The following is an excerpt from the whole story, but if you want to read the whole story, you can do so here.  I know things aren't perfect in the United States, but this is a reminder of how good we have it relative to many others.
In Quintanilla's case, an anonymous hospital worker had called the police and accused Quintanilla of having an abortion. As a result, she was dragged into a court case that lasted almost 12 months. 
She and her family members say they'd been eagerly awaiting the birth of her second child. They'd even had a baby shower for her. Quintanilla says emphatically that she did not kill her baby. 
The hospital had found no evidence that she had intentionally aborted the pregnancy. But the district attorney pushed forward anyway, arguing that Quintanilla had terminated the pregnancy because she couldn't support another child.
During the trial, Quintanilla says, her public defender was awful and couldn't even remember her name.  In the end, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison. She served four years before a young lawyer stumbled across her case and managed to get her sentence overturned. He argued successfully that no one ever established the cause of her baby's death.
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In happier news, I had an appointment yesterday(24 weeks, 3 days) and our ultrasound looked good.  My office will only do measurements every 2 weeks, but the baby was moving everywhere and looked great and my ultrasound tech (who I love and see every time I go in), said she was so upset that Dr. G mentioned the small head.  She said that if she were worried, she would tell me and that everything looks great.  And my doctor didn't mention it at all and felt like things were going well.  I'm trying to just take that to heart and be as calm as possible about things.  Next Tuesday I'll get another growth scan and hopefully her head will be growing!

In the meantime, my favorite 3D image from Tuesday.  She is starting to look like a "real" baby!  Look at that nose and those lips!  The image is a bit blurry because she would not stay still, but I love it (and her).  Thanks to you all for your support with my freak out last week, it really means a lot to me.


12 comments:

  1. Thank your for your comments and your support. All that can get me through the day is reading other people's stories that bring me peace and hope, and remind me that I am not alone. Your baby looks beautiful.

    I too come from a country in the Caribbean with laws as terrible as El Salvador. I am grateful to have the opportunity to come to the U.S. for all medical related appointments and procedures.

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    1. I've been in your shoes and I know that any support helps. I'm here if you need anything or if I can be of help in any way.

      This story just made me so angry that women end up in these positions (particularly because men are obviously involved but never blamed). I'm glad you are here for medical procedures, too!

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  2. What a sad sad story. I've always said, even though I never WANTED to terminate my pregnancies, and I would give anything for my babies to have been healthy, I'm glad that I had the option to do so for medical reasons. I can't imagine living in other countries where things like that happen. It's horrifying.

    I'm glad to read everything is continuing to go well and you and baby are happy and healthy.

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    1. Ugh, exactly. It isn't a choice that anyone wants to make and how horrible to then be punished.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Julia. I think so, too, but I am biased.

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  4. Aw, that 3D scan is amazing! She's such a little cutie! I'm so glad everything looked good at your scan

    That story is just horrible. I can't even imagine. Thank God that new lawyer took on her case, but to have had to go through all of that and spend 4 years in jail is unreal.

    Good luck at your next scan. I will be thinking about you and sending prayers!

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    1. Thank you! I go in tomorrow and also have my glucose test. Fingers crossed for lots of growth and no diabetes (I've been paranoid all weekend about eating sweets).

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  5. That poor woman in El Salvador. That is simply too horrible for words.

    Beautiful U/S photo. So glad to read you are feeling a bit better.

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    1. Thank you and, yes, that story is just too awful.

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  6. What a dreadful story.
    But the picture is adorable - 3D ultrasounds are quite amazing!

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    1. Thanks! I'm biased, but I think she is looking pretty cute. Some of the photos end up being creepy, but for the most part I love them (especially as she fattens up!).

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