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Funerals Denied for Stillborn Children at Ontario Hospital

St. Catharines General Hospital claims to have "lost" babies

TORONTO, February 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A St. Catharine's couple whose baby was born dead is seeking answers from the hospital, which claims to have "lost" their baby before he could be buried. The news of the loss of the body of the deceased child was reported by LifeSite in December, however the case continues as it has been alleged that the same hospital denied the wishes of another mother to have a funeral for her child who died in utero.

Lawyers for Debra Lynn Poirier and Leo Rochon of St. Catharines are negotiating with the St. Catharines General Hospital and the hospital has taken responsibility for the loss of the body of their child. However, another woman who wishes to remain unnamed told the National Post that the same hospital denied her request to have her child who died after 16 weeks gestation buried, and also said they did not have the child's remains.

The 28-year-old social worker said hospital staff "completely disregarded" her wishes to have a funeral for her child. "At the time, they almost seemed appalled that I wanted to have a burial," she said. When she asked for the body of the child she was told there simply was not any fetal tissue.

"We live in a twisted society where the denial of the reality of human life before birth is so strong that some try to continue this denial even when confronted with a dead baby," said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition. "The same hospitals where the routine killing of babies by abortion takes place on a daily basis and the disposal of these little bodies is hidden in rhetoric now finds it difficult to change gears and deal with grieving parents," he continued. "The term "reproductive loss" is a euphemism designed to ignore the reality that the loss referred to is a child of two parents."

"We express our condolences to the parents of little Ethan. He is with God as are all children who die either by natural causes or the deliberate killing by doctors in the hospital in an abortion," said Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer of Campaign Life Coalition. "We pray for these parents and all who grieve and we pray for the end to abortion in our country."

See the National Post coverage:
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=8d6eaabb-943d-456...

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