Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Comments, A Bad Story, & An Amazing Story

COMMENTS:

I wasn't sorry to see Kathy Ireland eliminated from Dancing With Stars. While my preference would have been to see Tom Delay go she was my second choice. What bothered me the most about Delay is that he wasn't even in the bottom two, which means we might see him for a free more weeks. Ugh. They eliminated two teams from The Amazing Race Sunday, one poor team got eliminated before the race even started. I'm thinking the Globetrotters and The Poker players will be tough teams to beat.

THE BAD STORY:

Remember a while back that I reported on a story where a daughter of a couple died because due to religious beliefs the parents didn't seek medical help for her? They are back in the news today. From the Oregonian: "The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a child born Saturday to members of an Oregon City faith-healing church." The key question for the investigators is if the child would have survived with medical care. How many deaths, how many stories, before this church is forced to disband?

THE AMAZING STORY:

We have all be hungry for good stories. The most amazing story was in the Oregonian this morning. This is just the lead of the story.

"If her six-hour surgery goes as planned today, Chrissy Steltz will wake up able to breathe through a nasal airway for the first time in more than 10 years. "

She won't yet have a nose -- just a rectangular opening where the nose should be. But it's a start.

An accidental shotgun blast at close range when she was 16 blew away much of Steltz's face, including her eyes, cheeks, nose and upper jaw. The first page of her 725-page medical record at Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Medical Center in 1999 gives a stark summary, under Reason for Admission."

Run, don't walk to read this absolutely amazing story. Click this link now:

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/09/post_4.html

If it turns out that the child mentioned in the above bad story would have lived, what should we do with that church? If you read the complete amazing story up above, tell me what you think about it. Could the amazing things they are doing translate to hope in other areas?


TODAY'S TRIVIA:

Monday's answers: Benjamin Netanyahu,, the NAACP, Benjamin Disraeli, Emma Lazarus, Timur AKA Tamerlane,

Today is a Who Am I?

I was born in 1783 and died of a young age in 1819. I grew up with my cousin in Kinderhook, New York. I fell in love with my cousin but because he wanted to establish his law practice we didn't not marry until he was 24 and I was three months younger. Martin omitted my name from his autobiography because a gentleman in those days would not shame a lady by public references. One of my nieces said I had a loving and gentle disposition and also remembered me as being honest and timid. I had s son in Kinderhook and three in Hudson, although the fourth died in infancy. I had a fifth boy in January of 1817. Sometimes my household included Martin's law partner and three apprentices and relatives came and went constantly. It was said in contemporary letters that I was busy, sociable and happy. The following winter after the birth of my fifth son I died from tuberculosis. Martin never remarried and moved into a house as widower with four bachelor sons. Accustomed to living an elegant lifestyle Martin immediately began to refurbish the house that Andrew left shabby from public use. Dolley introduced a lady from South Carolina to Abraham, my eldest son. Angelica's aristocratic manners, excellent education, and handsome face won the heart won Abraham's and they were married in 1938. Abraham became Martin's private secretary and Angelica became the lady of their house. Who Am I?

4 comments:

Pat said...

What will it take to force the church to disband? An act of God. I don't think you can force a church to disband. Maybe they could remove their tax-free status, but I think they should do that with all churches, for anything beyond the sanctuary itself, maybe the pastor's salary and housing. And they don't do it, so this "church" will probably continue right on, regardless of their reckless conduct with their children's health.

The amazing story is indeed amazing. I can only hope that the latex replacement face is lifelike enough that she can appear in public with no reaction at all. She's a remarkable woman to have apparently made a relatively normal life for herself in spite of the tragedy. Offhand, I think I'd call for heavier penalties for the two teenage boys, one playing with a gun (idiot!) and the other having stolen guns, including the one that went off in her face. The latter one apparently got only probation, which is puzzling to me.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I am hoping that the state comes in and takes all the children associated with the church into state custody. That is the only way I can see of protecting the children in the church from stupidity.

As to the two boys in the story, I am with you. I think a year in a custody and a couple of years probation would have been more appropriate and even then that might have been to light.

Bill

Lady DR said...

I vote with both of you on the issue of the church, although I don't know what can be done about it. Did you mean this was the same church or the same couple (they were expecting, as I recall)? Either way, there has to be a balance between dogma and reality.

Also agree that the young woman is pretty amazing, to have built a life for herself after what happened. I'm glad they'll be able to do something for her and that the doctors are absorbing the costs. I do NOT understand the boyfriend-at-the-time getting off on probation for 15 (I think you said?) stolen guns in the house! I mean, isn't that a felony offense? Did he get probation because he was juvie? Still... I'm not understanding the light sentences for either of the two boys, particularly considering the consequences.

William J. said...

Hi DR

Same church not the same couple as far as I know. This chuarch has had more than ten deaths of children associated with it in the last ten years. It lead to a change in Oregon law that before the new law passed they couldn't prosecute the deaths, now they can.

The part of the story about the amazing girl is the punishment doled out to those two teens. They should have been given the maximum sentences instead of a slap on the hands. I do love the woman's drive, the new medical procedures that are going to keep people from staring at her, the system that gives her an income and the doctores that are treating her for free.

Bill