The Cold, Hard Facts About the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

It seems many people still don't realize that the ALS Association (ALSA) condones and uses Embryonic Stem Cell research - and thus negates the ALSA as potential recipients of our charitable efforts.

Last week I authored a piece, Throwing Cold Water on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, over on Catholic Stand. As it was shared in Facebook-land and other social media, it spurred quite the reaction. Some comments were expected, others came as a surprise. All in all the responses have been good.

There are a couple of things that I hope readers will take away from my presentation of the facts surrounding the charitable assistance owed to all of those who suffer from ALS or any other debilitating, life threatening disease - an ethical cure should never come at the expense of the life of another.

Here are the Cold, Hard Facts about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in a nutshell: 

• The ALS Association (ALSA), which initiated the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, supports Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

• Embryonic Stem Cell Research kills tiny human beings, who were created for experimentation. 

• This is considered to be one of the intrinsic evils by the Catholic Church.

• ALS victims deserve our compassion and research to end this horrible disease is a worthy cause.

• There are ethical alternatives to the ALSA, such as the John Paul II Medical Research Institute.

• The John Paul II Medical Research Institute does NOT support or use Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

• If you choose to accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, please designate your donation to the John Paul II Medical Research Institute or another moral/ethical organizations.

• American Life League has a vast list devoted to informing readers about the morality of most large charities. You might be surprised at which ones (and how many) are unethical.

• Catholic bishops, from dioceses such as the archdiocese of Cincinnati, are accepting the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and publicly spotlighting their support for the ethical research being done by the John Paul II Medical Research Institute. They are alerting their flocks to the moral repugnance of Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

As Catholic Christians, we are morally bound to practice morally discerned charity. It's our duty to know the moral stance of those to whom we donate. A little bit of research or asking a pro-life organization, such as American Life League, will easily give you the answers you need. Whether you choose to give privately or via a public event, always remember to care enough to make sure your giving is morally sound.

Cancer While Pregnant? Both Mother and Baby Can (and Should) Live!

Taking a cue from Pope Francis, our family is known to evangelize. His oft repeated message calls us to share the word of God where we are, saying, “The Church must be in the streets”. As a passionate pro-life advocate, my participation in this call often centers on the sanctity of life. As His creatures, God’s first gift to us is our very being. In as much as He is the author of life, we owe Him our utmost effort in preserving it.

Sharing a Personal Story

Our family has had its share of opportunities for ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to the pro-life message. One such story – finding myself to be a pregnant 14-year-old – has been a past topic. Another is the experience our daughter, Erika, lived when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 20 weeks pregnant. Sharing her story has been a valuable tool for reaching out to those in similar circumstances – a surprisingly significant segment of society. That she was given only two options – abortion followed by treatment or waiting until after birth for treatment – is typical of advice most frequently given across the country. Often we see stories of a virtuous, heroic mother who forgoes treatments in deference to the life of the child she is carrying. What isn’t as commonplace is the medically advanced, morally sound option of treatment while pregnant. This is the alternative I feel a spiritual pull to share. After all, both mother and child deserve the best chance of survival!

Knowledge - a Powerful Ally

Unfortunately there’s much misinformation out there. For this reason, our daughter, a molecular biologist, Howard Hughes research scholar, and former forensic biologist did her share of research when presented with two unacceptable options by local doctors. What she found was that chemotherapy during pregnancy does not raise the risk of miscarriage or other problems. In fact, the oncologists who treated her at M.D. Anderson in Houston had been successfully using this method for over 20 years. Although these children continue to be closely monitored, there have been no incidents of detrimental effects to date. This option is as safe for the unborn child as that of no treatment. Even though our daughter was high risk for miscarriage (4 occurrences prior to her second live birth), her doctor assured her the option of chemotherapy treatment would not increase her risk.

According to Erika, “The maternal-fetal doctor I saw in Houston told me that the biggest ‘risk’ of chemo treatments while pregnant was the increased likelihood of early contractions. However, she again assured me that a) any time a pregnant woman is stressed, she’s likely to have contractions and b) those contractions are rarely productive”.

So what causes all of the misconceptions and why isn’t this scientifically proven method more commonly shared? Perhaps doctors poorly explain or fail to acknowledge the truth. It’s also possible that doctors aren’t as familiar with chemotherapy during pregnancy as they could be. Every woman presented with a cancer diagnosis while pregnant is free to choose what she feels is best, but being armed with the facts – all of them – should be a vital part of that decision-making process.

I tell our story via the pro-life memes I create and share.

Life for Both

As is typical, the outcome proved to be win-win when our healthy, full term granddaughter was born on Thanksgiving Day 2009. She joined all of the other ‘chemo babies’ of the past 25+ years, whose mothers had an increased chance of surviving a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy. Today, Rachel is a precocious 4-year-old who ranks in the 90th percentile in height and weight for her age group. She’s a beginning reader who aspires to out run her rambunctious 6-year-old brother. Whenever we are out and about, her disarming smile is sure to garner comments and begin conversations. In true evangelizing style, we never miss an opportunity to express our gratitude to God for this living miracle of ours. Many a stranger has walked away from a checkout line or gathering, knowing that a cancer diagnosis while pregnant doesn’t have to be a death sentence – for the child or the mother.

Celebrating another year of life at the Horses and Hope Event in KY

Visit the Designs by Birgit fan page on Facebook for hundreds of pro-life and faith memes to share!

NOTE: A similar version of this piece first appeared at Catholic Stand.