NO GREATER LOVE

I hope you heard the story of Stacie Crimm who at age 41 was diagnosed with head, neck, and eventually brain cancer. To make matters worse, the single mom was pregnant. Enduring severe headaches that one can only imagine, double vision, and a host of other problems, Stacie refused cancer treatment that might save her because the treatment would definitely kill her baby.

When either the mom or baby is going to die, I’m not sure any of us know what we’d choose unless we were in that dreadful situation. Stacie’s love for her unborn child caused her to lay down her life for her baby. Even so, things didn’t go well.

In mid-August, Stacie collapsed and her baby’s heart rate plummeted. Stacie’s heart stopped beating 90 minutes later. After being resuscitated, doctors chose to deliver the two- pound, once-ounce baby by Caesarean. For most of the next several weeks Stacie was unconscious. On September 8^th, she was again resuscitated and was able to hold her baby for the first time, which was now five pounds. Stacie died three days later.

According to the article, these scenarios aren’t that uncommon. Many moms and couples face the decision as to whether to lose the baby and treat the mom. I suppose that many of the decisions come down to what the prognosis is of the mother. In Stacie’s case, she had a very aggressive cancer that she wasn’t likely to survive whether she had treatment or not. Yet, it didn’t matter to Stacie. Her love caused her to choose to endure the terrible ravages of her cancer while hoping to save the life of her baby. The baby, Dottie Mae, will grow up knowing that her mother laid down her life for her: There is no greater love. (Picture from DudleyFuneralHomes.com)