Just as a woman celebrated the news of her pregnancy after enlisting the aid of a fertility clinic, she was also told that she had been implanted with the wrong embryo. The Savages swiftly decided, based on their belief system and personal ethics, to proceed with the pregnancy and give the baby up to the genetic parents, the Morrells.
Carolyn Savage gave birth to a baby boy last week. In a heartfelt public statement, the Savage’s congratulated the Morrells on the birth of their new son. As reported by both CNN and BBC the statement from the Savage family said:
Our family is deeply grateful for the support and prayers of so many people from around the world… We also would like to thank the medical professionals who provided superior care and treatment throughout the pregnancy and delivery.
Aside from the happy-ish ending of this story, my cockles are aglow because rather than condemning science and the medical professionals, the Savages made a point to thank the science that helped Carolyn carry her pregnancy to term safely. It seems that so often we hear tales of dramatic recoveries or medical success stories, in which god is thanked in copious amounts, but very rarely are the medical professionals that preformed the surgery or diagnosed the illness thanked in a public way. I find nothing wrong in the survivors’ desire to thank god for his/her/its role in their life’s trajectory, but throw a bone to the doctors, nurses, medical researchers, drug therapy researchers, etc. who also played a large role.
It was a sad story reported in a classy and respectful way. Kudos to the media, and best wishes to both families as they continue to make a happy story out of a tragic situation.
“Wrong”? I don’t know that I would call it “wrong”, but it makes no more sense than if they thanked Elvis or Mickey Mouse. I certainly find something wrong when someone who was just pulled out of a burning building by rescue personnel who risked their own lives then thanks the very God who, by his own belief, put him in that burning building in the first place.
Early in my career, when I was in my early 20s, there was a woman in my group at work who… wasn’t terribly adept. She often needed help with computer programming issues, though she was working as a programmer. I happened to be to hand on one of these occasions, and I helped her get something tricky working. When it worked, she clapped her hands and exclaimed, as she did, “Praise the Lord!”
I suggested to her that when next she needed help, she might call on the Lord, and not on me.
It sounds like you are implying that most people of faith do not believe or appreciate modern science. I think it is rather unfair to imply that this case is an exception. Most religious people I know are very strong believers in modern medicine and will go to great extends to show their appreciation to the medical staff that takes care of them. It will usually be in the form of a prayer, but, hey, a prayer is a nice gesture anyway.
I don’t think I implied that “most people of faith do not believe or appreciate modern science;” my main point was that the purveyors of modern science are rarely thanked in such a *public* setting. I have no doubt that medical professionals are thanked directly and profusely, but generally privately. And in this case, the Savages might have valid reason to mistrust doctors and nurses in the future, but instead have graciously moved on from the mistake and have showed genuine appreciation in a prominent way.