* Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs received a standing ovation at the Illinois delegate breakfast this morning, here’s an excerpt of his speech…
I remember with my first wife, we got pregnant. [At] four months pregnant, we went for an ultrasound, and we saw a little baby.
We saw arms and legs and they were moving, and it was amazing.
And then the doctor called us into her office. And said, ‘Why does this always happen on Friday? Why do I have do this?’ She said ‘Your child has anencephaly.’
Anencephaly, for those don’t know, is when the neural tubes do not properly form, or your child is growing without a brain and a brain stem and everything else.
We saw a baby and we asked, what should we do? The doctor said, ‘I recommend termination.’
It was a difficult decision, it was a tough talk. But eventually, my wife and I talked about it, and said ok, let’s schedule the procedure. [The doctor’s] response was, ‘I can’t do that. This hospital doesn’t allow it.’
A medical professional, giving us her advice, and said this hospital wont allow it. I said, that’s okay, this was a Catholic hospital. I wasn’t surprised. I said, well, there’s another hospital in Champaign-Urbana. It’s just, that hospital doesn’t do abortions either.
God bless Planned Parenthood.
Because what those hospitals and their boards of directors who made this policy are saying, my wife knew her child, our child, could not survive outside the womb, but they would force her to carry to term for nine months. Deal with all the risks of pregnancy. Dealing with the pain of knowing I’m going through all of this and it will be to bear a stillborn child or one that dies soon afterwards.
That’s cruel.
And that’s what the Republicans are offering. It’s not an accident. You know, like with our engagement with corporations. It’s not about freedom, it’s about control. They want to control it, and with women’s bodies, they want to control women’s bodies. But we have a voice. We have an opportunity to vote and to keep them out of power.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:01 am:
I had not heard their story before. Tragic. And reveals the reality of what a “pro-life” president actually means for every day people.
- joand315 - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:01 am:
I didn’t think I could like our Treasurer any more than I already did, but there you go. What a service to the people of Illinois telling this story is.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:21 am:
It’s a story that needs to be retold particularly as we hear Republicans talking about abortions at 9 months. I appreciate the Treasurer for sharing it.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:22 am:
“I said, that’s okay, this was a Catholic hospital. I wasn’t surprised.”
Next, lets stop accepting it as normal that a medical facility calling it a hospital, and also collecting grant and public subsidy money, gets to make medical decisions for you based on religion instead of evidence or the needs of the patient.
One of the highest criteria in deciding where I would be building my next house in this state, is that the nearest hospital isn’t Catholic-run. Should I need emergency care, I want to make sure I’m in an area where evidence based treatments are the priority, and not placating somebodies imaginary friend.
Now, if churches want to become medical centers too, that’s perfectly fine. Then they can do whatever they want without the help of public funding supporting it. But the needs of the whole community should not be held hostage by a single religiously-run facility in town calling itself a hospital.
- illinifan - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:27 am:
Thank goodness there are options in Illinois. The sad part is some cannot afford even to travel a short distance. We should not allow a Catholic hospital to be the only healthcare source in an area. I agree with Invisible Man.
- Bilbo Swaggins - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:31 am:
Gentry Republicans are going to have a sour taste in their mouths for decades over the Democrats replacing them as the party of family values and national security. Dignity and kindness to families is paramount in our society, and the GOP has all but abandoned even offering it.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:41 am:
I had a relative that that happened to and she had to carry to term what a horrible fate
Hospitals that do not offer complete medical services should lose their tax exemptions
- TJ - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:49 am:
== Next, lets stop accepting it as normal that a medical facility calling it a hospital, and also collecting grant and public subsidy money, gets to make medical decisions for you based on religion instead of evidence or the needs of the patient. ==
So, the alternative is that no care is better than some care? I’m pro-life, but if Catholic hospitals didn’t exist there’d be a massive shortfall in the number of medical options available nationwide, and especially in smaller communities.
Advocate, push for, and help fund non-religious healthcare, but to be frank good luck getting the necessary public and private financial commitments to fund the gaps that would exist in Illinois alone, much less everywhere.
- sal-says - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:49 am:
Too many needless, heartbreaking reports like this.
Choose wisely this election.
Our rights are at stake.
- Stateandlake - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 11:52 am:
My spouse and I went through exactly the same situation. We were fortunate that our hospital did do the procedure, although if it had been a week later into the pregnancy they would not have. Our wonderful OB/GYN assembled a team for the procedure that was supportive as well. We dealt with other medical staff who knew why we were there and were openly disdainful and rude.
Not an experience I will ever forget.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:03 pm:
==So, the alternative is that no care is better than some care?==
I think the argument is that the hospital should not get to pick and choose what care it provides based on their so-called beliefs. Provide legal medical care. Period.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:15 pm:
“So, the alternative is that no care is better than some care?”
Why do you want to provide no care? That’s certainly extreme, and not contained anywhere in what I said. Those were your words. But thanks for proving my point about holding a community hostage.
Hospital locations in this state are determined by among other things, the proximity of *other* medical facilities.
As long as there is a Catholic-run hospital in a certain location, no other hospital will come into that town.
Medical facilities are extremely lucrative for the company owning it, even if the care itself is expensive for the local population. Should a catholic-hospital leave an area it would be replaced by another facility.
In fact, that’s exactly what is happening right now in Joliet. The catholic-run St. Joes hospital is being sold to another company which is not catholic-run.
Nobody is going without care when a Catholic hospital leaves an area. In fact, the care would likely improve in almost every case.
Lets not try to run a guilt trip on who provides medical care. Save that for church.
- TJ - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:21 pm:
== I think the argument is that the hospital should not get to pick and choose what care it provides based on their so-called beliefs. Provide legal medical care. Period. ==
Sure, but the thing is that either the Catholic hospitals exist with that barrier to care provided or Catholic hospitals don’t exist and there are enormous hospital deserts across the state and country.
The doc in question detailed the problems, specifically highlighted a method of care needed, and helped them to find the care in question which wasn’t provided there. Like it or not, that’s the best-case scenario at a religious institution and is basically a referral for all intents and purposes. Worlds better than scam providers that try to guilt trip women making the hardest decision of their lives away from care needed.
- TJ - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:30 pm:
@invisible
Pointing out reality isn’t the same as wanting no care. It’s a statement about the reality. Catholic hospitals aren’t going away overall, and if forced to perform procedures they’re religiously opposed to then the result will be closures of hospitals themselves or, more likely, ob/gyn offices within, full stop. That’s the no care alternative mentioned.
And Joliet has a heck of a lot more money and thereby interested buyers for a Catholic hospital than most places in the state, not to mention that if there was a wholesale push to sell Catholic hospitals the number of interested buyers would very quickly run out.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:40 pm:
The fact that a hospital would deny care in the circumstance that is described here tells me all I need to know about the morals and caring nature of that hospital. That is a hospital who simply does not care about their patient. I find it disgusting that anyone would attempt to defend that sort of “care.”
- Apple - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 12:47 pm:
A deep thank you and respect to Treasurer Michael Frerichs and his family. It was brave and generous to share your deeply personal and painful history and such an important consideration.
And, agree with TheInvisibleMan. These are profitable entities are are located based on that, purported non-profit or religious status withstanding. I regret my region is now a Catholic hospital monopoly as entities have either merged or been taken over. Not that it’s specific to the topic, but as a gay man, it’s uncomfortable to have to go to a medical provider associated with such a hostile organization.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Aug 20, 24 @ 3:46 pm:
=and if forced to perform procedures they’re religiously opposed to then the result will be closures of hospitals themselves or, more likely, ob/gyn offices within, full stop.=
How does that jibe with the hippocratic oath physicians take?