Everyone and anyone wants to pass a judgement/comment/opinion on Nikita Mehta.Nikita Mehta who?? Well Nikita is a 30 something lady from Mumbai who is 25 weeks pregnant.Her baby has a congenital heart problem and will not lead a normal life.Also the parents will have to incur heavy expenses for its survival and still will not be able to ensure a normal healthy life..So? So this Lady decides to abort the child legally.
Well, the court says," Sorry you cannot abort a foetus."Various reasons have been spouted.Some say this is a case of Euthanasia-mercy killing.The child has a right to birth.Who are we to take a call on his life?A senior doctor from Mumbai says that science has advanced a lot.Maybe in a few years the child will get better treatment and may lead a normal life.MAY..that`s the keyword.
Now I have been trying to make sense of this all.Honestly I too keep swaying.But a past incident has tilted the balance in favour of a abortion.This very close relative of mine who lives abroad came to India in her 30th week of pregnancy.She was told that the foetus had spina-bifida..in layman terms a abnormality in the spine due to which the child is severely physically and most probably mentally challenged too.She was heartbroken as she had conceived after 7 years.We consulted many Gynaecologists and prenatal specialists.The prognosis was grim.One very famous Gynaecologists bluntly told her to abort asap.He painted a very grim future and the lady went ahead with a abortion.I was upset and so were many of her close family people.
Till we met a cousin who has a child who is severely physically and mentally challenged.Her life has come to a standstill.She adores her child and will go to any length to see a smile on her child`s face.But she is constantly worried.She tells me ,"What if she survives me?Who will take care of her?I think I am the only mother who prays everyday for her child to die.I cannot bear to see her pain anymore.Why can`t God just take her away."And I feel in retrospect that what is the point of saving a life and prolonging its suffering?The Lady doctor talks of Foetus rights.Does she mean to say that only when it is 25 weeks old that it can be granted rights.Even a 10 week foetus has a heartbeat so why doesn't that qualify as a human?I strongly disagree with the court.I wish sometimes that Niketa had just gone to a doctor without getting into all the legal hassles.I can only pray for a miracle for her.Everyone has a right to a healthy normal child.The law definitely has to change with times.
Niketa all the best pal.You need it.
I completely agree with you, as i have seen families disitegrating because of the financia; & physical distress caused by severely disabled children. I dont think courts should decide what we want to do with our body, because they wont come to help us when the family needs help.
ReplyDeletea very relevant post...
ReplyDeleteeven as Nikita Mehta decides to abort the child she must be going through so much trauma & heartache.
All this hoopla must be making it so much worse for her.
@renu ..exactly..and then they ride on this high moral horse and tell us what to do...its emotionally,financially,physically taxing for the parents
ReplyDelete@reflections..i don`t think she can go in for one now cos the case is blown up-legally no will touch her case now..that`s why a lot of us wondered whether it was sensible of her to find a legal way out..
the thought of having a physically challenged baby is the scariest of all i think. i dont know much but im sure the mother suffers more than the child himself.abortion in this case shud be allowed..
ReplyDelete