Defend the Disabled

Defend disabled, unborn with equal vigor, Catholic brother urges

A Catholic brother who cared for a brain-damaged fellow brother for more than 12 years urged activists in the pro-life movement July 5 to defend the rights of the disabled as vigorously as they fight for the unborn.

Brother Paul O'Donnell, a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in St. Paul, Minn., spoke at a workshop session of the National Right to Life Committee's annual convention in Arlington.

He said he ran into conflict with health care professionals, even at Catholic facilities, as he sought appropriate care for Brother Michael Gaworski, founder of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, who suffered a severe brain injury after he contracted a rare bacterial pneumonia at age 32.

Until he became involved in Brother Michael's care, said Brother Paul, "I had no idea of the effect the anti-life forces had had on the health care industry.""Quality of life is not a Gospel value," he said.

"It's a secular value. Quality of life is Hollywood secularism and materialism. ... Where there's love there is no burden."

Told that his friend would be "a vegetable for the rest of his life," Brother Paul said he was encouraged to consider donating Brother Michael's organs and, when he did not die as expected, to send him off to a nursing home.

Instead the brothers worked with Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul to develop its "coma stimulation program," which sought to raise Brother Michael's level of consciousness by providing a wide variety of stimuli to his senses -- "different foods, sweet-smelling or obnoxious-smelling; music he liked and music he hated; different touches, a soft cloth and sandpaper."

Brother Michael eventually was able to respond to simple "yes" or "no" questions, but then "reached a plateau he could not get beyond," Brother Paul said. "But almost every doctor tried to patronize us by saying" that Brother Michael's actions were reflexes, not attempts to communicate, Brother Paul said. MORE
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Comments

  1. Marie7/8/08, 1:09 AM

    Why do those in authority always think that by 'getting rid' of something or someone solves the problem??? People are NOT disposable..To be frank we treat pets better than people. Something is really skewered in society.

    Thank God for that wonderful community of Franciscan brothers.

    Peace & JOY to you Jean:)

    Marie xoxooxo

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