March 31, 2011
Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life of America, will be speaking today at the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network’s The Erosion of Medical Ethics at Ave Maria School of Law at 12:15pm. Kristan will be speaking on prenatal diagnosis and health care’s effects on special needs patients.
“We honor Terri Schiavo today, by speaking at the Medical Ethics Symposium at Ave Maria School of Law. Her fight for Life reflects the importance of caring for those with special needs, especially with end of life decisions and prenatal diagnosis. In both cases, pro-lifers need to stand for the most defenseless among us,” said Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life. “I have seen this with my own eyes when my son Gunner was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). During my second pregnancy with my son Bear, doctors told me that I should find out if he had CF in order to prevent me from having another child that would suffer with this condition. Bear, thankfully, was healthy, but the pressure that mothers face for prenatal diagnosis and aborting children with special needs is tremendous as 90% of Gunner’s peers that are diagnosed with CF in the womb are aborted. That’s an astounding statistic that calls us to action. We must stand for the most defenseless among us, those with special needs in hospitals as well as those in the womb.”
The symposium is open to law students and faculty of Ave Maria School of Law.
Following the symposium, Ave Maria University will host the “The National Mass for Terri’s Day” at the Ave Maria Oratory, located near Naples, FL, marking the sixth anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death.
The International Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Terri Schindler Schiavo, and All of Our Vulnerable Brothers and Sisters (“Terri’s Day”) was established in 2007 and is observed each year on March 31, the date of Terri’s death.
The purpose of this day is to foster education, prayer, and activism regarding discrimination against the cognitively disabled, and advocacy for people in situations similar to what Terri and her family faced. 40 Days for Life, a community-based campaign that over a period of 40 days attempts to transform individuals and communities to recognize the value and dignity of human life, will be observing “Terri’s Day” with prayer along with countless others who will be remembering Terri on this day.
All are invited to attend “The National Mass for Terri’s Day” on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. The address is Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Boulevard, Ave Maria, FL.
You can visit Terri’s Life & Hope Network (www.TerrisFight.org) to learn more about participating in Terri’s Day activities.