SHOWDOWN AT GMH - DOCTOR DEATH VS DOCTOR LIFE

By Tim Rohr

This past Monday on Tall Tales, after the show's host, Bob Klitzkie, read an article about democrat opposition to a bill moving through Congress which would require normal medical care for children who survive botched abortions, Jose Martinez chimed in with a facetious scenario which went something like this:

"After a baby is born because of a botched abortion, put the baby on an uninhabited island, give it a two day head start, and then put the doctor on the island (to) try to catch it. At least (the baby) will have a fighting chance." 

As ridiculous as this sounds, Jose's scenario demonstrates the extreme difference between the survival chances of an abandoned baby on a desert island vs a baby who survives a failed abortion in a modern, well-equipped hospital -  and who is at the mercy of "the doctor" who will stab said child in the back of the head and suck his brains out, cut off the child's head and store it in a jar (a la Kermit Gosnell - google it), drown the child in a bucket and throw the corpse in the medical trash, or leave the child in a box to die like a trapped gopher.

However, beyond this absurd scenario, Jose's proposal reminded me of a very similar scenario related to me by a much loved local doctor who recently, sadly, and tragically lost his life. 

I had a long relationship with this doctor as he was my children's doctor after we first moved to Guam in 1987 and continued to be so all the way up till about 2017. Thirty Years.

So when he (I'll call him "Doctor Life") chose to tell me this story - probably around 2008, I took it to heart - which is probably why I remember it now.

HIS STORY

It was outside the Agana Cathedral one Sunday morning. I saw Doctor Life and his wife and waved hello. He motioned me over. 

At the time, 2008 or so, the first anti-abortion legislation in nearly 30 years had just been introduced - a ban on partial birth abortion - and it was making news. (The picture above is Mia Rohr testifying in favor of the ban on partial birth abortion.)

And perhaps because I was publicly known to be involved with the legislation, Doctor Life had motioned me over to tell me a story. 

Doctor Life told me of an incident where he was on duty one night in the GMH Emergency Room and when a woman showed up whose abortion had been botched. It didn't appear that the baby had been "delivered" yet. But something had gone wrong and the woman had been transported to GMH.

The Abortionist (and Doctor Life told me his name), showed up a few minutes later, apparently intent on finishing "the job" - killing the baby and disposing of "the waste." 

However, because the Abortionist did not have whatever credentials he needed to be admitted to the hospital, Doctor Life turned him away and saw to the care of the mother himself. 

I do not recall the outcome. And I do not recall if Doctor Life even told me the outcome. However, I do remember that I was deeply disturbed to learn of his untimely death some years later - particularly because I knew that he knew of some important things relative to another story...that I am saving for another time. 

But I never forgot that story: Doctor Death showing up to finish the job - and Doctor Life barring the door. 

Imagine THAT Midnight SHOWDOWN!

May Doctor Life rest in peace and may God's Angels carry him into Paradise...if only for that one good deed that one terrible night, among many terrible nights, at the door of the GMH Emergency Room. (A door, I - and many of us, personally know too well.)

As a P.S. 

One of the last pics I have of Doctor Life is from 2016, when, by chance I was trick-or-treating with my son William - who almost died at GMH upon his birth (and who would suffer much in the coming years) - when we happened upon Dr. Life's house. 

He was sitting in the garage handing out candy. We exchanged greetings and he commented on how handsome my son was. 

I thanked him and said good night. 

Good night Dr. Life. And thank you.