Somewhere a man is dying. I can’t tell you where, but I can tell you why. Lying in a hospital bed, he is being slowly starved and dehydrated to death. At the insistence of his loved ones.
In a supposedly Catholic hospital.
There are no reporters swarming the hospital, no protesters waving banners, crying and praying. There is no one by his bedside. Instead, a “No visitors allowed at the request of the patient’s family” sign is posted on the door.
I stood in the hall outside of his room, accompanied by a couple good friends. We had hoped to be allowed to at least sit by his bed and pray. Maybe swab his mouth, to ease the suffering caused by dehydration.
Forbidden.
We were not allowed to comfort him. His family will not allow it.
We sat and prayed the rosary, outside the nurse’s station. It was very difficult. The nurses were laughing and talking with one another. Across the hall, a man lay dying. Suffering.
I can’t tell you who he is or where he is. Pro-life activists, priests and attorneys are working diligently to save his life, to turn the tide from malice to mercy.
Would you join us in prayer? Please pray for this dear, nameless, faceless man. Pray for his family, for God’s great mercy. Our prayers are the most effective tools for this battle…Believe!!
July 22, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Hello, I just happen to find your blog through Peggy’s blog “The Simple Woman”. I just wanted to let you know that this stranger is in my prayers. I also wanted to let you know about the company that I work for. We are the only Internation Rosary Makers aka Our Lady’s Rosary Markers. Please check us out & maybe you would like to join & help us spread the devotion of our Mother Mary.
Also I love reading your blog. You are very insightful. Keep up the good writings. Thanks
Lauri
July 23, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Kimberley, I am praying for that dear man, so precious to our Lord. I am praying that angels will comfort him in his suffering.
Thank you for bringing him to our attention. God bless.
July 24, 2008 at 7:18 am
I will be offering many prayers for this dear man. This is so sad.
July 24, 2008 at 5:47 pm
He will be my Mass intention at the Sacrifice of the Mass tonight. God help him and help us all.
July 25, 2008 at 12:49 am
We had something similar here & the family finally won the right to take their loved one home to be fed..I will certainly pray..
July 25, 2008 at 6:29 am
This kind and gentle soul was one of the “sidewalk warriors” of the pro-life movement…your prayers are so very much appreciated!
July 25, 2008 at 8:31 am
and while, at the behest of his family, this man suffers and dies, if his family would fast from food and water all the while behind a barrier that would keep away any chance of relief …. would it make a difference?
He, his family, and all those like him who suffer, not so much from the dying, but from the love that was withdrawn from them when they need it most.
I will offer prayers most certainly.
July 25, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Lord, have mercy on us! We will be praying for this man. How awful to witness such horror of tremendous suffering. Praying for sure.
July 26, 2008 at 1:07 pm
http://www.terrisfight.org
http:///www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/
http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca
These are the names of some pro-life organizations that I have on my Favorites page. The first one is run by the family of Terri Schiavo, they set up an organization so that other people would not be starved and dehydrated to death like Terri was.
I joined the Catholic Church when I discovered that they felt the same way about euthanasia as I did, when an overwhelming number of people were “cheering” over the death of a 12 year old girl with quadriplega, and attacking anyone who said she had a right to live. I’ve also spent the past four years in chronic pain hell of my own, and would not have made it this far without the love and support of my Catholic family.
Thiis is my first trip to your website. I was directed here by a link when reading of something else. I had a big urge to click on this one particular link and here I am.
I’ve seen too many people die because their families/caregivers thought they were too old, too sick, too disabled. I’ve also learned that when you are born disabled, your own family can call you names, swear at you, hit you and worse, which is why the church is my family now.
I’ve decided that if ever I see another such murder taking place, to pass on to “the good guys” the links I have to pro-life persons/groups. I don’t know these people personally, but figure people like you shouldn’t be fighting alone.
Pain’s bad, gotta go. God bless you. God bless the man facing death. Will play the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for him as well as those killing him.
July 28, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Say binding prayers for those who think they are being “compassionate” by letting this man die. Here is a binding prayer that is ecclesiastically approved:
Spirit of N., I bind you in the Name of Jesus, by the power of the most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul and all of the saints, and I command you to leave N. (Name of person, ie; family members’ names) and go to the foot of the Holy Cross to receive your sentence, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Some spirits you might bind in this situation are: Pride, Fear, Anger, binding(holding), deception, denial, delusion, concealment, appearances.
Remember to ask Our Lady, St. Michael and your guardian Angel to protect you from any “backlash” that may occur. I will pray for this man as well. God Bless you. Lisa
July 28, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I am sorry that I saw this too late, I will pray for the repose of his soul.
August 10, 2008 at 4:30 am
I found your blog through John Bowden’s blog. This is the first i have read about this young man’s plight. I was about to say that i will pray for this dear young man…when i read the 12th comment on this post…
I will now pray for the repose of his soul.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.