To the Editor:
Re “Doctors Who Risk Their Lives” (editorial, May 26):
In your acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, you rightly point to his courage in the face of relentless attacks by his opponents. But there is another element of Dr. Tiller’s legacy that bears mention.
In the close-knit world of the abortion-providing community in the United States, Dr. Tiller was routinely referred to, without irony, as “St. George.” This was because of his generosity and compassion. Providers from all over the country would routinely refer their most difficult cases to him — women who discovered that their pregnancies had gone horribly wrong late in pregnancy, 11-year-old girls who had been raped by a relative and barely understood that they were pregnant.
These colleagues knew that these patients would be cared for with the utmost kindness and sensitivity, and often without charge.
Carole Joffe
Berkeley, Calif.
The writer is a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | ‘St. George’ Tiller: Abortion With Compassion
Opinion | ‘St. George’ Tiller: Abortion With Compassion
To the Editor:
Re “Doctors Who Risk Their Lives” (editorial, May 26):
In your acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, you rightly point to his courage in the face of relentless attacks by his opponents. But there is another element of Dr. Tiller’s legacy that bears mention.
In the close-knit world of the abortion-providing community in the United States, Dr. Tiller was routinely referred to, without irony, as “St. George.” This was because of his generosity and compassion. Providers from all over the country would routinely refer their most difficult cases to him — women who discovered that their pregnancies had gone horribly wrong late in pregnancy, 11-year-old girls who had been raped by a relative and barely understood that they were pregnant.
These colleagues knew that these patients would be cared for with the utmost kindness and sensitivity, and often without charge.
Carole Joffe
Berkeley, Calif.
The writer is a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
Source: Read Full Article