Part 2 of my Walmart Series will resume later this week. For now, here is a Letter to the Editor that I submitted to our local paper this morning.
Editor:
I have been following the local story of the unspeakable tragedy of Jonathan Nodine, the 11 month old child who lost his life as the result of child abuse. I pray that there is justice for his death. There is one part of the story that I cannot ignore. Jonathan was seen at the Hanover Hospital emergency room and released, only to suffer from cardiac arrest a mere 12 hours later. He died five days after that. I have spent time in the same ER. The last time was when my son was very ill and, like Jonathan, he was discharged despite my insistence that something was wrong. Each of my cries was ignored with lack of concern. It was only after we traveled to York Hospital that my son’s condition was diagnosed and treated and that he was able to make a full recovery. Jonathan’s family took him to the hospital expecting doctors to exhaust all efforts to make him well. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath to care for patients. That means giving time, attention, and consideration to each patient. Instead, they discharged Jonathan Nodine, putting the final nail in his coffin. He deserved better.
Recently, in Tennessee, a family did not pay a required fee to their local fire department. When the family’s home caught fire, the fire department came only to protect the neighboring houses. The firemen stood with the resources in hand and watched a home burn to the ground. The family lost their home, their valuables, and even their pets, while trained firemen watched. They deserved better.
Everyday children are bullied. Classmates, teachers, and school officials stand by without offering protection. These bullied children have to suffer alone, sometimes until it reaches the point of murder or suicide. They deserve better.
Catholics celebrate “Respect Life Month” in October, which is commonly known as a Pro-Life campaign. I think that respecting life goes even deeper than the sanctity of the lives of the unborn. We live in a world where doctors, firemen, and teachers are not doing their jobs. Their jobs are to perform acts of humanity. Yet that seems to be too much to ask. All people, especially those who make a commitment to serve the community, should learn to Respect Life. We deserve it.
“And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:31
Anna Kruk Corbin
