"Wow, I am in shock! That is the most despicable thing I ever heard of!"
     Typical of the many responses to Monday's edition of TN&V.

Yesterday my associate Liz Townsend wrote about the heart-rending, stomach-turning case of Baby Shanice Denise Osbourne, who survived an abortion in July 20, 2006 at 23-weeks of age. According to the Florida Department of Health, after the mother, 18-year-old Sycloria Williams, "delivered the baby, one of the owners of the clinic, Ms. [Belkis] Gonzales came into the room and cut the umbilical cord with scissors. Ms. Gonzales then proceeded to place the baby and all of its remains in a plastic bag. She then closed the bag and placed it in a trashcan."

An exclamation point, of sorts, follows: "Staff members did not call '911' or a neonatologist after [Williams] delivered the baby" and she "received no medical aid after delivering the baby."

Abortionist Pierre Jean-Jacques Renelique, right, and his attorney, Joseph Harrison.

Yesterday's story dealt with the Florida Board of Medicine decision last Friday to revoke the license of abortionist Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique. The board upheld the Department of Health allegations that he falsified medical records, inappropriately delegated tasks to unlicensed personnel and committed malpractice. Ms. Williams had "planned to have an abortion but instead gave birth to a baby," according to CNN.

Williams has sued Renelique, the clinic and its staff , seeking damages. She alleges in her suit that "she witnessed the murder of her daughter" and said she "sustained severe emotional distress, shock and psychic trauma which have resulted in discernible bodily injury."

But there is much more to the story. And all of it can be found in the 20-page Administrative Complaint filed by the Department of Health. (You can read it for yourself at http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/02/06/renelinque.pdf).

Let me just mention four considerations, all taken from the Administrative Complaint.

First, there were "no disputed issues of material fact" because Renelique "failed to answer the department request within 35 days." As a result an administrative laws judge "entered an order deeming all of the allegations in the Administrative Complaint admitted by Respondent [Renelique]."

Second, while an MD, Renelique is not board certified in any practice, according to the Complaint, "but he practices in obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN)--abortion medicine." There were also no licensed staff at the clinic where the abortion took place

Third, Renelique admitted, according to the Complaint, "that he was contacted by clinic staff multiple times" the day of the abortion. Everything happened to Williams and her baby before Renelique arrived at the abortion clinic. But he concocted an elaborate story about his alleged involvement in the abortion. "In fact," the Complaint matter-of-factly states, "Respondent prepared a false medical record when he knew what had actually happened."

Fourth, there were six specific instances of misconduct which resulted in a conclusion that Renelique had practiced medical malpractice. In summary, "Dr. Renelique's failure to practice medicine with that level of care, skill and treatment that is recognized as being acceptable, as well as his willingness to falsify medical records, poses a serious and immediate danger to the public," the health department said.

The reason any of this came to light, according to the Department of Health, is a series of anonymous tips, which began a day after the baby's death. Then, a week later, following a third tip, police obtained a third search warrant "and finally found the partially decomposed fetal remains in a cardboard box." An autopsy "revealed that the lungs floated in water. This fact indicated that the fetus had filled its lungs with air prior to its death." The Medical Examiner listed the cause of death "as 'extreme prematurity.'"

As you read the suit filed by Williams, the sheer unmistakable madness of the scene comes across vividly. "The staff began screaming and pandemonium ensued," according to the suit. "Sycloria watched in horror and shock as her baby writhed with her chest rising and falling as she breathed."

Frankly, this is so horrific, I can't wrap my mind around it.

As I read the CNN story, which was quite helpful in places, I couldn't help but shake my head when the writer got off into a discussion of how likely a baby at that age would have needed "oxygen, other medical help and mechanical assistance to help them breathe," and the suggestion that she would have had significant health problems.

Talk about missing the point!

Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com

Part Two -- Blogging From the National Religious Broadcasters Convention