By Dave Andrusko

Editor's note. Part Two discusses an important legal victory in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Part Three is the inspiring opening remarks of NRLC President Dr. Wanda Franz to the annual NRLC convention. Please send your thoughts and comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com.

Part One today combines the great and the good. The great news comes out of Britain where a young baby who had been taken off of life support defied the predictions of doctors, breathed on her own, and has now gone home from the hospital.

Having contracted meningitis during delivery, baby Grace was given a 1% chance at survival. Her mother, Emily Ashurst, told the Daily Mail, "We were told Grace had catastrophic brain damage and had no chance of living." Grace's father, Peter Vincent, told the Mail that the couple was informed that Grace "would take a few last breaths." Instead, "she kept stopping breathing and starting again for the next six hours."

The ordeal started in mid-May when the couple took Grace, then six-weeks old, to Newcastle General Hospital. Tests revealed Grace had "late onset group B streptococcus meningitis," which, according to the Mail, "affects one in 1,000 babies and is contracted from the mother during childbirth."

After four days in intensive care, doctors told the parents there was virtually no hope for Grace, the Mail reported. "The decision to turn off her life support machine was based on what the doctors were telling us," Vincent said. "The scan results were very bad so we thought it would be best for her."

But by Monday Grace's mother was telling the Mail that Grace "is making slow progress. She cried on Thursday for the first time in four weeks and to me that was the nicest sound in the world--it was amazing to hear her do that."

She added, 'None of the doctors know what the future will hold for Grace and we are still worried for her, but also hoping things will improve."

Pro-life former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee (left) with Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

The good news is the exchange pro-life former Arkansas Governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee had last week with Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I don't want to make this sound like some colossal breakthrough, but, frankly, I was amazed by the back-and-forth that took place. (A friend just alerted me to its existence, so I went online and watched it.)

The conversation really was--not to coin a phrase--civilized. Stewart respectfully probed Huckabee's well-articulated and carefully explained case for the "intrinsic value of every life" for weaknesses. I think it's fair to say he found none.
Stewart is a comedian, so there were a number of moments of levity. But what struck me was Stewart's very serious ruminations as a father.

"My personal feelings…I have kids, and I think it is very difficult when you look at an ultrasound of your child and you see a heartbeat--you are filled with that wonder and love and all those things." Stewart came this far, only to conclude," I don't just feel personally that is a decision I can make for another person."

At the end of the segment Stewart made this remarkably thoughtful admission. "I can be incredibly certain about so many issues and get my dander up, and self-righteousness. This is one I can't, and this is the one that I probably, in the culture, struggle with the most. I think it's a very difficult issue."

Part Two
Part Three