Hi All,
    I think that the septuplet issue and the comments made in Kathy D's
class all get closer to the point of the issue. Progress and technology
have created situations and problems for which the family support and
certainly the emotional/social support are not in place - simply because
we have not faced the situation before.   HCPs in all areas need to
understand that everything involved with a human (mind, body and soul)
are connected and everything in medicine is connected (emotional help,
patient education, and social work support as well as medical
treatment). And it behooves an HCP who wants to make a difference to
either keep up on these connections or to bring in qualified people who
can work as a team. Especially in the unique situations that modern
medicine is giving us.
    I see the babies birth as wonderful, a blessing to the family. But I
do have to admit that there are hundreds (thousands) of children within
OUR adoptive system (not to mention worldwide) in need of a home.  But
to play devil's advocate for the moment, we are not Bobbi and Kenny, we
do not know what is behind their decision making process and why they
made the decision they did. And if we do want people to at accept our
beliefs, we need to try to accept  theirs. Many people could not
understand why I wanted another child after my first two and I would not
answer publicly - it was no one's business as it was my decision.
    It appears frustrating when so many people and companies are jumping
into the fray of donation for this family, however, I feel sure that
many of these same companies have done this all along for 'supertwins'
without being on the front page of the paper - perhaps it is not that
suddenly the donations are so highlighted but that this particular birth
is being highlighted.
    Will this family make it on their own to financially support these
babies, probably not. Yet why do we raise the hew and cry about this
situation? When hundreds of thousands of families in this country are
being housed, clothed, fed, Christmas gifts, school supplies, medical
care provided for etc., all on tax dollars who are in that situation
probably because of less sound decision making and some continue to make
poor decisions again (and again) and we just add these children to the
lists without a hint of cry of outrage.

Leslie Ward
VIne Grove, KY