The Value of Life

Today the realities of poverty, poor healthcare, different values and frustration all collide as birthing pains for what’s to come. The driving force that burned in my heart as a young adult and challenged me to come to Cebu to make a difference for women and children. Certainly we have made huge strides in saving lives, 4,000 little ones and countless others through our outreach program, however there are always more lives to invest in. This burning frustration turned passion is now the groaning labor pains building up for the birth of a hospital. Every life is valuable. Every life should have a voice. Every life should have quality care despite their socioeconomic status. In the womb or out of the womb, they are valuable. Who can put a price tag on life? And yet we do.

As I cradle my own daughter in my arms, born five weeks premature and now growing and healthy, tears stream down my face for a mother whose baby at five weeks premature did not survive. Both our babies were born in Cebu. Both of our babies are equally valuable. Both of us mommies had exceptional pregnancy care so why this outcome? One baby was delivered in the safety of a private hospital with compassionate doctors who stayed by her side every minute in the NICU. The other waited for three days in his mother’s womb in line for a cesarean section at a public hospital. Three days too long for this precious one. One doctor too short for care in the NICU. One pocket to empty to access private, quality care.

We can rationalize it to be “God’s plan” but I don’t actually believe that. I don’t believe that God has a plan to choose who lives and who dies based on the money in their pocket. I do believe that God can use every moment to draw us closer to Him, to know Him better, and to hear His heartbeat a little clearer. This is certainly the case as our ministry team is at the hospital as this moment pouring comfort and prayer over this family. God will still be glorified in this tragedy but was it His plan?

We can say, “we’ve done the best we can” but have we? Have we given exceptional pregnancy care? Yes we have! Have we supplied medicines and vitamins and proper screening throughout the pregnancy? Yes we have! Have we given steroids and antibiotics to protect this baby before she went to the hospital? Yes we have! Have we followed guidelines for referring from clinical care to hospital care? Yes we have! And from that point on she was in the hands of the public care system. Where she waited three days, three days too long. Can we do more? Yes we can! Together we can grow Glory Reborn from a clinic to a hospital. Together we can save lives like this precious baby. Together we can ensure that the inability to pay for private care doesn’t cost you the life of your child. Together we can practically live out the story of each life’s value.

How can we do this, you say? It starts with a little passion. A passion to see each life valued and cared for to its maximal potential. That passion then overtakes not our emotion but our hearts; and out of our hearts we are moved into action. Our team of qualified doctors, nurses, midwives, and admin are ready to answer the call of action, we simply lack the facility to put our action into life saving care. Would you invest in Glory Reborn to become a hospital? This is not too big for a community of passionate people. One dollar at a time. One prayer at a time. One life saved at a time.

And so we ask ourselves, what is the value of a life? Is it more valuable than one cup of coffee we could sacrifice? Is it more valuable than that outfit we “need” or that trip we want to take? Is it more valuable than that new car we want? One coin at a time, one dollar at a time, one prayer at a time, one voice at a time we can invest in a generation, we can value one life at a time.

What is the value of life to you?

This is not the end our our story. As this precious baby has gone to be with Jesus his mother is still fighting for her life. Overwhelming infection from days of waiting for a cesarean section has cost the life of her baby and now threatens her own. We covet your prayers tremendously for this family.