Cathal BarrySupport group slams offensive term ‘incompatible with life’
Parents of children diagnosed with life-limiting conditions in the womb have welcomed a proposed bill which seeks to outlaw offensive and misleading references to unborn children with disabilities.
The heads of the bill were presented by Independent TD Mattie McGrath this week at the launch of a campaign to end the use of the term ‘incompatible with life’ and to seek improved services for families whose unborn children have been diagnosed with a profound disability which means they may not live for long after birth.
The ‘Compatible with Life, Compatible with Love’ campaign is being spearheaded by the support group Every Life Counts which represent families whose children were diagnosed with life-limiting conditions such as anencephaly, or Trisomy 18 or 13.
They claim the term “incompatible with life” is a medically meaningless, incorrect and hurtful term, and the campaign will call on all medical, legal and media professionals to cease using the phrase.
Diagnosis
Speaking to The Irish Catholic at the launch, Mr McGrath said the phrase ‘incompatible with life’ was not a medical diagnosis.
“Instead it’s a judgment which is used to deny the humanity of children and the value of their lives.”
The Tipperary South TD also stressed that “this is not an attempt to demonise medical staff who may have used the term.
“It is aimed, however, at impressing upon medical personnel the profoundly inappropriate nature of the term,” he said.
Also speaking at the launch, Tracy Harkin of Every Life Counts, said the phrase ‘incompatible with life’ was “misleading” and “causing huge hurt and distress to parents, as is the attitude which undermines our children’s right to life”.
She said that such statements “have no part in a compassionate society” and “should never be used by anyone working in our health system”.