GREETINGS,
IN APRIL OF 1972 MY MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO MY BABY SISTER. THE BABY
WAS BORN WITH ANENCEPHALY. I WAS TOLD SHE LIVED APX 5 MINUTES TO 3
HOURS. DETAILS ARE VERY SETCHY. AS WAS THE NORMAL PROCEDURES BACK
THEN I GUESS, THE MOTHER AND SIBLINGS HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE BABY.
DETAILS WERE AS BEST I KNOW HANDLED BY MY FATHER ANd AUNT. NEITHER
ARE ALIVE TODAY TO CONFIRM OR DENY ANY DETAILS. MY BROTHERS AND I
HAVE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOURN THE DEATH OF MY SISTER.
THINGS WERE HANDLED IN A HUSH HUSH WAY AND MADE TO SEEM AS THOUGH
THIS WAS SOME BAD DARK FAMILY SECRET. NEVER HAVING BEEN ABLE TO SAY
HELLO OR EVEN WORSE GOODBYE TO MY SISTER HAS TORMENTED US FOR ALL
THESE YEARS. TOO A GREATER DEGREE IT HAS DESTROYED MY MOTHERS LIFE
FOR ALL THESE DECADES. SHE ALWAYS REPEATS THE BABY WAS BURRIED
UNBAPTIZED, UNNAMED AND UNCLOTHED. IF ANY ONE CAN GIVE ME INSIGHT AS
TO WHAT THE PROCEDURES WERE BACK THEN WHEN THIS OCCURED I WOULD BE
GRATEFUL. MY MOTHER CLAIMS FOR A DONATION THE HOSPITAL TOOK CARE OF
MY SISTERS REMAINS, WHAT EVER THIS MEANS. SHE CLAIMS THE BABY WAS
BURRIED IN A LOCAL CEMETERY BUT NO RECORDS CAN BE FOUND NOR IS THERE
A BURIAL SITE. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE STANDARD PRACTICE WAS TO
CREMATE THE REMAINS OF THESE BABIES. WERE THESE BABIES GIVEN BIRTH
CERTIFICATES, DEATH CERTIFICATES. I KNOW THERE WAS NO FUNERAL NO
CHURCH MASS ( I AM CATHOLIC). IF ANY ONE CAN SEND ME IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTIONS I CAN BEING THE MOURNING PROCESS WITH MY BROTHERS. MY
MOTHER STILL TO THIS DAY FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT THIS LOSS.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP JOHN HARRISON SJHARRISON@MSN.COM