Forced adoptions

I was reading this article today and remembered something and thought I would write about it.

I am an anti abortionist ( except rape/mother’s health clause ).
I worked as an intern in a Catholic hospital in Bangalore.
There is a general ward where we admitted women with placenta previa or other complications to monitor them. Every now and then there would be a young girl, in her last trimester, admitted bypassing the normal procedures of visiting the OPD and going for the scans etc.

The nuns were very secretive. The patient had been forewarned not to talk to anyone, including the Doctors. Everything was hushed.
The girl was taken care of by the nuns, food was free and no hopital charges. She gives birth and leaves the hospital..alone..sans her baby.
And one more feather added in the indian hat for saving the life of an unborn child.
So I thought..
But I also knew the truth..

Unmarried teenage pregnancy+ social stigma=kind hearted catholic nuns + a place to stay = new born health ‘unwanted’ baby =money from international adoption = happy international families + even happier nuns with money.
The only loser in the equation was the mother of the child. I have often wondered if she was given any choice at all? ( I know for sure that, she wasn’t even allowed to look at her child after the delivery, to prevent any attachment to the baby)

2 thoughts on “Forced adoptions

  1. …The girl was taken care of by the nuns, food was free and no hospital charges.

    ….money from international adoption = happy international families + even happier nuns with money.

    Er…a thought. Maybe just maybe the money was used for the girl's upkeep, food and the hospital charges that you mentioned were incurred.

    Correct me if I am wrong. You know the truth, after all.

    Peace.

  2. My thoughts and I:
    For sure, the nuns justified their actions using the same reasoning you gave. Plus any extra money they derived from the sale of the new born baby was used to further spread the gospel and also to sustain all the good works they are doing in the name of Jesus.
    The truth is..in 1994, 10,000USD was a lot of money and I am sure anyone with a business mind saw the huge potential.. provide food and lodging for few weeks in a general ward, take care of the delivery expense and voila..10,000 USD in Kitty.
    Plus of course there is then the altruisitic views used by the nuns to further justify their actions.How could this 18 year old, unmarried girl raise her child in India? wouldn't we be giving the child a great opportunity in life by giving it for adoptions to international families..
    Also, do take time to think.. would the same nuns have offered the same serice to the same pregnant unmarried girl, if there was a law that prohibitted the sale of the baby..and allowed the mother to take her baby home! Why then would they were not admitting women who couldn't afford to pay for the delivery expenses and referred them to the public hospitals?

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