Alex's Short Journey

WARNING: This post contains a graphic description of partial birth abortion. Read at your own risk.

I wrote this as a persuasive essay in the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school for a English Writing class at the junior college.

Tim and Jill are at a party. It is Friday night, June 13. They have had a little too much to drink. They go into a back room to "talk" and one thing leads to another. In a moment of passion have they made a mistake that can't be undone, or is it something a simple doctor's visit can fix?

It is not June 16 and there is a tiny ball, Alex, in Jill's uterus. Next on June 19 there is an amniotic sac that appears around the ball to protect it. On July 3 Alex begins to become a more recognizable shape. Also, the heart begins to beat. It is now July 4, Alex's first Independence Day. Alex begins to develop arms, grooves for eyes, and a small mouth opening. But outside Alex's world, Jill isn't celebrating. She is torn about what to do. Should she terminate the pregnancy? She knows she isn't ready to be a mom. She doesn't know what to do.

It is July 8 now. Alex's head begins to grow quickly, and there is a tongue and mouth. On July 14, one month into the pregnancy, Alex develops hands. Then on the 17th elbows, wrists, and fingers appear. Then the legs begin to appear; first the thigh then the knee, and finally the foot. Next on the 24th the bones start forming. Also the nose and eyelids appear. Finally on the 30th the arms and legs become well defined. Jill is still struggling outside. She has talked to Tim, and they have decided to try and keep the baby. They have begun to make preparations for the newcomer.

It is now August 5 and Alex's torso begins to lengthen. On August 12 Alex is now called a fetus. All of the major systems are formed, but they must develop. On September 2 Alex grows his first hairs. And Jill and Tim are now able to see that it is a boy. Alex's movement is now noticeable. He can blink and hear Jill and Tim's voices. His strength begins to increase, and he can make sucking motions. Things are going great for Alex, but not for Jill and Tim. They are still very young, in their early twenties. They have very little money, and the medical bill are beginning to stack up. They begin to fight

On October 14 Alex begins to sleep and wake regularly. His brain wave patterns show that he is processing what he hears and sees. At this point, the stress of finances, as well as responsibility, has ended Jill and Tim's relationship. On October 23 Alex and Jill go to the doctor. But this time it is a different doctor. The doctor talks about something called D&X (Dilation and Extraction) or partial-birth abortion and tells Jill to come back on November 4 for the procedure.

On November 4 Alex's eyes open. It is also the day of the procedure. Jill arrives and is put in a room. As Alex is dosing off to sleep something unusual happens, he sees a lot of light. The doctor, using forceps, turns Alex around and pulls him out feet first. He delivers all of Alex except his head. As Alex is being pulled out his hands and legs move. He is very much alive. Next Alex feels a sharp pain in his neck as the doctor stabs the scissors into Alex's neck at the bottom of his skull. Then the doctor spreads the scissors open ripping the hole wide open. Next he uses a suction catheter and sucks Alex's brains out causing his skull to collapse. He dies now after only twenty-six weeks. As his skull collapses he is slides out now, completely delivered. He was killed before even given a chance to live and make a difference.