{"id":94103,"date":"2016-05-11T13:31:55","date_gmt":"2016-05-11T17:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"\/news\/?p=94103"},"modified":"2017-05-11T03:53:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-11T07:53:00","slug":"isnt-tissue-parents-share-photos-miscarried-5-week-old-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/isnt-tissue-parents-share-photos-miscarried-5-week-old-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Miscarried at five weeks, baby Reuben was a human being"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nick and Sarah Szmiot were excited to learn that they were expecting their second child, but that joy quickly turned to sorrow when an ultrasound revealed that their baby\u2019s heart had stopped beating around five weeks gestation.<\/p>\n

Within a few days, Sarah delivered their son, whom they named Reuben, and the couple were able to take photographs of him. They shared these photographs with LifeNews<\/a> in order to show the world the humanity of a preborn child in the very early stages of development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe removed him [from the amniotic sac] and were able to hold him in the palm of our hands,\u201d Nick Szmiot told LifeNews. \u201cDifficult but rejoicing time. Baby Reubie went to be with the Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Reuben<\/p>\n

The couple planned a celebration of Reuben\u2019s short life, including a birthday cake, candles, and a song. They invited their family to join them and commemorated the moment in photographs with their daughter Joy.<\/p>\n

Though Reuben was only five weeks old and was smaller than a quarter, the pictures clearly show that he already had his head, his eyes, and his arms and legs growing and forming. He is a human being \u2013\u00a0vulnerable and deserving of protection.<\/p>\n

\"Reuben\"<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone needs to see that at 5-6wks, you can see head, hands, feet, eyes of this precious little creation,\u201d Nick told LifeNews. \u201cThis isn\u2019t tissue. It\u2019s a life created in God\u2019s image with a heart and a eternal living soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Guttmacher Institute, about a third of all aborted children are less than seven weeks gestation. These abortions are frequently performed using pills, the first of which blocks the natural progesterone that protects the lining of the uterus and cuts off nourishment to the baby, killing him. Then, 24-48 hours later, a second pill helps cause contractions:<\/p>\n