Abortion Ad Controversy

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Abortion Ad Controversy

Tiffany and Chris Campbell discuss their decision to end the life of one of their twins in order to save the life of the other. They say the decision would not be allowed under the proposed abortion ban in South Dakota.

By Kent Erdahl

A new television advertisement has sparked controversy in the debate over South Dakota's proposed abortion ban.

The first ad from The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy families, which opposes the abortion ban, features the story of Tiffany Campbell.

In 2006, Tiffany Campbell discovered that she was pregnant with twins who were suffering from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. She says it resulted in her having to abort one twin to save the other. Those who support the abortion ban say her message is misleading and partially false.

Tiffany Campbell says she's speaking out against South Dakota's abortion ban for other families faced with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

"If this (ban) passes then they won't have the same option that we did to save a life," Tiffany Campbell said. "They will not be able to intervene and save one of their babies."

Dr. Glenn Ridder is the medical director for the Alpha Center, a pro life group. He supports the ban and contests the facts of the Campbell's story beginning with the premise that they needed to abort one of their twins.

"I don't know what procedure was done for this young lady who had the Twin to Twin Transfusion," Dr. Ridder said. "But the procedure that's nationally accepted now would not be declared an abortion."

Dr. Ridder is referring to a laser procedure designed to separate the blood vessels between connected twins. It's intended to save the life of both twins, meaning it would not violate the proposed ban. But the Campbell's say the laser procedure was not what their doctors recommended.

"We went through the testing to qualify for this laser procedure," Tiffany Campbell's husband Chris Campbell said. "We found out we really weren't good candidates for the procedure."

Instead, the Campbell's say their doctor's gave them a different option with better odds for saving one of their sons. The procedure is called Selective Cord Coagulation and involves stopping blood flow to the smaller twin through the umbilical cord. It led to the decision Tiffany addresses in her commercial.

"We had 24 hours to decide if we'd end one boy's life to save the other," Tiffany Campbell said in the advertisement.

"If it's someones advice to kill your offspring, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Ridder said. "And the studies prove out that it is not the healthiest choice."

Tiffany says, in her case, it was the healthiest choice, and if there was a better option, she says she would have taken it in a heartbeat.

"Brady was pumping blood for both of them, so his heart was failing at the strain," she said. "So every passing day that they were connected, Brady's heart was becoming weaker and weaker. So we didn't have time to say, 'Well we're going to give it five more days,' because he would have died, and then he would have taken Brady with him. That's how we made the decision to step in and end Brendan's life. I know I played a role in my son's death. I live with that every single day. But then I also look at Brady and I see why I had to do it."

Dr. Glenn Ridder has one other big problem with Tiffany's story. He says it doesn't apply to South Dakota's ban because doctors in this state do not perform the procedure she had done. That is true. The Campbell's actually flew to a fetal care center in Cincinnati, Ohio after finding out about their situation.

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families has two responses to the argument. The group says the ban would take away the possibility of a doctor flying to South Dakota to perform the procedure if a mother is unable to travel. They also say that supporters of this ban intend to make it a national issue.


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Saturday, Oct 18 at 5:42 AM not kidding wrote ...

@ your kidding: I sincerely doubt that any woman who has had, will have or is contemplating having an abortion much cares if YOU say it's OK or not. The bottom line is that it is THEIR life, THEIR body and THEIR decision. Family decisions - including those not only about when, but *whether* - to bear children are intensely personal & private decisions which require only the involvement of the woman, her doctor and, if she is so inclined, her mate & her god. As it should be...

Friday, Sep 26 at 10:48 PM inventions.... wrote ...

Well as for the comment that if you choose a life over another you don't believe in god. God gave us the brains to create the tools to do the things we do today. So why would he give us the knowledge to create somethings like this if he didn't want it used? Just something to think about. Before judging people and their religious views I suggest you all take a step back and think if you had two children who were going to die and you could save one.wouldn't you do it!? It seems more inhumane not 2

Friday, Sep 26 at 9:39 AM no your kidding.... wrote ...

Play god? She had to SAVE her sons life....he was going to die if she didn't do this. I don't agree w/ abortion UNLESS it is life threatning and in this case it was! I highly doubt she looked at this as a convenience she lost a son....she even named him. That should show everyone how much she did love him. I'm sure this choice wasn't easy for her.

Friday, Sep 26 at 8:01 AM JB wrote ...

I believe abortion is wrong also... but I also believe that if a person is raped or the mother or baby is at risk it should be considered... This is why I will not be voting for either side when election time comes. I think this is a sensitive subject and America is the Land of the Free and if there is a problem with the fetus or mother then it should be the parent to be's call on this one.

Friday, Sep 26 at 7:38 AM Anon wrote ...

By that "logic" of playing "god" if you were seriously injured would you want to be placed on life support? I think if you believe in "god" you shouldn't be allowed major medical attention as its part of "god's" plan. As well as any and all man made medicine and advances in modern science. You're not Pro-Life, you're Anti-Woman.

Friday, Sep 26 at 5:24 AM Christina wrote ...

The ad is doubly deceitful because first of all, it acts as if abortion is about tough choices to sacrifice one life to save another, and it ignores the fact that no prosecutor is going to go after a doctor who acts in good faith in such a situation.

Thursday, Sep 25 at 8:17 PM your kidding wrote ...

Tough one but I still believe abortion is wrong and it usually is not used for medical reason about 90% of the time. It is mostly a convenence for women. For those don't lay down if ya don't want a baby. The twin thing is sad but yes you did take a life and I'm not one to say that is OK. We have to quit playing God and let him take care of us.

Thursday, Sep 25 at 7:27 PM Anonymous wrote ...

If u want to have an abortion thn so be it..its ur like not neone elses..

Thursday, Sep 25 at 9:13 AM WHY!!!! wrote ...

My God how many times are we going to do this?! South Dakota acts like there is an Abortion clinic on every cornter there is 1 in the entire state! Can we PLEASE allow people to handle their own bodies and make their own decisions! Who am I to tell someone what they can or cant do with their own body??? There must be more pressing issues going on then re-hashing this same issue over and over!This is a slap in the face to all voters. We voted, we won, and we are made to vote again. STUPID!

Thursday, Sep 25 at 8:39 AM SD Voters wrote ...

The "The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families" is another deceptive pro-abortion left wing drive that has an unfitting flashy name. This add stinks with deception too it is a sad fact the Campbell's failed to get more opinions from different doctors. Even if this initiative was in place this example would not be classified as an abortion. SD voters are smarter than this.

Thursday, Sep 25 at 5:17 AM No Regrets wrote ...

These pro-life people seem to have absolutely no compassion or concern for the living! Their only agenda is to stop abortion. They don't care if the fetus would die at birth or if this child could live a partial life full of pain, having to undergo multiple surgeries just to survive. They don't care about the emotional or finacial strain on the families. There is no exception for the viability of the child. Most are not Doctors. They are zealots with a cause. Vote NO on the ban.

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