Prayer crusade launched for Argentinean mother suffering from cancer

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jul 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The Catholic weekly “Cristo Hoy” in Argentina has launched a prayer crusade for a mother who decided to postpone treatment for cancer in order to save the life of her ninth child.

The newspaper reports that Laura Figeroa is in the terminal stage of her illness, the diagnosis is brain metastasis, considered irreversible.”  Two weeks ago, on July 12th, Figeroa gave birth to her son Pedro at only 27 weeks.  The baby weighed just 2.4 pounds and was placed immediately in intensive care, where he is struggling with kidney and heart problems.
 
The baby’s grandmother told Cristo Hoy, “We are all very united in this struggle and praying hard.” She has spent all of her time helping to care for Laura and for the other children, who “are anxious to know the newest member of their family and hope to soon have in their hands the picture promised to them by the pediatrician.  We invite all our readers to unite in prayer for this family and to pray especially for the health of this model of a mother and for her baby,” the article states.

Laura Alejandra Figeroa is 39 years old and her story has captured the hearts of the entire country of Argentina.  Several months ago, she told Cristo Hoy that she made her decision in order to show her love “to this child that is coming in the same way that I have shown it to the other children I have.  I want my child to know that I love him and that I will always love him, that I will give my life for him if necessary.”

Last March she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told she should begin chemotherapy - which would have posed serious risks to her unborn child.  She made the decision to postpone treatment until after birth.

Figeroa explained that she made her decision in order to put her son’s life first.  “Of course I don’t intend to neglect my health, as I have the responsibility to protect my own life and that of my baby, but nevertheless, I avoid everything that, while helpful to my own health, might be detrimental to that of my child,” she said.

She also hoped that her testimony would help those who defend life from the moment of conception.  “Today, more than ever, there are people who are against life, who want to legalize abortion, which I consider an abominable crime, and therefore I ask that this testimony encourage those who read it to defend the unborn.  I would like all women who are pregnant to remember that no situation, no matter how difficult, justifies taking the life of the baby in their womb. Not even in cases of rape or life of the mother,” Figeroa stated.