GUEST COLUMN
By Geralyn Gray-Lewis, RN
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss.

Many of our friends and family find themselves on the unexpected and sorrowful pilgrimage of infertility. We know as the cost of adoption rises, the availability of infants for adoption has also declined, as many women in crisis turn to abortion in their pains. adoption, likewise, has also declined as many women in crisis turn to abortion in their pain.

Thus, many couples find themselves pursuing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) as a means to build their family. However, as many embryos are often created and then frozen for future use, there exists an unintended consequence: surplus.

It is estimated that between 600,000-1 million embryos are frozen in reserve. However, life is fluid and often goals for family size are regrettably not realized, cost of continued freezing unsustainable or the embryos died before transfer. Ordinarily, such deceased tiny humans in IVF labs are disposed of as “medical waste.”

What should be our proper response to the “disposal” of deceased human embryos?

In 2018, Sacred Heart Guardians began offering a free, dignified, simple Christian cemetery burial for deceased embryonic children. This ceremony occurs every third month and to date 1,611 small humans have been cared for. Parents and family can attend the service in person headquartered in Minnesota or virtually. “This process provides a perpetually cared for place in this world for these special children and their families.”

In so, doing the Sacred Heart Guardians provide dignity to the child and great comfort to families.

For more information, visit www.sacredheartguarduians.org.

(Gerry Gray-Lewis is a parishioner of St. Richard Church in Jackson.)