| WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 |
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IOF Weekly — Mourning Charlie, and The Big State
President’s Message
Dear Friend of the Natural Family:
As much of the world takes some time off from work as the summer begins to wind down, we at IOF are still mourning the passing of little Charlie Gard. As I am sure you know, Charlie was born with an extremely rare mitochondrial condition, which ultimately claimed his life a few days short of his first birthday. As tragic as his death is, however, what is even worse is the horrific illustration of grotesque power when The Big State is allowed to step into a family’s life and make decisions that should be left to parents.
Charlie’s parents did everything they could to help their son, including raising some $1.5 million to take him to the United States for experimental treatment that might have helped him. But the British National Health System stopped them, refusing to allow him to leave the hospital, refusing him the experimental treatment and even refusing his parent’s request to die at home, in their loving arms. Instead, in an Orwellian scene reminiscent of the book 1984, the government determined that it was best for Charlie to be denied needed treatment, to be denied hospice and to be left to die in the sterile environment of a state hospital. This issue of our newsletter has two articles about the case, and its aftermath.
The situation endured by Charlie Gard and his parents helps illustrate why the work of IOF is so important. We are the leading group in the world with a core mission to promote the natural family, and to fight for legal protections for the family based on the universal declaration of human rights that the family is entitled to state protection. We take our mission seriously, and we’re working hard around the globe to educate, equip, engage and mobilize the pro-family movement.
But to be successful, we need your help. That’s why I am asking you to please make a financial contribution to support IOF today. Thanks to a generous donor who has stepped forward with an amazing $100,000 matching grant, every contribution to IOF throughout the summer will be matched dollar for dollar. Whatever you can afford to donate, please act today, realizing that your gift will double in effectiveness thanks to the matching grant opportunity.
God bless.
International Family News
Charlie Gard’s Parents on His Final Moments: “He Opened His Eyes and Looked at Us and Then Closed Them”
For the first time, Charlie Gard’s parents shared details this week about their last moments with their son before he died. The British infant died on July 28 after his life support was removed, following a lengthy court battle between his parents and hospital. He would have turned 1 year old on Aug. 4.
Read more →
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Charlie Gard’s parents give $1.5M in his memory to help other sick kids
LONDON, England, August 2, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – Charlie Gard’s parents will set up a foundation to help sick kids, defend parental rights, and ensure what happened to their son doesn’t happen to other families.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates were unable to use the £1.3 million (about $1.5 million USD) they raised to transfer Charlie to the U.S. for experimental treatment. It will instead be used to start the Charlie Gard Foundation, which will help families in similar circumstances.
Read more →
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Thousands Sign WCF/Real Women of Canada Petition Opposing Trudeau Government’s Push To Impose Abortion in Africa
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The left-wing government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made promoting abortion and other population-control measures in Africa the centerpiece of Canada’s foreign policy, committing to spend $650 million to promote abortion in countries where it’s currently illegal, as it is in much of Africa. In response, IOF’s sister organization, the World Congress of Families (WCF) and our partner, Real Women of Canada, have launched a petition to condemn and protest Trudeau’s action that has already been signed by over 7,000 citizens across the globe.
Please add your name to the growing worldwide protest of the Trudeau government’s imperialist policies seeking to impose abortion on poor countries in Africa. It’s important that Prime Minister Trudeau and other world leaders see a strong denumciation of this dangerous policy by pro-family supporters around the world.
Read more and sign the petition →
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Natural Family News and Research
Chinese Forego Marriage, To Their Detriment
Like most other developed nations, the Chinese are now facing the unthinkable in a formerly marriage-and family-centric culture. After a decade of increasing marriage rates, China has now seen its second straight year of drops in marriages, accompanied by a rise in older marriages. These trends, according to the BBC, have even the government worried. Xuan Li, author of the BBC story, identifies gender inequality as a key component keeping women from the altar. Li writes that many Chinese women are interested in marriage, but “[t]oo much is at stake. In a country where gender equality has been stalling, if not deteriorating, over the past decade, women face enduring discrimination in education and the workplace.” But research in America—a country that most agree has a higher level of gender parity—suggests that Chinese women may be choosing the wrong path.
Read more → at The Natural Family: An International Journal of Research and Policy
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Mourning Charlie, and The Big State – IOF Weekly Newsletter
