Now THIS is a cute baby. Check out Greta Van Susteren's blog for more pictures of Catherine and son Peter and for Greta's story behind the story of Catherine and her family's challenge:
...This medical problem has been dogging all of us at FOX since Peter was born a few months ago. We had all hoped it would be resolved short of this surgery. It has not. Catherine came into my office last week to tell me that time had run out to wait for a liver and that she would be doing this. Of course the conversation was a difficult one but also an inspiring one. Catherine is determined to have her son live and is doing what every mother would do. This is a life or death decision.
Catherine and I talked about how many families go through a medical crisis like this and how difficult it is. The emotional toll can't be expressed in words. Imagine the pain of wanting a liver for your baby knowing that it meant some other family was losing a baby.
Catherine and I talked and talked about what families go through. It occurred to us that maybe — just maybe — we could try and turn around the fear and anxiety for both her and other families by telling you about it and by televising a segment about this family, a FOX family and the huge advancements in science. American medicine is truly remarkable: things can be done that seem impossible to those of us unschooled in it.
Catherine and her husband weighed the pros and cons of us doing a story on her family and what they are facing — the cons being the need for privacy at what could be a life or death time for their family and the pros being the chance to inspire other American families facing a medical crisis and to show the truly remarkable aspects about medicine. Catherine and her husband talked about it and then decided that the chance to inspire others and highlight American advancements in medicine was important. As you might imagine, during this time they have met many others who are in the same difficult position they are. Plus, the chance to highlight all the great things the Pittsburgh hospital has done is also important to them.
Hence I am headed to Pittsburgh with the hope that we can tell you an inspiring story, not one that will bring you down. We want to inspire you and dazzle you with this story of love and science. We don't want to depress you. Remember, Catherine and her husband are feeling determined right now. They are an important mission of love. Behind the scenes, and without Catherine, we have discussed what we will do if the surgery turns out differently than we are expecting and hoping and we have not made any decisions. But bottom line is that Catherine is determined and so are we.
