Katie,

I'm sorry you have so much bitterness and hate in your heart that you can't see the truth. I pray that whatever caused you to be so miserable and hatefull will eventually lead you to God. He is real and He loves you, in spite of your nastiness!

Joel

SSS, Katie,

I guess all I can say is that Juliana is not your child, so don't let her struggle bother you.

And, Katie, I thank the one GOD that she was not so unfortunate to be your daughter, as you are unfit to be a mother. Spitting your venom at a young child who simply wants to live -- and at her two loving parents for being just that -- shows the snake that you are.

How dare you ignorant hate mongers add hurt to an already painful situation! Human beings never cease to amaze at there treacherousness! Just when you think people couldn't get more vile, you read something like this! Katie, Jude and SSS(appropriatly fitting name)should euthenize themselves to make this world a more fit place to live in. If you haven't heard, human beings, especially children and even your pathetic selves all deserve dignity. Stop living in the dark ages-- we need to start living the in the truth. Peace.

How empty and shallow are the lives of the people who turn away from this model definition of what family and love is all about. Obviously, those negative, self absorbed people are empty shells and not capable of any compassion, giving, or self worth. How sad
their lives must be. Those are the poeple I fear for they cause the most damage of all!

Way to avoid the issue Jude.

Where do you draw the line? Who's going to determine the suffering threshold to warrant being euthanized?

You? The parents? Some third party?

Heck, some people will claim it will ruin their lives if their kid is born colorblind. Is that a good enough reason for you?

Some of these comments are quite honestly the most ignorant, and down right horrendous things I have ever heard in my life. I can't believe that there are actually people who have it in them to say such terrible things. This family DID NOT KNOW that she had the defect when the mother was pregnant. THEREFORE, terminating the pregnancy was not even an option. This child was put on this earth for a reason, and her parents are doing the BEST they can to improve and maintain her quality of life. I am disgusted by how absolutely stupid you people are.

I can't believe the horrible things that I'm reading.To even think of killing this innocent child,just because she has a disability,is absolutely absurd.God gave this child to these wonderful parents for a reason.God said he would not give us more trials than we can handle. Through God's grace,these parents can be a great example to those that have a shallow mind in this matter.God does not make mistakes,he knows what is truly special with Juliana.So don't question God and his ability. To those that think otherwise, may God have mercy upon your souls!!!!!

In this age of instant gratification and quick fixes we have lost faith. Faith is believing without seeing and hoping in a Power greater than ourselves. Hope means trust-trust that there is a reason for everything. Nothing happens by chance. I look at this family with great joy, because they have much love to give and they know it will not be easy. Could there have been anything more unfair than Jesus Christ dying on the cross? But there was a reason and so we trust in God that we are all in His care and He knows what He's doing. For those who want to discuss this intelligently, great, but for those who just want to throw out words and call people names, well...that's not very mature is it? So come on, have a mature conversation about this. Peace and love to all, Michael Weber

I applaud these parents for their unconditional love of this child. God does not make mistakes; in his eyes this child is perfectly normal and has a purpose to fulfill on this earth. My prayers and well wishes go out to this family, as they indeed have a lot of rough roads to cross. May God Bless You!

I am currently 23 weeks pregnant. At 20 weeks the doctors found an abnormality in my baby. It was the heart. The doctor was concerned that he may have downs syndrome and asked if I would terminate. I was undecided because that would be a choice both me and my husband need to make.
After speaking with my husband, we decided to get an amnio done. the results came back normal. We have an echo done and they found that the baby has the worse case of congenital heart disease known. The pulmonary views are not developed and there is a hole in the lower chambers of the heart. We decided before we got the results of the amnio to continue with the pregnancy because I mostly believe that everyone deserves the chance to live. I would not be able to live with myself if I took that chance away from an unborn child who could not make that decision. Both my hsuband and I agreed that if surgery could not make our son better we would stop treatment and let him have his peace.
Though not the same as Juliana, I believe that had the parents known of the condition, they still would have continued on with the pregnancy. Only for the fact that not only do they love their little girl, but they most likely feel that she deserves the chance for life.
I am not going to scold anyone who has their opinions only because it is that. An opinion. But when you are faced with a situation similar, your thought process may change. Mine did. I was worried that my kid would be born retarded because of my diabetes and all the insulin I have been put on and not having my sugars controlled in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. I thought to myself I would abort if the child was retarded or had some disability. But after learning that he may actually have had Downs Syndrome, and the chance to abort came about, before the results came in, I decided I would not and could not do it.
And Jude, It is your wife's body that will have to endure the termination. if she does not feel the same way as you do, would you be willing to loose her? My husband said that he does not want to be cruel to our child if he has DS and to terminate. the day I told I could not do it cause it seemed more cruel to take away his chance for living a Normal or close to normal life, he thought, and consented to my wishes. I could have lost him (and he is my world) but I was willing to take that chance cause I love my child regardless. I really hope that when you and your spouse have the endevour such a travesty that you will be strong enough to understand what she chooses if she chose to keep the child.

i found some of the comments on this page completly discusting.....u say this inocent child should be killed because of her disabilty and u have so much hatered 4 her....but ur makeing life worse for her.....i can imagen what kind of people some of you are....you r the kind of people who would make nasty coments about this child as you walk past her in the street. I aplaud her brave parents and wish them all the luck in the world and i have the up most respect for them and want to wish them all my love....i would love to meet this brave little girl....she is not a mutant.....she is a beautiful little girl.

and to all those who made arrogant and nasty comments....u call urself people....u want ur legs slapping and u need help....

u need 2 think to urselfs if she was your child....would you not love her fo being her? would you not love her for being strong? would you not love her at all?

she is the richest little girl on this earth because she has all the love and support she needs. those of you who have the horrible comments to say about her just keep it to yourself....lets not highlight her faults lets highlight her brillience, her integrity, and her courage. lets celebrate her life not put a downer on it....

love and peace to u jullianna....may you have a long and happy life.....prove all these low lifes wrong.....

thinking of you always and forever

Morgan x x (age 15)

I just think that no matter how much love is given to the faceless girl, her life is just so different. Think about how people will look and think about hern no matter how much people say that 'the only important thing is what you think'. But how many of us can free ourself for that? And think about that poor girl, she was just a curel joke by god...

I cant imagine the parents situation. However, I believe the points made by those saying that if this condition is not going to get better, its going to be a long life of suffering. Dont bring your god (whichever it may be) into a situation like this. This should be thought of in logical terms, not theories without proof.

I am pregnant, due in April and obsessed with having a baby with "problems" even though the doctor says everything is fine. I have one perfectly healthy child and I know I am very blessed.

Seeing this story and reading all these comments - nice and nasty - I feel much better. I know I am the kind of parent who is strong enough to care for a child with "disabilities" and I commend the parents of this little child - people who see beauty and love where others see ugliness and misery.

There will always be people who don't understand, but the important thing is life is about living and the journey of experience -- not some BS about the American definition of "quality of life" ... the fact is that we all suffer in some form or fashion and life can be full of love or full of misery - regardless of disabilities. No one can live this little girl's life or the lives of those who love her ... they can only experience the joy or misery of being themselves. We are all here to experience happiness and sorrow -- and no life was designed for perfection. The people who believe that this little girl's life is not worth living should reflect on their own life and make sure that their life has enough "worth" ...

Now, I hope my child is ok in there, and that everything turns out just fine - but if not, I love this child and believe I have the strength to help him or her complete the journey of life he/she came her to experience. I just cannot help myself, I value life and nothing will change that.

one more thing, leave peopels religions out, its not about that, your guys are just lookin for low blows trying to discredit the people who said somthing you didnt like. and btw im hindu so im left out of all the anti-christian-ism im feelin on this bored, once again. later

This is so tragic, that people would actually think that killing is a solution to dificulty. I pray that you have a change of heart before your time here on Earth comes to an end. You have no mercy on others, and yet expect that when you are in pain or discomfort all should have mercy on you.

You think that she will go through hell here on earth. But just think, her hell is what, 80, 90 years max. But the hell that exists for those who whould snuff out innocent life is eternal. ETERNAL.

Juliana is a beautiful girl, who teaches us through the artistic hand of God how lucky we are. She doesn't need our pitty. God's showing us that we should pitty ourselves. �Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children." Lk 23,28. We have a lot that we can lose! But Juliana can only gain! Any inch of progress must be such joy for her! We would take for granted the things that she enjoys. She will have to deal with some peoples hate, which is hard. But worse is to be the hateful one who has to deal with her love.

I have two words for the folks arguing: GODWIN'S LAW. If you don't know what that is, google it.

Now. Religion aside, consider the possibility of a higher purpose for this child being born like this. Perhaps it is to teach us that it matters not what our face looks like, but what our hearts are like. You can be as beautiful as Catherine Zeta-Jones but still be a terrible person with a mean heart. The people who have TCS, like this child, are some of the sweetest people and some of the best examples of how loving and kind we should be to our fellow men. It's too damn bad we don't all have the privelege of being able to love and forgive as well as the "mutants" and "handicaps" of this world.

All I can say is that she is a beautiful young girl, and i hope she can have surgury to make her look and feel better. There are too many shallow people in this world that will judge her as soon as they see her, i admit if i saw this little girl i would have to look twice at her, but i do admit she is beautiful and full of life :D!

The only way that juliana & others with special needs will end up leading a normal life without being ridiculed, is if all you negative imature people decide to change your ATTITUDE toward people with special needs.
Society disables people with disabilities!! and until we realise this, negative attitudes will not change!!
Best of luck to Juliana and her family!

After watching a program about Juliana and her parents, all i have is admiration for them all in what are dificult times.

I hope all future operations go well and wish you all well in the future.

Tilly

on a gentler note.... to the bravest parents i have ever seen, if the world was filled up with people like you it truly would be heaven on earth! thank you for entering my life and give little J a BIG hug from me!

As a medical student I ahve alot of respect for what the doctors (surgeons mainly) have been able to do for this young girl. I also have the utmost respect for the parents and their strive for a fairer world, and recognition, rather than persecution of their childs' condition.

It is difficult to decide whether a baby child should live or not (who should make this choice??) but in this instance I feel the parents and medical professionals have been unethical in their decision.

This child needed extensive emergency surgery to even survive minutes after birth. She needed emergency tracheostomy to be able to breath, and numerous other procedures ongoing etc. She will perhaps never know what food tastes like, will never breathe normally, never hear normally, never see normally. What quality of life is this child going to have? Yes "normal" is a bit of a grey area, but this child definitely isnt, in the purest sense.

On top of this, it is important to regard American medical practitioners possible bias towards financial gain (fame or otherwise) for carrying out so many "amazing" and "wonderful" new techniques. Some medical professionals would have deemed the birth and subsequent treatment(s) as unfair and barbaric on such a small individual.

In this case there seems to be a total disregard for any dignity that this child may have had in death, she has been denied that with the glory of life and its glories, but will most likely lead a very tormented and unhappy life.
Life is unfair, people are unfair, people are judgemental, people want to make money, this child could have done without all of that...

Maybe the critics of this brave family have expressed their opinions in a crass manner.
It doesnt diminish the point.
Abortion is the kinder option in such a case. Sometimes denying someone the "right to live" is the more compassionate option.
It alll depends on progress made in surgical technology over the next two decades.
If by twenty this girl has a workable face then her parents attitudes might well be vindicated.

i have just found this website and i have been disgusted by how people can say such things about such a beautiful little girl. i myself am only 15years old but i have realised that it is not how you look that is important but it is how you are with other people and your heart whch is important. yes she may have a disability but she is still full of life and why take that away from her and her family who obviously love her dearly just because some weird people think its makes a difference to how you should treat people. i wish her and her family every success for the future and i wish that i lived near to them so i could meet the wonderful girl in person. unfortunately i live in england. i also hope that someday people will actually grow up and think maturely about issues which affect people every day.
charlie xXx

I've just seen the documentary on BBC TV about Juliana and her family and was deeply moved by it. The unconditional love of the family is to be applauded indeed envied by most of us, I agree that Juliana will probably never look "normal" but what the hell what's normal? I have a daughter with Downs Syndrome who may actually fall into the "not normal" catagory (according to some bitter people "contributing to this forum")and chances are that Juliana will have a higher IQ than my daughter ever will but we love her , she enjoys life and has a good laugh with all around her , what more could you ask for in some one ?
I'm not at all religious and i too would ask the question if there is a god , why do this to a child and family so i'm not going to bang on about Jesus loving us all etc etc. However those who would kill Juliana off because they have decided that Juliana has nothing to offer the world need to come out of their small minded view of the world. I ask the question again , where do you draw the line ? Professor Stephen Hawkins has had a lot to offer and under their rules would probably have bee trerminated too, how about those with mental "abnormalties" are they to be treated the same way, indeed Bill Gates is reported as being Autistic ... we probably wouldn't able to on this forum without his vision.
Enough of the ranting. Just watch the film and see the love in Juliana's eyes as she puts her arms around her dad for comfort when she is going in for the operation on her lower jaw , skull and nose tubes. othing more or less than any two year old would do i assure you. Those who cannot or refuse to see that have no empathy for others i say ( maybe thats a mental problem and they should be "terminated too" ?? )
Pass my best onto Juliana and her family , i applaud you.

I didnt watch the program last night, although I wanted to. I was looking it up on the internet to see if it was on again at any time when I stumbled across this. It amazes me how some of you can be so damn heartless! As for you that said euthanasia, if that was your child and the scan only showed cleft lip which can be corrected would you euthanise your child?! No I dont think you would. I think your comments are atroscios and that you should maybe go and find a heart! (I'd never wish a thing like this on anyone) But I do hope your child turns out with some sort of deformity and see how you have the heart whether or not to euthanise your own child!

this girl really is amazing and adrien how could you be so nasty,what you said was a nasty thing to say, you are the monster not her. no one is perfect, but what you said was well out of order you heartless person.

i agree with Gemma, not just because shes a mate! but this girl is more lucky than all of us for having a lovely family.

OMG! what do you think you are actually saying? if there wasnt no god then how the hell where you born? do you think that an invisible ghost came and made you down to your last cell? i think the insane one are you and please think about what you are saying! this girl diserves to live! it wasnt her fault she was born like that was it????? how could you be so cruel and cold-hearted!! i hope you read this because no matter what anyone says i will be there for that girl and i know for a fact that ME and my MATES will b supporting Julianna and others like her, with their battle. all i suggest you do now is thank god that he has given you the things you have and me and all my fellow CLASSMATES are disgusted in the way u speak about her. you shall be judged in the life after death. this also goes to every other person who thinks that the birth of Julianna was wrong. u hav been put on this earth to liv, then by depriving the life of this sweet and mostly INNOCENT girl would b the greatest crime of humanity. i suggest you KATIE should take a look at ureself and do the one and only thing but to THANK god for giving you the things that this poor unfortunately cannot have. actually i take my words back. CANNOT? she can! there are many different types of surgeries out these days and i am proud of this girl and her parents for being so strong and fighting for her. she wasnt meant to be like this, but hey thats her destiny not yours, and actually b4 i finish one more thing you said ureself ' julia is not your child, so dont let her struggle bother you' u sed dat ureself, so y r u bein so nasty abt her all of a sudden??? u need to get ure facts right!!!!! and thats all i can say, bcoz i dont know how old u r but me and all of us here are TRULY AND UTMOSTLY D-I-S-G-U-S-T-E-D AND A-P-P-A-L-L-E-D at the behaivour and attitude of someone that god, how merciful he is, granted you and ure family with the gracefulness and neccesity of life!

from sam,haf and Raz all the students of P.G.S.2.

p.s. and by the way WE R MUSLIMS! so ders no need 2 b racist!

OMG! what do you think you are actually saying? if there wasnt no god then how the hell where you born? do you think that an invisible ghost came and made you down to your last cell? i think the insane one are you and please think about what you are saying! this girl diserves to live! it wasnt her fault she was born like that was it????? how could you be so cruel and cold-hearted!! i hope you read this because no matter what anyone says i will be there for that girl and i know for a fact that ME and my MATES will b supporting Julianna and others like her, with their battle. all i suggest you do now is thank god that he has given you the things you have and me and all my fellow CLASSMATES are disgusted in the way u speak about her. you shall be judged in the life after death. this also goes to every other person who thinks that the birth of Julianna was wrong. u hav been put on this earth to liv, then by depriving the life of this sweet and mostly INNOCENT girl would b the greatest crime of humanity. i suggest you KATIE should take a look at ureself and do the one and only thing but to THANK god for giving you the things that this poor unfortunately cannot have. actually i take my words back. CANNOT? she can! there are many different types of surgeries out these days and i am proud of this girl and her parents for being so strong and fighting for her. she wasnt meant to be like this, but hey thats her destiny not yours, and actually b4 i finish one more thing you said ureself ' julia is not your child, so dont let her struggle bother you' u sed dat ureself, so y r u bein so nasty abt her all of a sudden??? u need to get ure facts right!!!!! and thats all i can say, bcoz i dont know how old u r but me and all of us here are TRULY AND UTMOSTLY D-I-S-G-U-S-T-E-D AND A-P-P-A-L-L-E-D at the behaivour and attitude of someone that god, how merciful he is, granted you and ure family with the gracefulness and neccesity of life!

from sam,haf and Raz all the students of P.G.S.2.

p.s. and by the way WE R MUSLIMS! so ders no need 2 b racist!

I have to say that you people who are under the impression that this lovely child is a "Mutant" and a "Monster" should remember that what goes around comes around and something bad really ought to befall you all to punish you for saying such things.

If this was your child and people were saying such awful things, how would you feel?

If Juliana's parents are reading this then my message to you is : You are a wonderful family and I truly hope you do not think the English are all so narrow minded and vile. Keep smiling, your daughter is one very brave little girl and I wish you all the best.

i'm not a god believer! i think that everything happens for a reason! no this girl mite not EVER be able to have a boyfriend, but ATLEAST she has a loving and supportive family around her! harry maybe you have a point, she cant eat, talk etc... but everyone has a chance to live, no matter what they look like! i think that all you people out there that dont appriciate the little girl should think again on what you av sed! she is like everyone of us, but she has a different appearance! people say she's not normal! whats normal???????? no ones normal/perfect! and i think that juliana's family are goin to do whats best for her! and it isn't up to any of you! if that was your child then i'm sure you wudn't get rid of her!
p.s. good luck to juliana and her family! i wish you all the best xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

i do not follow a religion nor do i intend to, and personaly i think anyone who belives in a "God or Gods" is a fool... but i guess we all need something to belive in, just like the parents of this girl... they belive that she has a purpose (what i dont know nor do they know) but for all you people who are showering the parents with hate for letting her live just bare this in mind...... for all the world knows this girl could bring world peace, solve 3rd world starvation, stop global warming, etc etc..... yes she cant breathe, she cant eat, she cant speak..... but doctors are doing there job and helping her have a life.... technology today in medical reserch is outstanding compared to what it was a few years ago..... by the time she is an adult (or late teenage) she might have a face like you or me..... doctors have solved how to grow ears... lips.... nose's... from 1 single cell....... and it works!!! but sooner or later technology will let us "grow" limbs and organs..... but till then this girls will suffer pain and stress but at least she has a family that loves her and excepts her for who she is.

And one more bone i have to pick with the world is everyone who stops and stares at people like juliana and anyother person for that matter.... i completely crushed my thigh bone in my left leg...... putting me in a wheel chair for 1 year while the tiny fragments of set.... now i can walk but with a nasty limp..... i've been called names such as "hop alone", "penguin man" and many other things, people stare at me but its all because people dont understand why i walk the way i do... since the dawn of time man kind has fear the unknown above anything... and all you people who stare, call names, and insult the people who have the misfortune of a "disadvantage" its only because you lack the brains to understand other peoples diffrences.... people may hate juliana for who she is but i cant hate those people i just pity them for the lack of respect for there fellow man kind.

you see i'm only 15 and it seems i know a lot for my age but thats because when you have nothing to do but sit for down for 1 year you watch, and just by watching you learn so much...

i hope that just one day people will stop and watch around them and see the world around them instead of what they want the world to see.

good luck juliana and to her parents.... you all have my respect.

Pfffff Stop talking about this stupid God! I cannot imagine how people always think it's because of God and blablablaaa I truly think I'm with kids who thinks in stupid candy stories, god doesn't exist u fools, the Humanity created gods so to stop fearing about Death...

Coming to Juliana or Miss Monster 2005, The parents are selfish and you people are just blinded by Love and whatever.. Juliana shouldn't have been keep to life when her mother had her. The doctors should have stop her, she is gonna suffer during all her life from first her look (Because she is a really a monster a no face human) and then from the other... All the people who won't know her gonna try to kill her thinking she is an invading alien :P

Anyway I let the "God is merciful and Love is in the air" to destroy my message, hope they have fun :D

Stupid Sheep :D:D:D:D

i hope she gets all the treatmant she needs i was watching the program on telly and shes getting on very well xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anyway when little Juliana will see her face in the mirror and consider herself as a humain being she will get afraid and hang herself...

Or maybe become a Star in Hollywood for all the freaky monster shows!

hi think tht this story is sad becuase its the 1st story tht is sad and u will fel sorry for her

this story is about a little girl withoiut a face, she is not sum kind of "monster" or "alien" she is a human being just like EVERYONE else! so all you mean people should all take a look at wot ur sayin! u lot that are bein mean, i hope you go to hell! GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE!

cynthia stop bein such a heartless b.i.t.c.h! i bet u aint perfect! ur probably worse lookin than julianna! and the same goes to the rest of you lot that dont appriciate the life of the young girl!

hi im tom! hello!

My heart goes out to this little girl and her family. May God be with you all don't ever give up. This little girl has a purpose in life don't ever doubt that. God bless you.

Reading the nasty comments that have been made about Julianna makes me so sad. Obviously she looks very different to everybody else, but we are living in a society that are obsessed with trying to obtain perfection. From anti wrinkle cream to endless diets. The fact is nobody is perfect. It is very obvious that Julianna has a lot of serious things wrong with her, but if anyone watched the documentary properly you would see that from birth she has already made amazing progress, and that the estimated outcome by the time she is six will not leave her looking much different to a person born with downs syndrome. Mentally there is nothing wrong with juliana, she is a happy loving little girl who in day to day life plays with toys like any other little girl and is very happy. Yes she will have to go through a lot of surgery in her young years but there is no reason that she wont end up living a normal life, apart from the fact that our self absorbed society cant accept anyone who differs from the 'norm...whatever that is. I have a neice who spent the first year of her life in hospital fighting to survive, nearly dying time and time again, nearly loosing limbs due to infecting, suffering from heart failure, lung failure, kidney failure.. and the worst kinds of hell you could imagine...like juliana she had to be fed through a tube,she couldnt be moved from bed and there were people who said they thought she shouldnt live....Today my neice is a normal happy little girl who runs around and plays and laughs and is so beautiful...and the days of her treatment are not over, but there is no doubt that my neice would not have wanted to die, and i believe this is true also for juliana.I suggest that people re-examine their abilities to have stronger faith and not be so shallow as to judge something from a picture without knowing the whole story.I dont think juliana would want to die. she doesnt have a problem with who she is. she is happy and loving, and it even said on the documentary that she reaches out to cuddle everyone she meets. She does not have a problem with how she is, nor does her sister, or the children who know her. It is only empty minded empty hearted shallow minded people like a few of the people on this forum who have the problem.go to http://www2.caringbridge.org/fl/juliana/index.htm to see julianas website or http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video/player320.aspx?aid=34965&bw= to see juliana playing. she is lovely and she will be okay ahe is getting better all the time, it's just the acceptance of people that has to improve with her.

hey as u no, islam is dat fastest growing religion, u should check dis website out, im not telling u 2 become 1, i'm just saying check it out and see how people from different religions came 21 no da truth.

http://www.jrai.com/pages/thestories/stories.php

thank u!

i think all dose people r selfish, coldhearted!

get a life i think dat julianna's parents r strong and i appreciate them and i support them.
u all look at ur selfs b4 u speak

ok tom! helllllooooo

hey sam u stop saying "hellllo tom"
i thought u said it aint a chatting website!

bum hole, bum hole!

YEAH, V GET DA MESSAGE AWO :p

TO KATIE AND SSS
You people that say she should be uthanised are just arrogant! she is not a dog some people out there dont just go o n looks.
whos to say that she wont get married to a man that thinks she is gorgeous, get a job and have children!!!!! you are all sad and pathetic! you dont ever deserve the privaledge of having children. any person in there right mind knows that when you have a child you love them no matter what you look like i hope you never burden a child with you as ther parents!!

heya melly....i feel so sorry for this lil girl......bless her, if i knew her i would want her to me my friend.....xxxx luv amz

elllo. raz hwz u man ;) KMFAOAOAOAOAOA

yo man, wazzap ppl. y don u leave da poor gyal alone man. she as a family man. jus leave er 2 liv er life man. ppl. its der busines not urz. wer did dis wepage cum 4rm? its sik.

i think that it isnt what you look like on the outside it is the inside that counts! no-one should say anything mean about her! she is a helpless child! all of you should not say anythin mean!

What a load of children you really are. I have a question for all of you who seem to be hell-bent oon comdemning this child for life. If she was born with a normal face, but then was in some kind of accident which gave her the problems she has now, would you still be sharpening the guilotine? I doubt it.

Juliana has a dreadful burden to bear in a world which treats others inhumanely even when they "fit in" with "conventional" standards. As a Black person, I know all about prejudice based on seeing not what a person is on the inside but focussing on what is outside. The most hateful comments here seem to have been posted by pathetic persons who show a total lack of experience, insight and development as people...which is what we all are, no matter how it is we look. Such a class of individuals who obviously think they know everything that there is to know about Life are unfortunately not just confined to the type who project their ignorance via emails...they are seated in positions of power and influence around the world and the rest of humanity suffers from their inability to think and feel. Well, guess what? None of us really knows what life is all about, so when are we going to admit to that and stop judging, sniping and oppressing one another? I think Julianna's parents are commendable for not hiding from their situation. I only hope they will respect the distinction between surgery to facilitate the functioning of their child's face, airways and food-tract and not delve too far and too needlessly (even dangerously)into "fixing" the way she looks. She looks the way she does, and it's the World that needs to 'get' with that, not Julianna!

i agree with what Cal, the medical student said further up.
i think a lot of people here are ignoring the fact that this child may have a very unhappy life- Not just because she Looks different, but because she might never be able to experience the wonders that make life worth living- never being able to eat, breath, see, or hear normally, if at all. it is a cruel painful life she will have to live, whether she has her loving parents or not.
even so, i do believe she has the "right" to live, as everyone does. she also has the "right" to die, which i would suspect that some of you christians may see as selfish and a sin.
i dont think anyone could Hate this child, but we all have different opinions about what would be Best for her.
its all up to the doctors, chance, and the girl's own wishes whether she wants to continue her life or not.

and as a side note, id like to say to the christians who hope some of us will "rot in hell". that too is an "evil" remark, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for wishing hell (whether it be the eternal one with flames and a red hot poker, or the one here on earth) on anyone.

The only life we have is the one here on Earth. Juliana should be able to enjoy her life (if she can), otherwise there is no point sticking around any longer.
"According to the Bible..." Pshh. Who believes in that crap? Oh yeah, just the weaklings that need a crutch to lean on when their lives become too difficult to handle by themselves.

Did you gain this "knowledge" after a near death experience, or through some hallucinogenic drug?
And speaking of knowledge... I thought religion was about Faith and Believing.
What if I never find what I'm seeking for? Will I burn in Hell like what those mean Christians said? Oh golly, I hope not. You might want to pray for me, and for those poor lost souls who have never even heard of God.
I'm sorry for "talking down" to you. Hopefully this post will sound just as falsely sweet as yours.

Cheers mate. :)

i cwied after i saw the documentry 2!. such a beautiful girl. yo raz, hws ya holidays ;)

919 I HAVE JUST HEARED ABOUT THIS CHILD ; WHO I FEEL CAME TO THIS WORLD TO SHOW US TRUE LOVE ;KINDNESS CAREING FOR OTHERS AND MOST OF ALL THERE IS A GOD !! GOD IS REAL AND YOU PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT THERE IS NO GOD --WELL WHEN YOU DIE AND MEET THE LORD YOU WILL GO RIGHT TO WERE HE WILL SEND YOU TO - HELL!!! JULIANA IS A GIFT FROM GOD ;NO MATTER WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE. SHE HAS SO MUCH LOVE IN HER THEN MOST OF US WILL EVER HAVE IN A LIFE TIME I THINK HER PARENTS ARE JUST WONDERFUL AND LOVE THEIR CHILD NO MATTER WHAT. THIS WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF JULIANA WHO SHOWS US LOVE MORE THEN WE SHOW OTHERS AT TIMES!! BUT THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO BELIVE IN GOD AND SHOW HIS LOVE AND BELIVE IN JESUS. WE DO NOT HAVE HATE IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVE SUCH A LOW LIFE AS BILLY SSS;JUDE; KATIE;AND CYNTHIA DO!! BECAUSE WE(CHRISTIANS) HAVE THE LORD IN OUR HEARTS AND BY THE WAY THERE IS A GOD FOR I HAVE SEEN HIS WORKS IN MY OWN LIFE, SO WHAT I AM GETTING AT IS THANK GOODNESS FOR JULIANA WHO IS AN ANGEL FROM GOD AND A LIGHT FOR US ALL !! GOD BLESS HER AND HER FAMILY .

I have seen this girl, I know the story and the parents are $3 million in debt with medical bills. This girl was born without a face, she cannot see, breathe or eat on her own. It's one thing for a child to grow up with grotesque disfigurement, it's another to suffer as an invalid and outcast for the rest of her life. When will the plastic surgery stop? When will her physical and emotional pain end?

This girl has no chance at living a normal life. People freak out over gaining a few pounds, for having a few pimples and for having a bad hair day. People say and do cruel, senseless and insensitive things. What will happen when this girl gets older? Will she be able to go to school? Will she have friends? Will she have a relationship? Or will she wish she was never born? There's only so much technology can do for her.

Honestly, she does not look human. She looks like one of those sci-fi creatures. Mon Calamari from Star Wars, as others have stated. She is a genetic error, and mother nature normally would have stepped in and rejected her from her mother's womb. It's called a miscarriage. It happens all the time. Miscarriages happen when there is a genetic defect, and the fetus is not strong enough to survive a full-time delivery.

But somehow, she survived and made it to full term. I don't know what type of lesson or message the parents are trying to convey to the world. I don't see anything humane or moral about their decision to keep the baby. A parent's goal should be to ensure that their child has the best possible start in life, and to have the most normal, happy development possible. I don't see anything normal or happy about this girl's life. The parents kept this child for their own selfish reasons, to prove a point to themselves and the world that this child will be the magical exception. The child's presence brings them happiness...but did they ever think about the child's happiness? Obviously not.

She was born without a face...she will live and die without a face. She will go under the knife so many times that she will wonder if her parents really love her for who she really is...or if they are trying to re-create another child altogether. If they loved her so much, they would accept her with the disfigurement. If not, then they should have never brought her into this cruel world in the first place.

'sss' and 'katie' please tell me where you live so that I can be sure to live as far away from you as possible...

When I began to watch the documentary about Julianna, I admit it was very difficult. Honestly, I was somewhere between being horrified by her appearance, and quite taken by her parents incredibly strong constitution. As I moved between emotions and opinions, it struck me--this was their conquest for human dignity. No matter what my opinion or emotional state, I absolutely have no right to form any opinion. I wish them all the best!

Hello. I watched the documentary about Julianna last night and i was deeply moved. What a angel she is! I pray that her surgeries are a success and that she lives a normal happy life. I think her parents are amazing, caring and loving people that only want the best for her. I could not help but cry for this lil' angel. I pray for her and i hope people see her for herself and not her defect. She looked so happy playing with her toys.. what a sweetie she is. I pray for her. I have a feeling she will be ok.. thanks to wonderful doctors and nurses caring for her. God bless! A BIG HUG FOR JULIANNA!

Upon watching her story on Discovery Health, I have been amazed by her family's resolve in spite of this condition. The most beautiful thing is the way she bounces back from each surgery by happily playing with her toys days after grueling work. She truly enjoys her family and her life. I see how she hugs her parents and it reminds me of how my son hugs me when he is scared or tired or just wants to show love. I am profoundly touched by the story.

To those who think that euthanasia would have been the "proper" choice, you are wildly off base. They did not know the extent of the deformity; all they knew what that she was deformed. It is a hard decision for a parent to make, but an easy one for internet pundits throwing out their two cents. I am sure I am not alone in being offended by these people, but they have their opinions. So be it.

The mother said something interesting in the story. She knew that she could be going through many more surgeries until she can lead a satisfactory life. She also knew that Julianna might say enough is enough, that she is comfortable with who she is, and that she is ready to live her life as she is. I pray that she will get to that point. She is a truly special girl and she is blessed to have the support of the hospital staff at her disposal, a loving family, and total strangers who express love and admiration.

The problem here is this world is full of hate. I can't wait to be in Heaven with Jesus. People who say there is no God are the ones trying to tell you evolution is real even though there are no facts only theories. All of those missing link bones aren't missing... they never existed. May God bless that loving family.

Thom and Tammy, I have not been able to stop thinking about Juliana and your family all day after seeing the documentary last night. I say if your family doesn't demonstrate the love of Christ then nobody does. Thank you for sharing your hearts with us-- your pain and your incredible love. It was risky to be sure, as evidenced by some of the calloused posts on this site, yet I'm confident that a multitude more has been forever changed even as I am. My prayers continue to go out for you all as well as for all who will read about Juliana and see the love of God lived out in your lives.

I think that no matter what, this girl will be a great friend and true person. It does not matter what you look like because the inside is what counts!!! God made her just the way she is because she is special!!! Even though it may look really bad, some people may shutter, but she can still be a person. She is still a part of this world no matter what! This goes out to the parents of Juliana: No matter what happens, tell her that god made her special and she is different because god loves her. It will be a test of accepting who people are and not what they look like. I know that some day, people who mis-treat her will regret it because they never know, they could be looking up to her some day!

Jude, you must not have listened to the show very well. The parents and doctors were expecting a cleft pallet, or something of a smaller degree, nothing to the degree of which it was. You were not put in this world to judge people, who made you judge and jury? Have a heart and show some compassion. Have a little faith. We are all put here on this earht for a reason. Although we don't know what we are here for, there will come a day that we will know and understand for what we reason we are here. As for this child, God has a plan. It may seen harsh and cruel, however you and all you others who have judged her parents; maybe you need to take a step back and consider if your perfect enough to be making jugdements towards people you don't know. Then remeber you will never walk in their shoes so until you do, don't assume you know what your talking about. God Bless Juliana, and her strength and insperation! My families prayers go out to her, the parents and the family.

I think this little girl is so lucky her parents gave her a chance to love. Who are any of you to judge her so. The only thing that matters is, she can see, hear and love. Not as good as some of us, but she can. I thought that was the most sad thing that could have happened to her, but she doesn't even know what all is going on. Yeah, if she is able to live a long life, people will make fun of her. But I think a lot of people need to get over themselves and see how lovely she is, inside. Don't judge her parents decision. They couldn't turn their flesh in blood away, how could you blame them? Don't judge them or the little girl until the day you are in one of their situations. I have a healthy 8 month old daughter. But if she was deformed, i would still love her like i do now. That little girl still has a heart and feelings. Didn't you see her want them to hold and hug her. If she could laugh she would, and if she could cry she would. It's wrong she has to go through pain, but if they could help her out to their fullest, then she'll thank them in the end. I just hope Juliana lives her life to the fullest and everyone gives her their support. She is still human!!!!! We need to help eachother not brake eachother down. My heart goes out to Juliana and her family.

All the people who are going on and on about "God" placing this child on earth seem to be ignoring another side of the argument that comes up when you start placing "God's will" in the middle of everything. Did anybody ever consider that this child was born the way she was, created that way or turned out that way by God, but that without MAN's intervention she likely would have died within a few hours? Without the intervention of science, technology, and MAN's will i.e. the will of her parents and her doctors, this baby would have died because without going through horrible pain, she didn't even have the basic anatomy to cry and to suck a nipple, which are the two basic survival skills that most babies need to survive in the most basic way. So you have to ask yourself the question: is all this painful surgery the baby is going through GOD'S WILL or MAN'S SELFISHNESS? And HUMAN EGO? Did it ever occur to any of you that perhaps these parents and these doctors are just a little too selfish and egotistical to accept that maybe, this poor child should have been allowed to go back to her Maker instead of living through all this pain? I consider myself a religious person but I cannot in any way see a good reason that this poor little baby, who can't even eat or function or hear without pain, should be made to go through years and years of pain and anguish just to satisfy some belief her parents and the doctors have that she should go through this...when animals are born horribly deformed or are horribly ill, we have the love and care for them to put them to sleep. I somehow wonder how we couldn't extend this barest of courtesies to babies born with a deformity this horrible. I can only pray that Juliana gets some happiness in life, but I also somehow believe that the fact she is still here is the function of human ego, and not God's will.
Tina

Nature always strives to strike a balance in this ever-tipping scale of earth. Lose some to gain some.... Julianna may not have a normal definitive face, thanks (or no thanx) to the notorious craniofacial deformation, Treacher Collins Syndrome, but she sure has a well-developed brain for her age, with perfectly normal motor movements. As long as our brains function well, especially the rudimentary ones, it's a far cry from deeming an individual to be euthanized. She deserves a chance to live. May be someday she'd realize the gift of life that she may have concealed among this, and show the world what she's made of.

This little child is suffering for the world. God has given her and her family this cross that through her suffering people like you Katie may come to know the truth. If her mother would have an abortion that would have been murder. Abortion kills!!! Her mother kept her and did the right thing. Her suffering will not be in vain, but will be used to save many souls on the break of hell. May Jesus heal her.

Wetmore Family:

I would just like to say God Bless You to the Wetmore Family. I think that not only is little Julianna a brave little one but so are Mom & Dad & little big sister. I have two children and it would kill me to go through what you all are going through but I believe in my heart that you are doing the right thing. She will be greatful that you are doing this now and not waiting til she is older to start the process. Don't pay any attention to the hateful messages that are listed, trust me, they won't make it to Heaven with that attitude. May God fill your hearts and guide this little girl through this tough time in her life and keep you strong throughout the process. Have faith in God and he will watch over you all. You are in my prayers.

God Bless and Take Care!

Bev Wilson
NB, Canada

I was born in the mid 60's with a clef lip and palate. My type of clef palate left me unable to eat with even the specially formulated bottles for clef palates. I was too young to operate by the standards of the time so the doctor's sent me home to die. My father did not give up so easily. With the help of a local pharmacist, they devised a tool out of a turkey baster to feed me. My mother and father spent hours a day feeding me. I survived.

I had several surgeries growing up; not nearly as many as Julianna but I remember crying and being scared before each one. I was in 8th grade when I had my last surgery which made the most difference in my appearance. I didn't want it. I was tired of it all. But thankfully my parents perserved and remained strong for me. Today, I am married with 2 children and thank God for my parents perserverance.

Even though some children were cruel growing up (my nickname by some was freckled face freak), I had a happy childhood. I had close friends and family that cared about me. I knew I had value. I have never asked why I was born with a facial abnormality. It was not God's doing. It was a matter of genetics the same as what color eyes I had. It was a part of me not what was done to me. I thank God for giving my parents the endurance to fight for my life when others gave up and I thank God for giving me a sense of purpose at an early age so I could endure the ignorance of others.

I look at how far clef palate and lip surgeries have come today. The children today barely have scars and surgeries are done at a much younger age. Who knows what medical options are available for Julianna in the future. Give her a chance. She has already affected thousands of people's lives across the world and she is only two. I can't wait to see what she will achieve next. I will keep Julianna and her family in my prayers.

I was simply amazed by Julianna's progress so far. I think the doctors are doing a wonderful job and should keep trying to repair the craniofacial abnormalities for as long as the family and Julianna want to continue.

I also applaude the friends and family members who are learning sign language so they can communicate with Julianna.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your whole extended family. God Bless.

Lisa

I don't know Juliana but I just saw her story on the Discovery Channel. As much as it broke my heart to think of the all the physical pain that this sweet child must indure I also saw she is the most beautiful child, loving, very loved child. As far as I'm concerned she's an angel on earth sent here to show us "normal" people how to appreciate the small things in life. As difficult as her future may be I sincerely hope that her doctors can help her condition in the future to make her life easier (where she can eat and breathe like other people). I hope that the television special opened some people's eyes to how Juliana is NOT a MUTANT but a normal sweet, loving toddler who happens to look different.

I'm reading all of these posts and I am amazed at how cruel people can be. Being a mother of a 2 year old daughter I sympathize with the Wetmores. You only want the best for your kids and they are doing what they think is best for Juliana. It's only fair that she gets a chance at life. This may be the worst case of Treacher Collins that some doctors have ever seen, but with their help, and, yes, many surgeries, she may have a chance at a normal life. Who are you people to judge and say that Tammy Wetmore should have had an abortion when they didn't even realize the severity until she was born. Who are you to critize and call Juliana a mutant? She is a beautiful child and if you can't see the beauty that lies within her you are the most shallow human being and may Karma bring you what you deserve. I think that it's wonderful that the Wetmores love their daughter enough to give her a chance and not just toss her aside like she's nothing. Have you ever seen the children that are born and living in Chernoybl? Due to the severe radiation, children to this day are still born with severe birth defects, some worse than Treacher Collins, and the parents of those children abandon them, leave them for dead because they're not perfect. There are hundreds of orphaned children living in orphanages with people taking care of them who are doing it just for a job. These people taking care of them know nothing about their conditions, nor do they care to learn. Juliana is a very lucky little girl to have parents who care and love her enough to want to help her and show her how much they really do love her. Do you not realize that there are many many other children and people out there who also are afflicted by Treacher Collins, and alot of them, with help have been able to carry on normal lives. It's possible. Anything is possible. What are you going to do if you have a child afflicted with such a birth defect. Would you actually call your own child a mutant? Would you not love them? Put yourself if their shoes then make your judgments.

She will grow up strong and show all of you,
the value of life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw a documentary on this child last night. I really don't know what to think. I do feel very badly that she has to go through constant and painful surgeries in an effort to have something close to a normal life -- just to have the most elementary basics of eating, breathing and talking. My main concern is that this child's memories will be filled with the pain of surgery after surgery -- is this any way for a child to live? In any other time, this child would not have lived. In a less technologically advanced culture -- as is the case in many other countries, she would not have lived. I will say that I believe in reincarnation -- I don't believe the soul enters the body until we are born. For some reason, this child has this fate and perhaps we shouldn't judge. I just wonder if the parents and doctors are really understanding what they are putting this child through. I wonder.

Is anyone on this site really surprised at how nasty, bitter, and immature people really can be? Its just another reminder.
I mean here is a BEAUTIFUL little girl who thinks, is developing (mentally) normally, who cries when she is sad/mad/in pain, who claps when she is happy, who is communicating efficiently through sign language-through surgery has begun to say two words, who walks around and plays with her sister and toys, who points in the mirror when she sees herself, who hugs her mommy and daddy tightly, who experiences fear, joy, love, all of the emotions of little girl and JUST because her face doesn't resemble what society has portrayed as "normal", she is referred to as a mutant or that she should have been terminated!
It is a sad reminder of how closed-minded and shallow some people are and will probably remain.
This "mutant" has positively impacted so many lives, in her first two years of life, than any of you shallow individuals could possible dream of impacting during your life time. This girl who should have been "terminated" is now changing and advancing medical knowledge & technology so that in the future, should any of this happen to someone you know, doctors will have the knowledge and previous experience to know what to do.
Should family members or friends of the Wetmore family be reading this, remind them of how beautiful and gifted both of their daughters are. Thank them for sharing their story and let them know there will always be those who are "sticks in the mud," but for every "stick", there are thousands whose hearts and prayers go out to your family.
Thank God for living miracles.

I watched with amazement that such a child could be born and rejoiced to see such loving parents. I am by no means rich and loaded with money, but I have been blessed by the Lord and wish to help these fantastic parents with what I can afford. My heart goes out to this supergirl and her SUPER mom and dad, I can only say I am so grateful all my children were born healthy and I want to help all I can but I want to be sure these wonderful parents get 100% of what I can afford to send them. My prayers are with you now and for every night I say them parents! You rock.

seriously, everybody who says this baby is an "angel from god" or says anything that has to do with this "god" is mentally insecure, because religion is just a crutch for people who cant handle the fact that they truly dont know what will happen when they die, so they convince themselves that they DO know. Religion is a form of MADNESS that is caused by STUPIDITY, INSECURITY, and FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. as far as the baby juliana goes, it really sucks for her that she was born without a face. honestly, i dont think she should have been allowed to be born, HOWEVER, seeing as how the doctors didn't know until she was already born, she has the right to live a full life, despite the fact that her life might not be worth living because of the insane amount of unneccesary ridicule she will face from most of the people she encounters in her life, the almost certain mental anguish that she will have to go through, and the intense physical pain from complications from the Treacher Collins Syndrome and from the corrective surgeries.

Richard,

I used to think like you before I became educated about spiritual matters. Now I know that it is actually your way of thinking that expresses fear and doubt. People of faith have no reason to fear and are confident of their beliefs. You, on the other hand, make your lack of inner peace known in your desperate attacks. I'm sure there are many on this blog who would pray for you.

Thankfully, you aren't God and your opinion about Juliana is insignificant.

I CAN NOT believe how hateful and cruel people can be, you people who have made those hateful, hurtful comments are the HIDEOUS ones!! You people who have made your nasty comments should be ashamed of yourselves. It sickens me that people STILL think that people who are "different" do not have the same rights to live the same quality of life that we do, or that they should even live at all --that thinking is seriously disturbing.

And think for a second.... tommorrow, you are driving to work, you are in a serious crash, you are rushed to hospital you live but come to find that you are SERIOUSLY disfigured but will be able to function normally... what do we do pull the plug on you because you no look hideous? I am sure that is what you would want hey? "I am sorry but we have to put you "down" becuase you are too hideous to live in normal society?" Pardon my french but screw that! You people have no cooth at all!!

Maybe you should walk a day in this poor girls shoes... so she is "disfigured" by society's standards, but guess what she functions as a normal two year old and HAS FEELINGS!

I like the comment Marcopolo made: "Nobody can be that retarded on accident." --how true!

For the record we are NOT put on this earth to have a "quality" life for our own selfish reasons, we are out here for Gods purposes alone! whether you fools beleive it or not -- When judgement day comes God is going to ask you two questions 1. "What did you do with my son" (accept or reject him). 2. What did you do with the gifts that he gave you? How are you selfish people going to answer? This little girl is a GIFT to these strong parents, they love her and it seems to me that this little girl is happy despite the pain jerk offs like you people with your hateful comments are spewing at her --that is her biggest source of pain, not her disability.

Sam made this comment: "Not just because she Looks different, but because she might never be able to experience the wonders that make life worth living- never being able to eat, breath, see, or hear normally, if at all. it is a cruel painful life she will have to live, whether she has her loving parents or not." --Now I am curious, what is normal.. define it for me... because there is no normal!! SHE WAS BORN with this... this is her way of life, people who have had to do things "differently" from an early age, adjust to this. So my son was born with a profound hearing loss he learnt to adjust to only being able to hear out of one ear... so are you saying he will NEVER have the same quality of life the rest of society does? Life is what you MAKE of it!!!

I pray that God will make this into something magnificent, makes her mark in the world and then you cruel people will be eating crow, won't it suck when she runs YOUR country? and you have to say "wow! I feel like such an A** for saying she had no right to live becuase she is disfigured!"

Richard your comment was also, one of the stupidest ideals about religion and christianity I have EVER heard of!! Fine so you do not believe but the fact that some of us have faith to move a mountain does not give you a right to say we are mentally insecure! And for the record I am NOT unsure of the furture I KNOW for sure where I am going when I die.. thank you very much. My faith is not my crutch it is what I live for every day!

GOD DOES EXIST!! God does test us... and yes even rape, etc. He is testing our strength and if God brings us too it he will bring us through it! So I beleive in God and trust in him... and if that makes me a LOSER so be it... because I try to be like him i have something called VALUES and COMPASSION! and it also gives me something o get me through the hard times, with out having a pity party "oh poor me, my life sucks, its all about me.. me... me...me and walking down the street looking at people who are disfigured... it ruins my life" GROW UP you LOSERS! get a life, GET A BIBLE, get a clue and GET some compassion! -you people are seriously ugly with BLACK hearts.

Julianna! hang in there cutie, I am praying for you and your mommy and daddy!

hi im sorry that all these people are so godless. god never told us that life would be perfect. he said be kind to strangers because you'll never know when one will be an angel. my heart and prayers go out to you as well as my hat i tip off to you.it takes a special person to be strong and love so completely like you both have. this world is made up of very selfish people. that are only interested in the perfectly beautiful. well we all have a purpose. jesus suffered tremndously for us. and now everyone in this day n age has forgot. even if our lives were to make a difference in 1 persons life at only one moment we have achieved our purpose. can't anyone see that anymore. love is the best thing i have ever experienced nothing elese has made me more fullfilled. how can anyone really live with out it. they can't. the evil that lurkes around every corner is succumbec by these ignorant hateful people. may you c the error in your ways of thinking and support this family into tryumph and hurt them no more. they hurt already for their precious lil angel. she's more beautiful than any of you haters. so god bless this baby i'm routing for her recovery.

I'm sorry, I thought they said she was the "girl without a face"... no where does it say she has no heart. I am NOT religious at all, yet I believe that Juliana is here for a reason. She is quite capable of loving and being loved. Those of you who would do her in before she was even born need to give your head a shake and get your head out of your ass. She is a living, breathing human being. Sure she ain't perfect but who of us is???

Hi,

it always amazes me how many people who say that they believe in the bible and in god wish other people to die. Do you think that only because people have another opinion, should suffer, should be killed, or are not worth to live here? *sigh* So much hate in people how are devoted to god and the bible. Just relax.

Also, it seemed to me that most people who would have rather seen the girl died at birth said this not because she is ugly or deformed, but because she has so much suffering to endure.

It also always amazes me - and maybe somebody can explain it - that so many people would militantly fight for the survival of one life but at the same time bring death to thousands of (already adult) people by sending them to war (war what could be avoided by diplomatic means).

Greetings.

When our second daughter was born she was not breathing and my first thought was not to decide weather she should live or die. And I�m damn sure that this was not what Juliana�s parents thought either because as a parent you do everything for your kids that you can and then you do more because you love them unconditionally.

I'm not a religious person but I do believe that if it was Juliana�s time to pass on at her birth then it would have happened, but it did not and she's (thankfully) with us today. And I for one am grateful for that, because here's a little girl (an entire family really) who I have never met and likely never will, but she has touched my family's heart in a way that I could never have imagined. And we�re grateful for that.

It is not for any of us to question God.
Julianna Wetmore is being tested.
And so are all of us.

To those who will wish her death,
I will remind you of what God says about that.
'For how you judge others, so will you also be judged.
and by the same measure with which you have judged others, so will you also be judged.'

Whoever blames God for Julianna Wetmore's terrible condition, had better wake up and THINK.

God did not make her body this way.
God's image is perfect.

Has ANYONE thought to investigate the area the parents live in?
Is their home built on a toxic waste site?
Did the mother ever do drugs?

A female holds within her body AT BIRTH,
all the eggs she will ever produce in her lifetime.
That is a FACT.

If she smokes, eats foods tainted with pesticides and chemicals, uses drugs (legal or not),
her eggs can and will suffer irrepairable DAMAGE.

Was the mother healthy?
What, if any, drugs or medications did she use in her lifetime BEFORE getting pregnant?

These are just a FEW things to consider.

Julianna Wetmore is MUCH more than a 'body'.
She is a living SPIRIT, borne into this world,
and she needs HELP, and NOT criticism.

Why don't we ALL send some money to her family,
to help with the YEARS of surgeries she will need.

JULIANA WETMORE
c/o THOM AND TAMI WETMORE
P.O. BOX 65852
ORANGE PARK, FLORIDA 32065

God Bless you Juliana,
and be merciful to you,
and work in the hearts and minds of all who learn about you,
so they may HELP you.

In Jesus' precious name.
Amen.

Greetings to all. I read a great many of the comments about Juliana before coming here to post my own. Possibly a couple of bits of information are missing here?
First: The Euthanasia Question: Juliana came into the world effectively doomed, since she had no working airway, and no way to be fed. So, the doctors pushed her into life by inserting an airway & a stomach tube. If she had been left as she was, and allowed to die naturally, that would have been neither passive nor active euthanasia.
Second: Kind or Cruel? I find it interesting that she was tubed & sustained *because she had a normal brain.* Many of you have commented about cruelty or kindness, but wouldn't it be easier for a retarded person to look extremely different than a girl with a normal brain who will grow up looking radically different than all those around her?
Third: The Cost Question. (And this must be asked.) Juliana's dad claims that about $3,000,000 has already been spent on what he termed as 5% of the surgery she will eventually need. The likelihood is that Juliana will die during or shortly after one of these surgeries, after suffering through years of torment and pain. In the best-case scenario, she gets to partially close her eyes and mouth and has some kind of jaw reconstruction. Eating & drinking are beyond her, since she has no esophagus with peristalsis. She'll always need the trach to breathe and won't be able to talk. Her face--instead of remaining a "non-face"--will just be conventionally hideous.
See...I come down squarely in the middle ground in this dispute: I view quality of life as important as life. And sometimes it's simply kinder to let the deformed child go, gently and naturally, and to remember her & go on and have another child, or adopt the baby of an unwed teen who would otherwise have aborted.
"YES! Save her! Do everything you can, doc!" is not always the right way to go. It's the natural impulse of the parent...and the doctor, in cases like these, needs to step in and advise wisely against it.

JH, as I point out above (this is info from the TV documentary) it wouldn't have been necessary. She was one of those babys who will die when disconnected from the mother, if immediate action isn't taken.

I want to add that my opinion about this case is more about Juliana's quality of life rather than about her external appearance. She's someone who has limited vision and no hearing, in addition to having a messed-up face & not being able to eat and breathe without help.

It surprises me that the nice Christian woman above is so quick to suspect the mother of some sort of drug or pesticide exposure. Yes, we are all exposed to all kinds of things in our daily lives! This demonstrates her ignorance of the scientific cause of Juliana's condition: spontaneous mutation. In nature, spontaneous mutations sometimes occur, Sometimes mutations bestow an advantage, but most often mutations aren't consistant with life and/or health & are lost through miscarriage.

Since neither parent had the condition in their family, that condition arose through mutation. Continuing to reproduce IF you know that trait might show up would show genetic irresponsibility. In the case of Juliana's parents, they are blameless. They, in fact, thought that their daughter had a cleft lip & palate, an easily reparable condition.

In a short time--if God is merciful--Juliana will be gone, and there won't be any more arguing about the rightness or wrongness of dumping more money on the parents or subjecting this innocent unfortunate to more surgical torture.

I decided to write personally to a few of the people who posted here. This is an open letter to "Jenni":

(From your posting)"This may be the worst case of Treacher Collins that some doctors have ever seen, but with their help, and, yes, many surgeries, she may have a chance at a normal life."

~Unfortunately, although Juliana may have a life, it will never be normal.

"Who are you people to judge and say that Tammy Wetmore should have had an abortion when they didn't even realize the severity until she was born. Who are you to critize and call Juliana a mutant?"

~Mostly, "you people" are young guys. Tammy Wetmore probably would have aborted had she known then what she knows now. (Hindsight is 20-20!) Learn the definition of the word "criticize." Juliana is a mutant, and that's not criticism; it's not even an insult. It's a fact.

"She is a beautiful child..."

~No. She's a deformed child. No amount of self-hypnosis will make her pretty, or even average.

"...and if you can't see the beauty that lies within her you are the most shallow human being and may Karma bring you what you deserve."

~Bull. Because you pretend to think ugly is pretty, that makes you better than me? WAKE UP. I could care less about Juliana's appearance anyway, except that it will make her life hell when she's older. Her other disabilities will probably kill her anyway, after she's served as the example of "inner beauty" for liberal fools for a few years. Don't you get it? She came into the world with no esophagus & no airway. In other words, God didn't make her viable: Surgeons playing god did. Not a one stepped in and told the truth: They just took the Navy's money (our taxes) and started fixing her up. Would you do that to an animal? NO. She should have been allowed to die...as nature & God intended her to do.

"...there are many many other children and people out there who also are afflicted by Treacher Collins, and alot of them, with help have been able to carry on normal lives. It's possible. Anything is possible."

~No. Obviously, 'anything' is NOT possible, no matter how hard you believe it is. And of course, since Juliana is the worst living case of Treacher Collins in history, she can't be compared with those who have a less-severe form of the syndrome and are thus capable of 'living [somewhat] normal lives."

" What are you going to do if you have a child afflicted with such a birth defect. Would you actually call your own child a mutant? Would you not love them? Put yourself if their shoes then make your judgments."

~Yep. I would refer to my own child as a mutant. And I'd love it enough to let it die naturally. After 'putting myself in [the parents] shoes,' that's what I'd do.

hey people weather she as no future or not give her a chance at least she luks like shes enjoying life and disabled people are only kids in the brain but they are humans and still love them the same way we love our god and children and others.

kimxx

Methinks thou protesteth too much, Tosca Hidalgo Y Teran...

First of all, if you are going to refer to the Book of Books, you would have to go by what it says about the things you discuss.

So tell me, what does the Book of Books say about sin? What does it say about the way to heaven? What does it say about love? I think you would find that you actually know very little about what it says. It's easy to toss about Jesus' name as though He was tolerant of everything and everyone. I'll give you a clue. He wasn't. (But you'll have to read the Book of Books to find out specifics... I won't spoil it for you)

Regardless, I don't think I am above anyone. Those who do think they are above others are dreadfully wrong. On the contrary, I am in need of a Savior.

We are all "addicts"? It is true that many people are addicted to one sort of substance or another. May I suggest that you are an addict as well? You are addicted to your self. You are addicted to your man-made religion that provides a great deal of criticism and no answers. It's self-importance and pride... which just so happens to be the root of all sin... hmmm...

In fact, I would assert that your hostility and anger at those who DO believe in something is evidence of your very own weakness and is a desperate cry for meaning in your life and in the Universe. And that is understandable.

When you are truly ready to converse with an open mind, come back around and we'll talk without needing to personally attack.

Who can ever be sure which act would be more human, or more godly? To let the child live in pain and suffering, or to end her pain at the risk of your own soul?

A face. Oh sure the hostpitals are full of people including babies who need a trach, or stomach tube. But that face is just something the "Quality of Life" Storm Troopers cannot see past. Kill her huh? The gods of this world such as them just love death so much. Watch the videos of her and see that if they "blurred" out the face, you will see nothing different about her and other little girls. You prove your own shallow character because you cannot see a person in there. Are you fast food junkies? You must be, because if your bean burrito arrives and doesn't look like the picture over the registers, you want it thrown away. Babies to you are nothing more than a burrito that doesn't look like your preconceived perfection disorder. I just happened to come across the Aired program about Juliana, and by the time it was done, pity for her would be an insult to her. I saw a little girl who shames us all by the love she has for others and the strength she has. And sit on your God throne judging all deformities and injuries worthy of death if you like. I say euthanize the emotional deficient such as yourselves as you are emotionally damaged which is more dangerous to society than a little girl who gives hugs to everyone who walks into her presence.

For the ****4th**** time...I'm not suggesting euthanasia. (Gee...guess I just have to keep writing this until somebody actually reads my postings! lol) Yes, Firebird, I give a big, sweeping bow to your obvious intellect, your emotional stability and the respect you hold for the "sloppy burritos" of humanity (nice metaphor!) and the artistry and accuracy with which you have expressed your wise views. You have filled me with remorse and turned me around 180 degrees in my thinking!! I burn with compassion for those with no skin & no noses, for the blind and brainless, for the shrunken and senile...YES! Let's dump all our tax dollars in them, supporting an standing army of vocational nurses who go from patient to patient--as Nurse Rachett did in the play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"--switching out urine bags & IV bags!

All together now dudes: "LET'S KEEP EVERYONE ALIVE FOREVER!"

Okay, I think I've posted here enough. Bye-bye all! ;)

This child should have been euthanized immediately upon birth. Now its way too late. This case has become a posterchild for bleeding heart, irrational cretins that will put someone thru horrible pain and suffering just because they think every defective, mutant child "deserves a chance."

They have already spent 3 million dollars on this child of suffering. 3 MILLION. How much more?? And how many disadvantaged, physically normal poor children could have been helped with that money? How many normal children with lack of proper health care, etc could have survived with that money?

This is a case of the medical establishment and an irrational set of parents trying to save the day at any cost. Sometimes you need to know where to fight your battles.

You know, they could have adopted a healthy third world child instead, and put it thru college, plus five more with all that money.

Stephanie.

Juliana is not blind, and does have some hearing. She is a toddler now and is walking and climbing
tables on her own (see the website her mother put up.) She teases her Daddy, plays games... She needs ""less"" care than a quadropalegic (eg. Christopher Reed), yet you think she should be dead. Should we kill all those who cannot move from the neck down!!!????? Be fair! If you really are 13, you are too young to play God, let alone the big questions you have about Him. If you want I'd be happy to respond to questions about this big bad God you hate so much.
One last thing. Go to First Coast News website and see the videos of Juliana they post up there. As a father I can see the person inside of her. She has the right to live, and she is more valuable on this planet with her hugging people than those who
prefer to hurt others. Including those who think she should die. I'd be first to defend her life from such parasites.

I first heard about this story about a week ago when it aired on cable here in New York. I have a child of my own who is the same age as the little girl. When i first saw the show i couldn't watch the TV due to the disfuguration. A few days ago I remembered the story and looked it up on the internet. When I found it it brought tears to my eyes and I have now helped the family by sending them a contribution, it is the least I can do. I also sent links to friends and encoureged them to also send help or at the very least pray for the girl ad family so that they can have as close to a nomal life as possible.

I also just watched the Discovery show about Juliana. I am pro-choice and pro-euthenasia as well...and I have a higher power in my life. Is Juliana a mutant? A disgusting aberration? Absolutely not. Should her parents have aborted her? It was their *choice* not to, and I have to respect that. And yes, Juliana is going to have even more hurdles to face in her life -- but all she is right now is a little girl who likes to play and be cuddled and rocked. In that most fundemental way, she is normal. Juliana is certainly helping others to show their true colors -- those of us who believe she is a beautiful child who is a shining example of love or those of us who believe that she should never have been born and who now torment her for something she couldn't help. I believe -- and this is only me -- that the God of *my* understanding is about Love, and that sums up Juliana in a nutshell. That little kid is all about love.

Firebird, you better be d@mned careful what kind of blame you attach to God. Doesn't any friggin' person even know BASIC Christian doctrine any more?? No wonder kids like Stephanie think's she's "smarter" than half the posters here. Make up your minds, Christians! Is God GOOD or BAD or MIXED? Try NOT to misquote scripture.(That business about the stuttering Moses was just TOO much to ignore.)Lemme lay it out for you: God created GOOD people, in his image. They had free will. A CHOICE--revered word of today!--about whether to exercise restraint in ONE thing. In other words, they weren't clockworks or robots or dumb animals. They gave in to temptation. They now had to 1)have jobs 2)GET SICK, have pain & suffering 3)eventually die and 4)do repetitive religious rituals until Christ came along. The rest is history...

The Christian saps that claim that God is busily making deformed babys, sterile couples, cancer & AIDs just to give us "character" and test our compassion give that venerable faith a BAD NAME. You expect kids to come to Christ with that kind of message??

Sin just keeps chuggin' along. God just keeps on being 100% good. That's the theology lesson for today.

Firebird, I actually am reading your posts...but I'm making an effort to answer in a simple--not simplistic--way to your scattershot of ideas. In your long postings you tend to throw in the baby, the bathwater, the kitchen sink, a few dog turds, and a bunch of innuendo, accusations & superstitions. You obviously love metaphor. (Me too!)Your brain is a giant wad of pocket lint, and I want to write like a silver knife. In other words, I want to deal with one or two things at a time...and not screw with anyone's head to the extent that either Christianity in its pure & simple state or the fate of one innocent little girl somehow gets buried in the argument. Make sense? If you want to jump on my back & pummel me to the ground verbally, go ahead: I'm a grownup & can take it.

I want to share a personal story: My brother's first son never took a breath. Apparently the cord looped around his neck and cut off the blood to his brain, and after he was severed from it...no life there. Suppose that in another place & time--and this is conceivable--they just stuck him on a respirator and stuck in a gastric tube. Speed ahead 14 years: he's either in the grave, in heaven, or lying in a hospital bed unresponsive for 14 years. I don't know...what's best here? For Sam? (That was his name.) Or for his parents? You mourn your son now, or you mourn his condition for years to come...

Another personal story: I have a friend who was born prematurely 45 years ago. As a result of the oxygen he received to keep him alive, he's blind. And he's obese...and gay. And, highly intelligent and suffering from intense loneliness on top of everything else. Suppose all else was equal, but he had an IQ of 50. Would he be more, or less contented? I think: more. That's why I suggested that Juliana might have had a happier life if she had been retarded; unable to fully grasp her differentness. That's why I think those in the medical community need to be cautious about the "big brain = human & worthy of extreme measures" equation. Looked at from a conventional hedonistic standpoint, "big brain + severe disability = misery." Looked at from a purely Christian standpoint, "infant death = enters arms of Jesus." There's no room for a "god with a swastika armband" in there...this discussion has NEVER been about the possibility of eliminating all differences, defects & distinctions from the human race. This is a discussion about the ethical implications of sustaining the most damaged among us.

I want to add this thought. I rather bemusedly find myself "going to bat for Jesus" here...and yet I admit I'm on the razor's edge. If I divest myself of Christianity, I fall into moral equivalency...an odious possibility. I still believe in an objective, external standard of right & wrong. If I adhere to the orthodoxy, I currently have the choice between 1) social-club churchifier 2) anti-science, Bible thumpin'laughingstock or 3) a liberal mini-christette singing KumBaYa in a congregation presided over by a chubby lesbian. (Well, I expect this is a bit unfair! Sorry. My real problem is the conflict between modern science & creationism.) I'm sctatchin' my head over this as we speak.

May I say that we need to be educated on what Christianity is, and what it is not? And that C.S. Lewis' _Mere Christianity_, as elegant and accurate as that book is, is not necessarily the place to go for that information? I think we need--in our own time--a larger, longer, more complex & complete scope, such as the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee's "Thru the Bible" radio program. Christianity is like a large, complex jigsaw puzzle in which every piece fits perfectly, and it stretches from the beginning of time into eternity. Grand exposition is what's called for...

If we somehow bypass that...That's where troubles arise. Ethical & moral problems are never easy to decide. I've posted for years at a Conjoined Twins group, and we discuss the ethics of twin separation, sometimes of the head-joined. (Where separation might mean damaging the brain.)

I think it's easy NOT to "step into the shoes" of those afflicted in cases like these: To remain in a rarified state of objectivity. But the fact is that any of us could become disabled as Chris Reeve did, or we might have a disabled baby or grandchild, or we might be diagnosed with Altzheimer's or cancer...so it's a good thing to think about and sort our feelings about these matters in advance of our own catastrophies. Possibly so we can behave with thoughtful compassion rather than thoughtless haste?

Any other thoughts on these matters?

Firebird, for the 5th time, I'm not advocating euthanizing Juliana, or anyone else. I have never approved, nor will I *ever* advocate here or elsewhere euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide. Also, I'm not "passing judgment" on Juliana or saying her life is worthless. It's possible you have my postings confused with the MANY mentions of euthanasia here. The most I'm doing is wondering what the quality of Juliana's life will be when she fully realizes her state. And do I need to say, I'm incapable of "knocking on their door and killing her?" I don't actually think I'd be able to kill anyone.

I consider this a side issue, and of minor importance, but far more money is going to be spent on Juliana than on any quad.

You refer to my suggesting we "play God to the damaged." Wrong. I'm suggesting just the opposite! I'm suggesting that when a person comes into the world dying because of some horrendous defect, we allow that person to die. In Juliana's case, that would have happened almost instantaneously, since she had no airway. I don't suggest that course of action because of cruelty or a lack of compassion or unconscious nazism...I suggest it because sometimes overenthusiastic doctors "playing God" make a situation worse rather than better. In Juliana's case they can keep her alive & running around, but they can't give her an esopahgus, breathing apparatus or a face.

Comparing Helen Keller & John Merrick to Juliana makes no sense to me. Both survived their birth without anything special being done. Juliana was born doomed. Doctors forced her into life.

Incidentally, I've never called Juliana a "waste" or a "parasite" either. Please don't put words in my mouth. I would never call any child a "waste" or a "parasite." Think of how the parents would feel if they saw those unkind words up here...

I really DO want to be careful to respond to things YOU are actually writing. For example, I have a problem with this statement:

"Since there are no 'perfect' bodies or brains, we have no standard which will not render this self righteous race hypocrites."

(I'm assuming you refer to the "human race" here.) Now what you're saying is that the human race creates a graded standard of valuation for its members, and then doesn't adhere to that standard. (Hypocrasy) But I think what you actually mean here is that all persons are--in terms of value--equal, but that the human race arbitrarily decides that certain members have more value than others. Do I have that right?

My feeling about the above statement is this: Yes, human beings have the exact same value in a spiritual sense, in the eyes of God. However, in the human realm we do all sorts of positive things to change the _conditions_ of human beings, such as removing kidney stones and straightening teeth, which of course DOES imply a "judgment" that not having kidney stones and having straight teeth are both something positive.

We also often make decisions about people before they exist. For example, we might take vitamins & refrain from alcohol, smoking, and go on a diet before getting pregnant, in order to prevent low birthweight or mental defect in the fetus. (That implies a judgment that normal birthweight & brain development are preferable outcome to low birthweight & mental defect.)

And, we routinely make judgments at the end of life, deciding how long to allow braindead patients to remain on life support, or writing "advanced directives" for ourselves, or deciding how far to go in treating our own terminal illness. (Doctors can often provide helpful advice about these matters.)

So the point I'm making is that not all standards of evaluation ("judgments")are wrong or negative. I'm sure that Juliana's parents would far rather she had been born with a face than without, and they're obviously trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Why be angry about another person having a different opinion than yours? People disagree all the time. We're adults & can discuss matters civilly.

This is interesting, Firebird: The more logical, organized, and cool my replies get, the more misspelled and personally insulting yours become. (Just something I noticed.)

I'm not claiming to be an expert on anything here, including Christianity, although I have a good grounding in basic Christian doctrine. You claim to have been involved in "cult ministry" for a number of years, but some of the Biblical stuff you use gives me some doubt:

1) You say: "Even Moses said to send someone else and God was angry because he wanted Moses, the man he was, imperfect to the rest of the world. God told him "Don't I make the blind, deaf, and stutterers?" This is not an admission of guilt, this is a statement of law that ALL with disablities are still in Gods Image!"

This Bible passage in its context (it seems to me) has nothing to do with people with disabilities reflecting the Image of God, but has to do with Moses _trusting in God for the words he needed to say._ (Obviously God hasn't disabilities, since God is spirit.)You get into a real conundrum when you start identifying every condition with the "Image of God." For one thing, it leaves sin & it's effects on the world out of the picture.

2) Then, in the next post, you attempt to "clarify" for me: "The Moses comparison was ONLY to show we are ALL in God's image, defects and all and that despite the consequences that the Fall in the Garden had on mankind, he is determined to fulfill his promise to us which was never taken away... to be fruitful and multiply."

Now you've skipped from the Image of God topic to confusing a _promise_ with a _command_ ("Be fruitful and multiply.") to taking the promise out of its context (pre-Fall) and placing it in modern times, where it may--or may not--apply! That can be a dangerous mistake, otherwise we'd still be out there wiping out Philistines & wearing philacteries. Some Biblical commands--as well as certain promises--sometimes apply to certain people in certain times. That's not a liberal or a revisionist view of Scripture. That's an accurate view.

The second problem I have with that statement is "Be fruitful & multiply" has no business in this discussion. If we were debating clerical celibacy or the moral merits of family planning, yes. In a discussion of extreme medical measures, no. I hope I'm being clear?

3) Again, let me cut & paste your own words in here: "You say that if someone is born and may need medical intervention at birth
they should be let to die."

No, that's an exaggerated charicature put in here to make me look bad. I didn't write that. In fact, in my last note I presented many examples of medical intervention at every stage of life that are perfectly okay. The reason I did that is that I had been accused by you of "judging" and I wanted to show how commonplace medical judgment is. (Of course the kind of judging I was being accused of by you was something especially mean & cruel, as usual.) Preemies should indeed be placed in incubation & given oxygen, cleft lips & palettes should be repaired, clubbed feet straightened, etc. Where you & I disagree is on when intervention should take place: You advocate making the naturally nonviable viable, and I say allow the nonviable to die. People who have read my postings aren't going to let you get away with misquoting me...because--ain't forums grand!--my words are right up there for all to read!

Now I'd like to cut & paste all the insulting & aggressive statements you've levelled at me in the past few days:

1)...such a disgrace to the idea of facts
2)Your theology is not only repulsive to the reality of Christian faith, it happily only belongs to you.
3)As is the habit you have, you misread and misrepresent.
4) ...your vision of God on his throne with a swastika band on his arm
5) What a pathetic excuse you are of a human being...
6) You make me sick, even athiests I know have more fortitude for our race.
7) ...your hypocrisy...
8) ...your trumpet parade of blithering...
9) ...you can unpack the assisted suicide van as I don't think she will be your next customer. However, keep a needle handy for YOURSELF...
10) The idea to suggest, kill Juliana before a quadropalegic (sic)is emblamed (sic) with stupidity. Make me understand how your right to judge Juliana a waste OVERULES her choice to live, or even her present 'will' to live.
11) ...you think you could ring their doorbell and suggest kill(sic) her?
12) You have your own created view of God and Christianity..
13) You must really be messed up.
14)you say it would be better for her to never reach that point of deciding [to live]

(My comment on that last point is, yes, the doctors should have kept their paws off Juliana and let her decide whether to live or die. She certainly would have rapidly decided about that for herself!)

Geez man...hope you're not as rough as that on people you have disagreements with in your everyday life!

You also include this howler in one of your posts:
"We are not worthy to judge any man woman or child's life as inferior quality."
Well, Firebird, I'm sorry, but I'd rather be smart than retarded...I'd rather be sighted than blind. I'd rather Juliana had been born a perfect little girl in every way. And I don't think we'll be eliminating capital punishment from the earth--the inferior quality of murderers' lives being what they are!--any time soon.

Love ya lots, ya big ol' ball of pocket lint!!

Man, you're an angry piece of work!

Once again , after I've pointed out Scriptural misinterpretation, you say it's a "waste of time" to correct me...and yet you DO correct me, pointing out that passage I had already looked up, and--obvious to me, and to everyone else who can read--it has to do with "Moses as spokesperson." He has doubts because of some sort of speech impediment, but God says (I paraphrase here!)"I'll pop the words to say into your head, you whisper to Aaron and Aaron will enunciate them in his mellifluous tones!" "So it's: "TRUST ME already! I'LL give you the words!" So the passage is about Moses' self-doubts, and God's reassurance of His trustworthiness in a touchy situation where sophisticated articulation is called for. (I get it right this time??)Well, enough about Moses...

I am SO friggin' careful about misquoting YOU that I patched your own words into my last message!

I mentioned capital punishment simply because I wanted to use the word "judge" in it's correct sense here, for once. Instead of it being about my opinion of what constitutes quality of life, I wanted it to refer back to an actual situation in which we DO judge & condemn a person for having an "inferior quality of a life." (The morally inferior quality of a life spent murdering people.)

The word "quality" is not, in itself, a simple word, either, incidentally. (See _Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance_)

I have news for you that I'm sure you won't believe (since you don't seem to believe any thing else I say!) I thank my lucky stars I've never had anyone "call Helden(and)see if this kid should die right here and now." That would be my worst nightmare. Since I've had so many motivations ascribed to me lately, let ME throw one into the mix: Doctors pull through hopeless cases so they don't get slapped with lawsuits. They keep people on life support too long, inflate prognoses, and do unnecessary C-sections for the same reason.

I sense that after _every one_ of my postings (no matter what I say!)you have the urge to want to try to shove me bodily into the "Cubby of Facial Prejudice" where you can shake your head with sad contempt at my shallowness! SORRY...When I see THAT game comin' it JUST WON'T WORK FOR YOU! As I said in an earlier posting: Juliana's appearance is the LEAST of her problems. The list of her real problems you left here is incomplete...

Her own Daddy says that only 5% of the necessary work has been done on her.

This is so fun...I just love doing this!
Surf on, dude.
HK

I kinda sense you're running out of steam here...which is too bad. The Moses business wasn't too important: anyone who wants to can look up the passage, right?

I was considering introducing two tie-ins to what we've been discussing. I think that when guidelines are clear--where, in a newborn, there is clear viability & health in site if some action is taken, or inevitable death (as is the case with one-heart conjoined twins) it's easier for the doctors to make the "right" decision.

Actually, today I was thinking about butterfly ballots, hanging chads and the 2000 Presidential Election. As long as one candidate has a clear margin of victory, the ballots worked fairly, since an election decision is "win/lose." But when the margin was small, then the balloting system became controversial...because then a highly accurate count was needed to determine the outcome. A lot of medical decisions aren't based on a clear distinction between right & wrong action. They occur in a gray area. They're based on quick decisions and making sure to cover yourself & your medical team. The decision to gastric tube Juliana was based on the brain scan. As I watched the TV program I felt a frisson of dread when that nurse chirped "There's a brain in there!" because I knew what was happening from that moment on. If there hadn't "been a brain in there" or if there had been a partial brain, she wouldn't have been gastric tubed. The respect and preservation for _that_ kind of baby wouldn't have been there in that delivery room! In modern parlance: brain = human. Of course the analogy's not perfect...but when deciding the "election" in medical gray areas, doctors try to "err in the direction of life." (What you and others call "Give her a chance to live!") Which is, I expect, what they generally should do. If only for their own protection.

I've also been recently re-reading one of Stephen J. Gould's books of essays, _The Dinosaur & the Haystack_. One of the essays is about Mary Shelly's famous story, _Frankenstein_. (This has been done up in the movies several times, but Gould went back to the original source, a detailed philosophical novel.) In the essay he concludes that Dr Frankenstein's sin lies not in "playing God" (choice of the theatrical versions!) but in rejecting his creation because of it's repellent ugliness. Frankenstein, intending to create a more perfect human being has chosen beautiful forms and features, but when combined & reanimated the result is a charicature of beauty: huge, pallid-eyed, black-lipped. The monster begins it's new life with the best of intentions, eager to learn and to contribute in some positive way to individuals and to human society. It turns to evil and ultimately rejects human society and life itself only after being cruelly rejected, harmed and driven away wherever it trys to settle. It's creator, who might have supported and encouraged it, and introduced it to the world, turns his back. Thus Mrs Shelly vividly depicts the world's prejudice against ugliness and deformity.

This relates in an interesting way to what we've been discussing here. Societies on the whole tend to become more accepting of diversity over time: people with "harelip" and near-sightedness were routinely rejected as mates in the Renaissance. In our society Disability Rights legislation see-saws in the direction of acceptance of, and accomodating the disabled by the able-bodied. When we get to the point that too many people are inconvenienced, the cost accelerates, and we see diminishing returns of satisfaction of the disabled themselves, society will see-saw back, and the emphasis will gradually change to conforming the disabled to the normal model to whatever degree possible.

I did want to mention, in conclusion, that what we've been attempting here is somewhat like what the Dalai Lama was raised doing, and what Tibetan monks do for fun and edification to this day: recreationally debating fine points of the Dharma in a public place before an audience. Village spectators gather round and applaud the ones who can make their point with cleverness and elegance. I most enjoy the kind of dispute that doesn't devolve into a flame war or whine fest.

i dont matter what u look like its how u feel and and act you are still a sweet little girl and people love you
peaCe & lOve sIsta

I watched a documentary this summer about Juliana and because I had some free time on my hands I decided to do a google search and follow up on the issue. And this is what I come across. Frankly, I don't see why this forum even exists. This little girl has gone through a hell of a lot, as have her parents, and people are discussing whether she should be killed because they claim that she is a mutant? Perhaps it seems contradictory of me to be posting a comment in a forum whose mere existence I resent, but I just thought I'd let you know what I think. She's a human being, stop talking about her as though she were some kind of freak. I am a firm atheist and, as are some other people on this forum, I'm fed up with those "die-hard" Christians and their ridiculous dogmas. So I'm not approaching this from a religious point of view AT ALL. Personally, in Juliana's mother's shoes, if I had known about the condition, I would have aborted, because you can't depend on anything in this world to bring that child through life like everyone else. However difficult it is to admit, there is, and always will be, a lot of hate and pain in this world. And inevitably, Juliana is going to suffer a great deal. But as it is, the complication was not foreseen and her parents chose to deal with it in their own way. If they can be optimistic that's fine. But bringing that child into a world where she is inevitably going to be subject to hate and discrimination is a huge burden on Juliana's shoulders. If she can pull through all that then she deserves a great deal of admiration. If she can't, then I don't see how her parents will be able to deal with it. They made a choice, and Juliana is going to suffer a great deal as a result of that. I've seen how much pain she's been through in surgery - having her scalp peeled off her head is just one ordeal - and she's suffering a great deal more than she would have done if she'd been aborted. But all that is not for us to judge. If she can face everything she's inevitably going to go through in her life then that's great, but unlikely.

Welcome to the discussion, Nadia, if you're still here...

I don't know how far people get reading down the whole forum. I think maybe Firebird & I are the only ones who have read all the messages, & I'm not even sure about him. I suspect most people never get through more than 10 or 20 postings before the ol' attention deficit kicks in...

Anyhow, we may disagree, since I think forums on controversial topics such as this one are okay. Nobody has to read or participate if the subject is boring or offensive. Of course, the importance of opinion can be overestimated. (Opinions are like belly buttons: Everybody has one, right?)But when I read down a forum archive I feel I'm getting a crossection of current opinion on a topic. It's not anything scientific, but that's why I like forums: They give me a peep in.

More than 75% of Americans claim to be Christian believers. Whether or not these people practice their faith is another matter, but in fact Christians live as the counterculture majority in a highly secularized, materialistic, consumerist society. In the Christian community there's emphasis placed on a person's beliefs being consistant with words and actions and so, since life is viewed as sacred, Christians take a strong pro-life stance in forums. Personally, I've seen little "ridiculous dogma" discussed in here. Some over-optimism and sentimentalizing...but that occurs regularly anywhere. People just love that stuff.

I'm not as certain as you seem to be that Juliana--in the unlikely event that she survives to adulthood--would be the object of "hate and descrimination" any more than any other disabled person would be. She's "famous;" her disabilities are on the outside for all to see, and she's so far off in the skew of appearance as to almost be considered a new variety of human being. There's a certain fascination in watching her. But that appearance and the medical conditions will necessitate a rather isolated life. If they can't get her eyes aligned better, she may be able to express herself with signs, but not read signs from others so well. That would limit things for her quite a bit.

Subjecting her to years & years of painful surgery is another matter which should not be minimized in importance. It will be paid for; the parents will be contributing their time and care, and if Juliana doesn't survive, they will believe that they have "done the best they can." I think they'll survive just fine. Thousands of people will email them with notes of moral support, bad theology ("She's now a little angel watching over us all!!")and claims that Juliana was "their hero." Then the talk show circuit. Then working for visibility & treatment of of Treacher-Collins Syndrome. Then ghost writers wanting to write their story. Between caring for their other children and all that stuff, they'll hardly have time to mourn.

Wow, i was not expecting what i have just read. I had just watched the program about Julianna and wanted to know more about her. While i was watching I was first repulsed, then thought let nature takes its course. Stop the tube feeds, surgeries...then i saw Julianna playing. I saw her from the back in her diaper, her little body resembling my 18month old daughters...i saw the love her parents amd family have for her. Walk in their shoes before you judge. Many times in my life i have changed long held opinions based on new circumstances and expeirence. I would have given up after my second surgery if i knew the pain and suffering and loss i was to endure over the next 10 yrs. But I had a new born baby to fight for and so i did. So today i am healthy attractive and mom to another child. We make decisions in our lives based on what we are dealing with. To second guess anyones reasons or be critical of them is pure ignorance. Human life has no $ value attached to it. In retrospect maybe the family will regret providing the essentials of life when their daughter was born, but more likely they will not....and who better to deserve all the advances in medical technology then an innocent child. I suppose we should according to some on this site terminate care for alcholics, smokers and over eaters and their associate medical needs, or the person that falls asleep at the wheel and has an accident. Anyone who can not feel for this child has no heart. Further more look up others who have had this condition....and corrective surgeries. They are far more beautiful then some of the people posting here.

No mention of a website for the family, or any organization that will handle donations for them. I'm sure they'll need the money. The sad part is that like Jacqui Saburido, people don't see much past appearances, but the good part is that both children have parents that never give up.

Re: Termination of the pregnancy.
At 16 wks I was told my son would likely be born with Spina bifida. Being a nurse I knew the surgeries and life my child would have to deal with. However the mother in me could not believe my baby was not perfect. I went on to have a c-section and a perfect baby. Divine intervention???? NOt likely, a classic example of the imperfections of technology...most likely.

A friend of mine, in her early twenties, non smokers, healthy was not told until her 7 month that her second baby was severely disabled..way beyond the time that an option for abortion could be made....why..her DR was antiabortion.
Life is about personal choices, yes relgion, culture and education all factor into our choices. But our choices are our own not anyone elses. Whatever choice to be made were Julianna's parents as long as they were not breaking any of society's laws I see no reason to second guess or critisize them. In my 20 yrs of nursing I have watched people battle cancer and other life threatening diseases way beyond the point of what I think I could tolerate. Some would give up the instant they heard terminal cancer. Some would die horrible painful deaths, ours would die with grace and dignity which would bring tears to my eyes. What i have seen is they often die the way we lived.
One family of a man who had cardiac arrested at home and was now on life support spent 2 days, 24 hrs of my life as I worked on him letting me know him as a person, sharing stories, a published family history with pictures. He was not merely a brain dead person on life support but a son, husband, father grandfather, and friend. Do not lose site of the fact that Julianna is a human being with feelings and needs. To hear what has been posted here about her is insensitive and cruel. I think the last post someone wrote is heartfelt and honest. She should have been allowed to die at birth and avoid all the suffering and pain. THe rest, the insults, criticisms, and ignorance are unwarrented. But this is a free society so speak your will.....but do not wonder why some will judge your basic human nature by what you write.
I am just thankful I do not have to make the decisions her parents made. I am not sure i could...the nurse in me says terminate....the mother in me believes in miricales.....the cynic in me doubts i could care for such a profoundly handicapped child.

Weather God exists or doesn't isn't the question. Does it really affect the outcome? The lesson here is that therre are people in this world who have enough love for someone like Julianna. And if you do not have that amount of love in your heart, well then I guess you're going to be here for awhile until you do.

"Thom says the plans now are to return to Miami in the fall. Her doctor there may try a new procedure using new bone protein, something, Thom says, that's recently been approved.

The goal would be to promote bone growth in her lower jaw. She was born missing more than half the bones in her face. And some of the bone structure she does have is quite fragile."

How can he love her unconditionally and alter her being? The higher power didn't create us along with surgery. The higher power created her as is, and if they had respect for God they would have respect for what he made.

When did human life become so valuable? Christians once believed that humans were insignificant and that only the afterlife mattered. Now humans believe that life is valuable no matter what state it's in. Even if the person is 91 yrs old, in a coma and on a ventilator, just as long as they're alive, that's all that matters, who cares if they can't experience it. At least this girl can experience life, to some degree, and her parents should be thankful for all that she is. We're all mutations, that's why we don't all look alike.

wow! it's amazing. i wish i could say more. but i can't put my feelings into words. i Can't believe how much the doctors have done for juliana. Her parents Tami and Tom have put there lifes on hold. I honour you guys. I'm going to try and raise money for Juliana, how i'm not sure yet. but i'll figure out something.

You know, for the time I've been reading these posts, it is truly an enlightening experience to see
those who cannot see a person behind the face Juliana was born with. Angie, on Oct 23, hit it right on the nail, which is scarce in these posts. From behind, you see a NORMAL playing young girl. Just as I said earlier, blur out the face, and what difference can you see in her mobility? Again, the challenge I submit is which item deserves Juliana for one of you to kill her... [1] a Trach [2] a Feeding Tube [3] "Reconstructive surgery [4] a face

She is of LITTLE burden compared to people crippled from the neck down!!!!! She needs a trach, but need not be hooked to a breathing machine, and 2 surgeries are coming to help open the airway. She doesn't object to the feeding tube, she's pretty doggone healthy looking. Reconstructive surgery is to take bones from other areas to construct the missing skull bones and to give sockets to the eyes. The TV special also indicated that hopes of her eating normally AND a voice are possible. She is not totally deaf, and can see quite well. So, therefore, we are back to that face as her crime. I think her hugging everyone who enters her presence is a good start to help people see past it, and see her. Again I ask which is her crime?! Oh, and if funding is a problem, why bother spending $100s of dollars PER PILL for AIDS treatments, let 'em waste and die right? People who are not mobile at all slow us all down and nurses who could help the sick get well putsy around the doomed to chairs. The problem I submit is with those of you who are void of the knowledge we are a human race who until the Second Coming will continue having deformed and 'burdensome' offspring. Humanity is more than a designation, it is a condition. I say come down from the killing-spree mentality. A better human race is more than just 'live and let live', I say 'live and help others live'.

I recently watched this story on the TLC channel. When I saw this little girl, it broke my heart. Then suddenly, when I saw her play and embrace her parents, it was like there was nothing wrong with her. She is basically a healthy little girl besides her face and her digestive habits. I say anyone that says this little girl shouldn't live needs to have their head examined! She was put here to change the world, and to change lives. She sure changed mine forever. God bless the Wetmore family, and thank you for loving her.

Gwen,
You're right on with your description about what you
observed in the TV special about Julianna. I see a little girl there too. Her dad, when she was born, said he went to see her to let her know she wasn't alone, and that he loved her. He said she squeezed his finger and he broke down. Sadly, some here could have cared less if she were left to die in a bucket because of the way she looks. What little gods they all are to be able to see 75+ years of her life, judge it a waste, and be able to say, snuff her out. I find it a futile exercise to try to reason with some here that we all share in humanity which unfortunately is not perfect in reproduction sometimes, but that is a 'person' that is born. Her dad says she has hands of a pianist, and feet of a ballerina, judging by the picture her mother took, she is quite a climber too!! I find it repulsive myself that if any of these judgers walked into Julianna's presence, she'd want to hug them, while they would look at her and tell her 'you should have been left to die when you were born.' Yet, the problems she has are no consequence to them, but the shallow cannot see the girl behind the face. Yes, 2005, and we still need to tolerate the ignorant.

Brandy,

That has been my defense of Julianna. She is of little burden, climbs around, needs to have her food connected to her when needed, has a Trach in her throat to breathe. Should she have had a 'normal' face, needing a trach and food tube, these enemies of Julianna would have had no problem. There are operations scheduled to open the trach more for easier breathing. My stand is that she was worth giving the one shot at life. And, currently, is just as entitled to medical assistance like anyone else who is actually in worser states than her. I say those who want to initiate an apocalypse on the struggling for life, are the ones who need 'termination', not a little girl loving people in the world who cross her path. Nothing about her body warrants death either now or at birth. And seeing her tease her daddy, hug people, play like a normal kid, there certainly is nothing wrong with her mentality either. Go to First Coast News and see the videos and articles they have on her. This kid rocks.

Yeah, in 2005 we have to put up with the illiterate, too. (I guess FB thinks "apocalypse" means "massacre" or "holocaust"? It doesn't.)

"What little gods they all are to be able to see (sic) 75+ years of her life, judge it a waste, and be able to say, (sic) snuff her out."

We're not exactly sure who "they" refers to here. Firebird loves to use the word "judge," and to jump to the completely unfounded conclusion that there's *a huge mass of people here* gloating over the prospect of not only killing Juliana, but eliminating everyone with differences, inside and out, and standardizing everyone's appearance. Once again: NOPE. That hasn't happened in this forum. A few of us didn't think heroic measures should have been made to save that particular nonviable kid. And that's about it.

FB ALWAYS focusses on appearance...everyone who has disagreed with him has focussed on cost, viability, and Juliana's ultimate quality of life. I'm tired of all the rest of us being accused of "facial prejudice" by FB. Everybody who disagrees with him gets the same pejorative treatment: He creates straw men (look THAT phrase up) and says that they deserve to burn...

In all the time I've been posting to forums since 1999, I've never met anyone online more convinced of the unremittently evil motivations of humanity in general. Congratulations, FB. You take the cake.

At the same time, he's practically deified the kid. Every time he mentions her, his terms get more far-out. I'm expecting him next to claim Juliana will sprout wings & a halo, be assumed into the air in a celestial nimbus, and shower the blessings of facial justice and world peace onto us benighted multitudes!

Does it bother any one of you--even a little bit--that FB thinks YOU deserve death if you disagree with him? He's a black-hearted SOB.

"That is why I believe God does these things, to test perserverence and to give the world something. Nothing is without purpose."

So God intentionally tortures people? Wow. Too bad there's no way to test people or give people something that doesn't involve making little girls suffer.

Maybe there was a scientific explanation for this and not some fairy tale one? Nah, there always have to be gods and devils and whatnot involved to explain the unexplainable. Do the trees have spirits in them too? Are the storm gods angry at us, sending all these hurricanes?

You're right, Poopycock.
There is a scientific explanation which was included in the program about Juliana: Random genetic mutation producing Treacher-Collins Syndrome in it's most extreme form. As far as the Wetmores knew, that was the first appearance of TCS in either side of their family.

There are some good Treacher-Collins websites, and I encourage you or anyone else curious to look them up and see what people living with more moderate degrees of the syndrome usually look like.

These are the places I've been reading since the Juliana documentary came out:

http://www.tcconnection.org/

http://www.treachercollins.co.uk/

http://www.treachercollins.org/main.html

http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/nord647.asp?src=Inktomi&condition=healthwise

http://www.cleftline.org/publications/treacherCollins.htm

http://www.meritcare.com/hwdb/showTopic.asp?pd_hwid=nord647 (** An excellent description of the syndrome & its causes.)

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/children/services/cleft/health/anomalies/treacher.html

Megan--and others interested--follow up on these links to get the big picture. I hope this is of help to you in writing your report!(Personally, I enjoyed "Amie's Site" best: She seems like such an upbeat and interesting person.)