The move entitled “A Private Matter” is a 1992 movie based from a real life 1962 story of

Sherri Finkbine. She got into a huge controversy due to her abortion on her 5th child because
it was medically recommended.

Sherri Finkbine is from Phoenix, Arizona and was a popular host on a locally
produced children’s television show Romper Room. She was not yet aware of her pregnancy
when she took a pills called thalidomide. This pills had a serious effect to her pregnancy
which will result her child to be born with a lot of deformities. She consulted this to her
physician and scheduled a legal, therapeutic abortion at the Good Samaritan Hospital in
Phoenix. Sherri feels guilty about this and doesn’t know what to think or do anymore.
Abortion was illegal in Arizona in the 1960s, but exceptions were made if the mother’s life
was at risk, and under this exception, abortions were performed in hospitals regularly. Sherri
and her husband scheduled an operation/ abortion, but when the story got into the media, it
created a huge controversy and got their privacy wrecked. Sherri shared her story to an
acquaintance who work for the Arizona Republic and promised her to not expose their
names. Her main purpose is to warn other women about the danger of the drug thalidomide to
avoid what she have experienced. Her identity was exposed, however, and her private
decision was soon subjected to public scrutiny. The movie showed the harassment the family
went through and how they fought and sought for the abortion services. The hospital refused
the use of their facilities for an abortion so Finkbine chose to gone to Sweden to perform the
therapeutic abortion. After that incident they got two more children but Sherri did not have
her job back.

I believe that people are not favor about the family’s decision but for me we have to
respect it. The child could be born with a lot of deformities and will not live a normal life.
The doctor already said that this child would have maintenance for the rest of his/ her life.
The family itself said that they could not afford to do the maintenance and could not afford to
look their own child suffers. Sometimes children with deformities got into depressions and
would think of them wanting to die. They would question why they were still born when they
have to suffer for their whole lives. This part I may not agree of killing the fetus but I
understand where the family is coming from and we have to respect it. It may be associated
with “euthanasia” – the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering.

This story have taught us life lessons. It showed us how tough this situations when it
comes to decision makings. Beliefs, morals, values are weighing when it comes to this
situations. As a future health care worker someday, this truly gives us a hit to what we must
do when it comes to situations like this. It is not easy to have a decision such as abortion,
because it involves killing the fetus/ baby. In the Ten Commandments it is included there the
statement “Thou shalt not kill”, therefore this acts conflicts mainly in Religion and its morals
and values. When it comes to medically related situations, Religion should be respected and
considered too, that’s what makes this matter more difficult.

In medically related matters, there is this thing called therapeutic abortion. Even if
abortion is against the law, its illegal, it becomes legal when it is medically recommended.
When pregnancy puts the mother at risk, or a life threatening to an individual it can be
considered as legal abortion. When it is a doctor’s advice and it would benefit a lot in the
health of the individual, it is legally okay in the law of people. But in the law of God, it is a
very wrong action, it is a mortal sin and we have nothing to fight against it.

Patients’ has its right to be informed. I do not like the part of the movie where the
doctor have to talk to the husband in private without the patient around. Patient is physically
and mentally able therefore she should know everything first, unless she cannot do so, that is
where a family member have to do it. I believe that the action of the doctor and the husband
was not right at this matter. The doctor should’ve explained everything to the patient while a
family member/ husband is around to support her. This is a very tough truth and decision to
make for the patient that’s why I strongly adore how the involved family handles the situation
very well, even if it’s not perfect but they overcome it. I adore how strong they are in facing
the situations and how strong their family is in fighting with struggles.

We may encounter challenges and would struggle a lot. But we have to be strong
always because everything happens for a reason. Negative happening gives us lessons in life
while positive happenings gives us happiness. Every happenings we always gain something.
Therefore we should not let s