Issue Position: Sanctity of Life

Issue Position

Issue Position: Sanctity of Life

As a practicing physician, I have dedicated much of my life to protecting the sanctity of life at all of its stages. I have had the privilege of delivering more than 4,000 babies in my career. I also have faced the challenge of helping many terminal patients approach the end stages of life with dignity and peace.

My experience as a physician has affirmed my conviction that all human life is sacred and that life begins at conception. I oppose abortion in all cases, with the lone and rare exception of when the life of the mother is endangered. I also oppose physician assisted suicide and human cloning.

Regarding stem cell research, I support the use of stem cells that are not harvested from fetuses or embryos. To date, embryonic and fetal stem cells have never been successfully used in clinical applications with human patients. Thankfully, advances in science have shown that adult stem cells and stem cells from human umbilical cord-blood can be used for research in place of fetal stem cells.

In fact, nearly 100 diseases and medical conditions are being successfully treated with these types of stem cells. As a doctor and two-time cancer survivor, I can empathize with those who await the discovery of such cures that might one day be derived from stem cell research.

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