Not All Heroes Wear Uniforms

Lorraine Allard of St. Olaves in the UK is a HERO! She sacrificed her life to that of another. She wasn’t wearing a set of cammies with a bullet proof vest and helmet. She wasn’t wearing a doctor or nurse or paramedic uniform either. She wasn't a police officer or firefighter.

Lorraine Allard was a MOM and a wife. Her uniform in her last days was either her regular clothes or a hospital gown or something appropriate for her circumstances.

Lorraine Allard is as much a hero as any one else that made the ultimate sacrifice so that someone else could live.

Lorraine Allard gave her life so that her son could be born.

When she was four months pregnant she discovered that she was in the advanced stages of liver cancer. This gave her two choices: either forego cancer treatment and certainly die or terminate the pregnancy.

She chose to forego the cancer treatment that may or may not have saved her life so that her unborn child would be able to live. She then waited until her baby was old enough to be viable before scheduling her Caesarean section.

That was a selfless, courageous act!

I would like to think I would make a decision like that if I was ever faced with circumstances that required it. I hope I never have to find out. My wife and I have discussed this many times during the pregnancies that gave us our beautiful children.

Abortion was not an option for us. And that was not a decision that we came to lightly, but we arrived there very quickly. I thank God we never had to make that choice.

But Lorraine Allard, 33, did have to make the choice. And she chose to sacrifice her own life to let her fourth child, a son - their first - she and her husband named Liam, live. Liam was born on November 18th, 2007 and was a week premature.

Exactly two months later, Lorraine Allard died. She had begun chemotherapy but by then it was too late. The cancer was too advanced.

Lorraine Allard is a HERO! I only hope that if I ever have to, I can be as courageous as she was. I hope I never have to be.

And I am going to start a section on my blog to acknowledge Lorraine and other heroes out there. In keeping with the theme of the blog, Dirty Martini, I will call it the 5 Olives Award!

May God Bless Lorraine Allard and her family. She is a TRUE HERO.

A-6Dude