If I were in our son’s condition, paralyzed since 2006 and subject to recurring pneumonias and even more grave infections and invasive procedures, I have often thought how depressed I would be.

As anyone who knows him would tell you, the light in Jeremy’s eyes, seen here, may be a little brighter than usual, having just come off multiple days of more intubation after a breathing crisis, but the animated light of his eyes is never altogether gone. Jeremy still loves life. He loves his staff and his family who have never ceased circling the wagons around him since the time of his first crisis, and giving him regular care, entertainment, encouragement and love. Everybody loves Jeremy.

We live in the state of Massachusetts where almost anyone can get an abortion with few questions asked or costs incurred. As Catholic human beings we disapprove of this. But we must acknowledge that this kind of secular quasi- socialism has never begrudged our son a single cent. Nor have they urged us to put him out of his alleged misery as his original doctors did, doubtless with good intentions.

Not ever. We are so grateful to the liberal state of Massachusetts that I don’t think a single one of Jeremy’s family and friends would disagree with my wife and I when we say we would crawl on our knees to thank them for this incredibly expensive care to keep Jeremy with us. Instead we have tried to thank them personally through letters and other  correspondence. Some people in this liberal, secular state know that Jeremy is no “useless eater”. And we will take our profound gratefulness to the grave with us, hopefully much sooner than our beloved son does.