Now he gazed at a child, his daughter, whose gaze implored him to stop, to think, to consider. There existed no need to rush. Watching Renata, there were no decisions to make, no appointments to keep. She squirmed and kicked and twisted about in the crib like life itself-ever changing, ever ready to contort into some different position and then start anew.
Footsteps scuffled and clacked down the hallway.
Ron turned, looking at the approaching people with guilty surprise.
"Valerie," he said. "We've got to talk."
She gazed through the window before answering. "I think you've said everything already." Terry glanced at Evelyn, who nodded and quietly escorted everyone else toward the break room. Alone, gazing at their daughter through the glass barrier, Valerie spoke in a weary, hushed tone.
"Today I gave up Jennifer for the second time."
"It's what you wanted. Both times."
She nodded. "Renata is a lovely name, too."
"She's beautiful."
Valerie pressed her hands against the cool, smooth window. "I'm sorry I lost the case for you." He shrugged, leaning his hands against the window frame. "I didn't lose. I walked off. It turned out the way you wanted, didn't it?"
"Only the trial."
He glanced over at her for an instant, then looked back at Renata. "I'm sorry about what I did. About the way I've acted." He nodded toward his daughter. "You know, I never saw her until just now." Valerie's hand moved slowly down the glass to touch his. "Isn't she wonderful?" His hand grasped hers, held on for dear life. "You don't re-gret losing her?" She shook her head. "I lost her eight months ago. I've only just found her." She stood on her toes as high as she could to see more of Renata. After a moment, she lowered to face Ron. "She may be Karen and David's daughter now, but we gave her something no one else could. I'll never again take that miraculous gift for granted."
Ron pulled her gently close and wrapped an arm around her. "You gave her that gift twice." He held her tightly as her arms drew him near. "More than anyone, you're a part of her. Now and forever." Valerie felt the warmth of his body against hers. She turned her head to look through the glass and plastic at the tiny fig-ure inside. She gazed at Renata. And saw the future.
Epilogue
FIRST TRANSOPTION
DOWN UNDER
UPI
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA planted the fetus-safely recov--Just three months after the ered from an abortion-into the well-publicized Baby Renata womb of a 31-year-old house-case in the United States, doc-wife from Sydney. tors at Victoria Hospital an-The revelation has caused
nounced the successful transop-some public outcry, with calls
tion of a six-week-old fetus for legislation to ban or at least
from one woman to another. heavily regulate the new proce-Drs. James Whyte and Divaker dure. Ramanan report that they trans-
TRANSOPTION
DOC LEAVES U.S.
UPI
LOS ANGELES-Despite a
grand jury's failure to indict Dr.
Evelyn Fletcher on criminal
charges in last year's notorious
Baby Renata case, the disgraced
surgeon departed the United
States Tuesday under the cloud
of her continued suspension of
credentials by California's State
Board of Medical Quality Assur-ance.
BABY RENATA
CELEBRATES
BIRTHDAY
First Transopted Baby
Times Wires Service
T O R R A N C E - R e n a t a
Chandler, whose birth last
year caused a legal upheaval
when it was revealed that she
had been transplanted from
one woman to another while
still an embryo, celebrated her
first birthday amid the glare of
TV cameras and photo
strobes.
A blond, blue-eyed
charmer, Renata showed off
her two front teeth in a happy
grin as her so-called genetic
mother and father-Valerie
Dalton and Ron Czernek-joined with "transoptive"
mother Karen Chandler and
her husband David for the fes-tivities.
Also on hand was Dr. Eve-lyn Fletcher, who pioneered
the controversial medical pro-cedure. Now conducting her
practice at a clinic in Brazil,
Fletcher used the opportunity
to consult with her attorney
regarding reinstatement of her
medical license in the United
States.
LOCAL BISHOP PRESSES FOR
PAPAL DECISION ON TRANSOPTION
Opponents Say Would Mock Virgin Birth
Associated Press
BOSTON-Bishop John Robert Shriver today ex-pressed dismay at the Pope's refusal to comment on transoption.
"In the last two years," the bishop said, "over four
thousand transoptions have been performed around
the world. Many of the donors and recipients have
been Catholics." In light of the Church's opposition to
abortion, Shriver said, "many view transoption as the
only moral alternative. While the Church has not
spoken against transoption, it also has not spoken in
favor of it."
Bishop Shriver's attempts to gain a papal audience
have been futile, he said, and so he has gone public
with his request "in the hope that Catholic women will
make their opinions known."
MAN GIVES BIRTH
TO OWN SON!
UPI of surgeons, Dr. Fletcher suc-LOS ANGELES-A San cessfully attached the fetus to a Francisco man gave birth today blood-rich section of the outer
to his own son in what doctors surface of Edwards's large in-call a revolutionary medical testine. miracle. Kept under constant medical
Derek Edwards, a 25-year-supervision, Edwards spent half
old northern California resi-a year at the hospital until the
dent, was in LA with his wife, birth yesterday morning-by
Jane, six months ago when she Cæsarean section-of the baby
was fatally injured in a traffic boy. Three weeks premature
accident. Before she fell into an and weighing only four pounds,
irreversible coma, she pleaded three ounces, John Edwards is
with doctors to save her unborn nonetheless healthy despite a
child. She was ten weeks' preg-surrogate pregnancy described
nant. by the father as "absolutely ter-When the hospital admini-rifying." stration refused to search for a "I woke up every morning
female volunteer, Edwards of-with the fear that Jane's only
fered his own body and the child might not survive her by
threat of legal action if they re-very long. He's alive and well,
fused to transopt the fetus. Re-though, and my wife's last wish
luctantly, the hospital agreed to has come true."
perform what was to be the first The press and friends of the
above-ground transoption in the family were able today to visit
United States. the father, who gained forty
A legal furor erupted when pounds during the pregnancy.
Dr. Evelyn Fletcher was flown Doctors attribute the weight