Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 73(1) February 2023
Book Review
Two Patients: My conversion from Abortion to Life-Affirming Medicine
By Dr John Bruchalski with Elise. Daniel Ignatius press
Reviewed by Dr Pravin Thevathasan
Many of us
will remember Dr Bernard Nathanson, the renowned abortionist who became
pro-life. His story brought many of us into the pro-life cause. The book
under review is about another abortion doctor who is now pro-life and who
is doing wonderful work looking after the "two patients" in every
pregnancy. There is a difference: Dr Nathanson moved from Judaism to
secularism to Catholicism. Dr Bruchalski was raised Catholic, turned to
secularism and is now a fully believing Catholic.
When I was a student, I was made aware of more than one abortion doctor who had nervous breakdowns. Abortion scars people. Dr Bruchalski is well aware of the psychological damage that abortion does to people, doctors included. The agonised screaming of pro-abortionists remind us all that these people need healing like the rest of us. Dr Bruchalski wanted to be a really good doctor and he believed that this included doing abortions well. All this changed when he was caring for two women, both at the same stage of pregnancy. One mother wanted her baby and so Dr Bruchalski was doing his best to look after the two patients. The other mother wanted to get rid of her child and so Dr Bruchalski believed that he was only looking after one patient. The child survived the abortion and Dr Bruchalski called for the neonatologist who proceeded to remind Dr Bruchalski that he should have been looking after two patients.
Dr Bruchalski has a devotion to Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Rightly so, and this is an apparition that is approved by the Church. He also mentions the influence that Medjugorje had in his conversion. While this alleged apparition has not been approved by the Church, there can be no doubt that many people have received the grace of conversion there. The supreme Giver of gifts will not hold back when He sees a soul who is sincerely seeking the truth.This is a really powerful pro-life work. I highly recommend it.