From Womb to Tomb: How Respect Life Denver Serves the Vulnerable at Every Stage – Denver Catholic

Report on Community Initiatives for Lifelong Dignity and Sustainable Development

This report analyzes the activities of Respect Life Denver and the Catholic End-of-Life Network, examining their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The organizations’ mission to protect and uphold human dignity from conception to natural death aligns with several key global development targets, particularly those concerning health, inequality, and just societies.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The core activities of the organizations directly support the principles of SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Promoting Holistic Well-being Across the Lifespan

The “womb to tomb” philosophy is a comprehensive approach to well-being that addresses critical life stages often overlooked in public health discourse. This includes:

• Protection for the unborn, ensuring a healthy start to life.
• Support for individuals facing terminal illness, focusing on quality of life and compassionate care.
• Advocacy for palliative care as an essential component of the healthcare continuum.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health in End-of-Life Care

The initiatives recognize that well-being is not merely the absence of disease but includes social and spiritual support. The case study of “Al,” an elderly man who experienced homelessness and loneliness, illustrates the organizations’ focus on:

1. Combating social isolation, a significant risk factor for poor health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
2. Providing companionship and pastoral accompaniment to ensure individuals feel valued and supported.
3. Resisting practices like euthanasia and assisted suicide, instead promoting life-affirming care that addresses physical, spiritual, and emotional needs, thereby upholding the target of promoting mental health and well-being.

Contribution to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

By focusing on the most vulnerable members of society, the organizations actively work to reduce inequalities in access to care, social inclusion, and legal protection, in line with SDG 10.

Championing the Rights of Marginalized Groups

The work specifically targets groups who are often marginalized or whose dignity is challenged:

• The unborn
• The elderly
• Individuals with severe illness or disability
• The socially isolated and impoverished

Challenging Discriminatory Definitions of Dignity

The report notes a challenge to societal norms that equate human dignity with independence, productivity, or physical health. By asserting that dignity is inherent and unchanging, the organizations advocate for the equal value and inclusion of all persons, regardless of their physical or cognitive state. This perspective is crucial for building a society that reduces inequalities and promotes the social inclusion of all.

Fostering SDG 16 and SDG 17: Justice and Partnerships

Advocacy for Just and Protective Frameworks

The organizations’ stance against euthanasia and assisted suicide contributes to the objectives of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by advocating for legal and social frameworks that protect vulnerable individuals from harm and ensure their right to life and care is upheld.

Building Partnerships for the Goals

The collaboration between Respect Life Denver and the newly formed Catholic End-of-Life Network exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). This strategic partnership strengthens their capacity to:

• Provide comprehensive support, from pastoral care and sacraments to family resources.
• Create a unified front to advocate for policies that honor life at every stage.
• Ensure that those approaching the end of life receive reverence, care, and spiritual support, preventing abandonment and neglect.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article’s central theme is the dignity and care of human life at all stages, from “womb to tomb.” This directly aligns with SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The text focuses on providing compassionate physical, spiritual, and emotional care for the most vulnerable, including the unborn, the sick, and the elderly, particularly in their final moments. The discussion of end-of-life care and opposition to euthanasia in favor of supportive care is a clear engagement with health and well-being issues.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article emphasizes serving vulnerable and often marginalized groups, such as the elderly, the ill, and the homeless (as exemplified by the story of Al). By working to ensure that these individuals are “seen, loved and accompanied,” the ministry directly addresses the social inequalities that can lead to isolation and neglect. The mission challenges a cultural view that devalues individuals based on age, illness, or lack of “independence, productivity,” thereby promoting the inclusion and dignity of all, irrespective of their health or social status.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  While not the primary focus, SDG 1 is relevant through the mention of serving the homeless via the “Christ in the City” nonprofit. More significantly, the article introduces the concept of the “poverty of loneliness,” which St. Teresa of Calcutta described. This frames poverty not just as a lack of material resources but also as a lack of social connection and love. The ministry’s work to provide companionship and care directly addresses this multidimensional aspect of poverty.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being

  This target aims to “promote mental health and well-being.” The article strongly connects to this by highlighting the “poverty of loneliness” suffered by the elderly man, Al. The friendship and regular visits from the missionary provided him with companionship and emotional support, directly contributing to his mental and emotional well-being. The ministry’s goal to ensure people are “seen, loved and accompanied” is a direct effort to promote well-being, especially for those who are ill or nearing the end of life.

• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services

  The work of the Catholic End-of-Life Network, as described in the article, aims to provide “reverence, care and spiritual support,” including “access to the sacraments, pastoral accompaniment and resources for families.” This represents a form of essential, holistic healthcare, specifically palliative and end-of-life care, for a vulnerable population. It focuses on ensuring access to quality care that honors the dignity of the person, which is a key component of universal health coverage.

• Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social inclusion of all, irrespective of age… or other status

  This target focuses on promoting the social inclusion of all people. The article’s narrative about befriending and consistently visiting Al, an elderly and homeless man who had become isolated, is a clear example of promoting social inclusion. The mission to ensure that those approaching death are “never abandoned” is a direct action against the social exclusion that the elderly and terminally ill often face.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 3.4: Provision of companionship and support services to combat loneliness.

  The article does not provide statistics but implies that progress can be measured by the reduction of loneliness among the vulnerable. The story of Al, who “would breathe a sigh of relief” upon seeing his friend, shows the tangible impact of companionship. A practical indicator would be the number of individuals receiving regular visits and pastoral or social accompaniment from the ministry’s volunteers and networks.

• Indicator for Target 3.8: Availability of and access to holistic end-of-life care resources.

  The article implies that success is measured by the ability to provide comprehensive support to those at the end of life. An indicator for this would be the number of individuals and families who are provided with “pastoral accompaniment and resources for families navigating difficult decisions” through the End-of-Life Network. This measures the reach and accessibility of these essential care services.

• Indicator for Target 10.2: Number of outreach initiatives and personal interactions with socially isolated individuals.

  The article suggests that progress toward social inclusion is made through direct, personal engagement. The consistent friendship offered to Al, despite his declining health and the challenges of the pandemic, serves as a model. A measurable indicator would be the number of outreach visits conducted or the number of vulnerable individuals, like the homeless or isolated elderly, who are actively and regularly engaged by the ministry’s programs.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: denvercatholic.org