Motherhood knows no cultural, religious, or national boundaries. Neither do the self-sacrificing deeds of those mothers who give up their lives for babies they don't even know.

LifeSiteNews.com has been reporting on a few of these occurrences. The most well-known of the past century is Gianna Molla (canonized by the Vatican in 2004). She was a pediatric doctor in Milan, Italy, already the mother of three children. While she was pregnant with a fourth, doctors discovered a large ovarian cyst and recommended she abort her daughter in order to save her own life. Her fatal refusal of treatment of herself provided for the baby to be born alive and well. A week later, on April 28, 1962, Gianna died of ovarian cancer.

Gudrun Schultz reported on a child born in Cleveland, Ohio to another mother who developed cancer while pregnant with her fourth child (December 31, 2005). Bernadette Mimura chose to save her child's life, refusing life-saving treatment for herself. "She delivered a healthy son, Nathan, two months premature, and lived long enough to witness his baptism."

In September 2007, Hillary White reported on the death of 37-year-old Dr. Ellice Hammond. The Australian "refused high-level chemotherapy that might have saved her from Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment would have endangered the life of her unborn daughter, Mia Ellice."

The most recent story comes from Pieve Di Soligo, Italy. Michael Baggot reports that Paola Breda died for the sake of her second child when she refused "potentially life-saving cancer treatment that could have harmed her unborn child." She had been "diagnosed with breast cancer six months into her pregnancy with her child Nicola, but postponed treatment until after Nicola's birth." The pain of the sacrifice was evident:

Both Breda's first child, Illaria, and her second child, Nicola, brought their mother great joy, said the priest. Fr. Nadal also recounted a teary-eyed Breda coming to him during her second pregnancy.

"I've been diagnosed with cancer, and they are suggesting chemotherapy, but that would hurt the baby. I absolutely don't want that . . ."

Just how often is this kind of love for a child expressed? Perhaps such stories are not often reported. News reporting, we think, gives way to grieving a loss. We attended a wedding of a college classmate of our daughter a few years ago in a small town in Ohio. Among the bridesmaids was the sister of the bride who was wearing a wig. She had postponed chemotherapy until her child could be born in the seventh month. There she was, robed in nuptial splendor - and full of deadly chemicals. Too late for her; she died a few weeks after the wedding. There are many heroic mothers, we think, who die without much attention.

We thank God for such mothers and for the love He demonstrates to His children through them!