Parents Learn To Embrace The Life Of Their Baby In The Midst Of Uncertainty



I was 12 weeks when my husband and I were told that our baby had fluid at the base of her neck, which could be an indication of Down or Turner Syndrome; but, they were leaning more towards Turners because she had a strong nasal passage. After reading all of the awful things that can occur with Turners, my husband and I agreed that we would abort our baby.After genetic testing it was determined that she had neither . None of the chromosomes were malformed or missing.  That’s when we found out she was a girl.  

Fast forward to the 20 week appointment when we found out that thicker fluid at the base of the neck also could mean cardiac issues.  At this point we had developed a strong bond with our daughter and had accepted our journey. We didn’t receive full knowledge about her condition until it was too late to legally take her life into our own hands, but no matter what the law said, she was our little girl.

When I was 21 weeks of was discovered that Anna had a Double Outlet Right Ventricle and  transposition of the great arteries. I then started having monthly visits to the paediatric Cardiologist who would do echos and seen weekly by an Obstetrician specializing in high risk pregnancies.

When our daughter arrived she was also diagnosed with an AV Canal defect and Pulmonary Atresia. She had her first surgery July 31, 2017, when she was one week old and again on January 2, 2018.We almost threw all the newborn clothes in trash in fear she’d never leave the hospital, but she’s thriving. Anna is gift and if we wouldn’t have her things would be so different. She pushed our whole family to strive to be better.The fear of a sick child scares you, but she is truly God’s gift to Earth and our family. We are so glad she is in our lives and our son gets to grow up with his little sister.

My advice to parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis, is not to solely rely on the internet for understanding. If you are going to research, find actual parents and patients who have gone through something similar. I found for us, joining support groups of parents who can relate to what we were going through, helped to build the bridge of hope and become better advocates for our Anna. If connected quickly after diagnoses, these groups can be the difference maker between abortion and a life affirming decision. Whether one is pro-life or pro-choice, being informed is something we should all be able to agree on. 

 Follow Anna and her family’s journey at Anna Our Heart Warrior

The Greens




Testimony as told to Feleica Langdon, President and Founder of Life Defenders.

Comments

  1. Life Defenders13 January 2018 at 11:15

    This woman is still pro-choice, but her heart is slowly changing.

    ReplyDelete

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