Comedian Lynn Ferguson, who describes herself as “completely pro-choice” on abortion and genetic testing, has recently gone viral as she shared choosing life for her son. Ferguson was 37 when she got pregnant, and doctors insisted that she undergo amniocentesis, which carries a risk of miscarriage, to test for genetic abnormalities.
In a Facebook video uploaded for the Scene, with over 2 million views, Ferguson uses a mix of humor and emotion to describe the journey of being pregnant with her son, Fergus, who is now a healthy 11-year old.
https://www.facebook.com/TheSceneVideo/videos/1488150397918975/
With her light-hearted tone, Ferguson expressed almost more of an issue with not being able to drink, smoke, or have soft cheese, and how she felt like a “beached whale” when finding out she was pregnant, as well as how pregnancy changes one’s life.
Ferguson refused amniocentesis, which was offered early in her pregnancy. Doctors refused to drop the topic of testing, however, as she progressed in her pregnancy, despite her hoping they would eventually forget about it so she could move on. Ferguson approached it with a sense of humor, comparing it to not wanting to have coffee with someone. She also joked about wanting to know if they could test for other things she was worried about, such as if her son would be “a jerk.”
It was not that Ferguson was not worried about Down Syndrome, but as she explained, “I am pregnant, and I’m worried about a whole lot of things, and that’s why I’m not taking any risks,” hence her refusal for testing.
During the 20-week ultrasound, which confirmed Ferguson was having a boy, there were more concern, as she was reminded once again of her age. Her son was described as having “a statistically large head,” which Ferguson reacted to by joking about husband’s own “statistically large head.”
One side of the baby’s brain was described as having cysts, prompting a specialist to then once again remind Ferguson everything the ultrasound technician had already told her, and confirming the cysts could be a problem, as Ferguson already suspected. She was also told to have her cord blood tested, which she refused.
Ferguson said she and her husband “hadn’t planned on a Down Syndrome baby,” with a shrug, “but, you know, there’s worse things than being Down Syndrome, right? I mean being Down Syndrome doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, it just means you’re like, a bit different, so then if he’s Down Syndrome, so be it.” She also emphasized her decision not to have any tests.
The concern was no longer Down Syndrome, however. Doctor’s were concerned with Edward’s Syndrome, which means the baby could die within the womb or within the first year of life, prompting further insistence that Ferguson had had the test.
“I had seen my son,” Ferguson emotionally described. “I’d seen his heart, I’d seen inside his eyes, I’d seen his hands and his feet.” She even described how during one scan he’d had his hand up as if saying ‘will you go away?’ Because “I’d felt my son move inside my body,” Ferguson wondered “what did it matter if he had a disorder or not?”
Those whose children have Down Syndrome have spoken out against their children merely being defined by the disorder.
Many have also showcased how precious their children are.
Ferguson also dismissed the necessity of testing if her son was to die early, as “we are all going to die someday” and felt “we should meet first.” She continued to sound emotional as she acknowledged how “he was my son and he needed me. He depended on me to make the right decision.”
After doctors moved on to suggesting an abortion at 25-weeks, Ferguson explained they “had no choice but to change hospitals.” She described how “it became obvious that they wanted a war, but I just wanted to see my baby.”
Doctors in the United Kingdom are not the only ones to suggest genetic testing and abortion. Iceland has boasted of “eradicating” Down Syndrome, by aborting virtually all pregnancies which test positive. This could mean even those with false positives.
READ: Sick: Iceland Boasts About ‘Eradicating’ Those With Down Syndrome
Ferguson went into labor at 35 weeks and 5 days. They didn’t speak in the car of what went ahead, but just checking in to see if they were okay and expressing love for each other. Midwives kept telling her that despite being early, it was going to be okay.
Her son came out purple, and after her husband cut the cord, Ferguson described being engulfed in silence, describing how “it was like the whole world had gone underwater.”
In retelling how her son had to be resuscitated, Ferguson tearfully explains feeling as if “I had failed my son,” emphasizing how he had depended on her. But then her son was okay, and described as “perfect” and “absolutely fine.” Her son was already “curious” and “amazing.” Ferguson described how “he looked up to me as if to say ‘phew, that was a trial.’”
They named their perfect, curious, and amazing son, who is “still perfect, some of the time” with a “statistically large head,” Fergus. The name in Irish means “the right choice,” and “courage” in Scottish.
Lynn and Fergus’ story has gone viral around the world, receiving coverage from pro-life outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom.