A mom of seven recently recounted how she rebuffed a doctor’s suggestion that she terminate a pregnancy after her unborn baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
READ: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Brings Hotel Cleaning Woman to Tears With Simple Act
The woman, identified only as Karen C., said in an op-ed for pro-life group Save the Storks, that she was about 21 weeks when doctors found that her baby would most likely have Down syndrome.
She recounted, in detail, the ultrasound appointment where the revelation unfolded.
“We watched as the nurse measured all her parts and tried to get a good picture of her adorable little face. It seemed to take unusually long, but I was grateful for the extra time. When she finished she said that at their office the doctor always comes back in to remeasure and go over everything in the ultrasound,” Karen wrote. “As soon as she left the room, I told Chad something was wrong and that I could tell the lady saw something of concern.”
She said her heart was racing as the doctor entered the room and took some more measurements; meanwhile, she fervently prayed.
“He finally finished, took a deep breath, and said our baby had two of the four soft signs for Down syndrome,” she wrote. “He told us about a blood test we could do that would give us an answer and sent me to my midwife’s office for the test.”
The couple promptly had the test and needed to wait 10 days for the results. As the days forged on, Karen said she just kept praying and trusting God. Then, the results came and the doctor’s test was confirmed: their baby did have Down syndrome.
But it was what the doctor said next that left Karen angry.
“[The doctor] said, ‘Hello Mrs. Crawford, we got your test results back and your baby does have Down syndrome,’ and without taking another breath he went on to say, ‘We can terminate the pregnancy if you like…'” she recounted. “I immediately snapped back, ‘Never. That will never happen!'”
Karen said that her heart breaks over the fact that the vast majority of Down syndrome babies are aborted. She and her husband, Chad, named their baby girl Myla, and she wrote that she hopes her little girl helps “make a difference” when it comes to the tragic statistics surrounding Down syndrome termination.
“Down Syndrome obviously has its struggles, but so does everything this side of heaven,” she wrote. “We need to bring awareness to things like Down syndrome so people won’t be so afraid of it.”
In the end, she said Myla brings intense joy to her family. Read more about the story here.
Karen’s story comes as people with Down syndrome are also increasingly defending their right to live.
As Faithwire previously reported, last week, actor and Down syndrome advocate Frank Stephens powerfully testified before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Committee on Appropriations about the value of life — specifically the value of the lives of those born with Down syndrome.
“I am a man with Down syndrome, and my life is worth living,” he emphatically stated during a committee hearing on Wednesday.