Daily Wire writer Amanda Prestigiacomo is best known for her straightforward and often sassy conservative commentary on the news site headed by firebrand Ben Shapiro. But this week, she took to Twitter to share a deeply personal pro-life story about her younger sister and the incredible courage she displayed when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
Thread:
A year ago yesterday, my little sister found out (on her birthday) that her unborn child had an incredibly rare complication in the womb. The baby had an amniotic band wrapped around her leg, choking off the blood flow to the rest of the leg and close to amputation.— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
“A year ago yesterday, my little sister found out (on her birthday) that her unborn child had an incredibly rare complication in the womb,” Prestigiacomo tweeted to her more than 30,000 followers. “The baby had an amniotic band wrapped around her leg, choking off the blood flow to the rest of the leg and close to amputation.”
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Typically, w amniotic band tangles, the limb would already be gone by the time doctors found the complication. My sister’s doctors told her there was nothing she could do; the baby would be born without a leg and they advised her to abort.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
She went on to note that her sister’s doctors advised her to abort her child, who would likely be born without a leg. But her sister refused, maintaining that abortion was “never” an option, even though the pregnancy was “unplanned,” and she’d be forced to raise the child alone.
My sister never once entertained the idea of abortion. Mind you, this was an unplanned pregnancy; she was handling all this alone from the day she found out she was pregnant. My family quickly researched everything we could on the complication and called every top hospital.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
But she wasn’t totally alone. Prestigiacomo detailed that her family banded together, desperate to track down a hospital willing to tackle the rare and dangerous complication.
We ended up at Columbia for an emergency surgery attempting to laser off the band and save the leg/cut other hanging bands that could potentially damage the child, i.e. wrap around her neck.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
They finally settled on Columbia, where doctors would attempt to remove the band from the unborn child’s leg with laser treatments. But with that glimmer of hope came tremendous risk — the baby was “not yet viable,” meaning the possibility of early labor could result in death.
Prestigiacomo, a devout Roman Catholic, noted that she and her family did all that they could: pray. Her father also arranged for their parish to dedicate Masses to her sister and the baby.
It did not come without risk – the baby was not yet viable – but was considered the best option because of all the surrounding circumstances. Our family prayed, our loved ones prayed, my father arranged for our church to dedicate masses to my sister and the baby.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
When we arrived at Columbia, my sister was strongminded but still in shock. Though she was told the baby would not survive if there were complications and she went into early labor, I remember her packing a bag full of baby clothes the night before.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
“When we arrived at Columbia, my sister was strongminded but still in shock,” Prestigiacomo continued. “Though she was told the baby would not survive if there were complications and she went into early labor, I remember her packing a bag full of baby clothes the night before.”
When asked why she was packing the clothes, her sister explained, “just in case I go into labor, the baby needs clothes.”
I remember gently asking her why she was doing this, and she told me, “just in case I go into labor, the baby needs clothes.” I nodded along. After a restless night in NYC, we go to the surgeons’ office and first have an ultrasound.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
As the family waited in the surgeon’s office for the results of a preliminary ultrasound, Prestigiacomo recalled “looking at images of what [appeared] to be a healthy baby.”
. My sister, myself, and my father are all in the room looking at images of what appears to be a healthy baby. No one is speaking. The doctor will not tell us anything. At least four other doctors come in, again avoiding our hesitant questions.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
“No one is speaking. The doctor will not tell us anything,” she continued. “At least four other doctors come in, again avoiding our hesitant questions.”
Then, finally, the family received the most incredible news:
Finally, the doctors inform us that they have no idea how it happened, but the baby is perfectly healthy. Her legs are now identical in size. The band is gone. She’s kicking nonstop. There is not a trace of damage.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
“Finally, the doctors inform us that they have no idea how it happened, but the baby is perfectly healthy,” she wrote. “Her legs are now identical in size. The band is gone. She’s kicking nonstop. There is not a trace of damage.”
The surgeon informed the family that “there is nothing here to be done” because “this baby is perfect.” They had just witnessed a miracle.
“Even if I wanted to perform surgery on her, there is nothing here to be done. This baby is perfect,” I remember a doctor telling us.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
My niece is now thriving, a healthy and happy joy. She has superficial marks on her leg from where the band once was, but there is no nerve or muscle damage. My sister, though younger, is the strongest little girl I know. And as she’s simply put it, God is good.
— Amanda (@AmandaPresto) September 20, 2018
“My niece is now thriving, a healthy and happy joy,” Prestigiacomo shared. “She has superficial marks on her leg from where the band once was, but there is no nerve or muscle damage. My sister, though younger, is the strongest little girl I know. And as she’s simply put it, God is good.”
He certainly is. Prestigiacomo’s family’s story serves as a bold testament to the power of prayer and trusting in God’s providence, even when all human hope appears lost.
Twitter users responded to the powerful pro-life thread with their own incredible pregnancy stories.
“I was advised to abort my son because my alpha fetoprotein was elevated and the doctor said he’d be born with Spina Bifida,” one woman shared. “I refused and prayed, put him in the hands of Christ. He was born perfect. Science is not absolute.”
“Praise God!” wrote one user.
“What a [beautiful] story! It gave me unexpected tearful joy!” added another.