Last week, Faithwire shared the heartbreaking story of one British couple who aborted their daughter at 22 weeks after learning she would likely be born with Spina Bifida, a serious birth defect that would make life “challenging” for their family. In interviews with several U.K. news outlets, the couple stressed that their decision was one of love and compassion for their daughter, stemming from their desire to spare her great suffering.
After publishing the piece, we were overwhelmed by the responses we received from readers who courageously bucked societal norms and “expert” opinions and trusted in God’s plan for their children. These faith-filled testimonies inspired the idea for our “Life Is Beautiful” series, a collection of personal accounts highlighting the ultimate blessing of choosing life.
Below is part four of our series, a testimony from reader and mother, Aymi Lynn, whose daughter, Hannah, was falsely diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a rare condition with an extremely low survival rate.
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This beautiful little girl was given a 15 percent chance of survival … due to a diagnosis of Trisomy 18. Termination was suggested.
After the doctor’s said that Hannah would not make it out of the womb, we were devastated at the idea of losing our little girl. But, I wanted to know her for as long as I could. I wanted to feel every kick and every hiccup.
Guess what? She doesn’t even have Trisomy 18 and is an amazing, smart, and graceful dancer. Doctors, ultrasounds, and blood tests can all be wrong! Even if they weren’t, I would have loved her the same and held her for as long as I could.
Choosing life after such limited chances of survival, and then being born without Trisomy 18, has given our family 12 years of laughter, smiles, and so much joy that this little girl brings. If we listened to the doctors, we would never know the happiness she brings to so many.
I shudder to think about the parents making the choice to end their pregnancies based on what tests show, or what doctors say, when there are so many stories like ours.
Thank you, Aymi, for choosing life and for fiercely loving your daughter regardless of the circumstances.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in our “Life Is Beautiful” series!
More “Life Is Beautiful” Stories:
Readers Weigh In With Their Own Inspiring Stories of Choosing Life Over Abortion
Life Is Beautiful, Part 3: She Didn’t Give Up on Her Daughter, Even When Doctors Did
Life Is Beautiful, Part 4: ‘Everyone May See a Wheelchair, but I See Perfection’