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Sidney was diagnosed in
utero with a lethal form of
dwarfism. She was born at
full term and lived eighteen
minutes in love in her
parents' arms.
FORWARD
As a former pro-choice
obstetrician-gynecologist
who had little regard for
the sanctity of human life,
it was only through the
grace of God that my desire
to protect the unborn, and
help their mothers at the
same time, occurred when I
asked the Lord to come into
my life in August of
2000. Since then I have
dedicated my life to serving
God by volunteering as
medical director of three
pregnancy resource centers:
A Woman's Concern, CareNet
of Rhode Island, and Woman
To Woman Support Network of
Middletown, Rhode Island.
For years, I have.
been waiting for a resource
which I could offer my
patients faced with a
difficult prenatal
diagnosis. My prayers have
been answered in Madeline
Pecora Nugent’s My Child,
My Gift, A Positive Response
to Serious Prenatal
Diagnosis.
This book is a comprehensive
guide for parents who are
unfortunately given the “bad
news” regarding their
pre-born child with either
an ultrasound or laboratory
diagnosis of a potential or
real congenital problem. It
explains to them both
secular and religious
faith-based strategies on
how to emotionally,
psychologically, and
spiritually prepare for and
assimilate the multiple and
various emotions they will
have to reconcile, as well
as how to deal with the
mixed messages they will be
receiving from family
members, friends,
physicians, and their own
inner conflicting feelings.
Madeline utilizes both her
personal experience and
multitudes of interviews
conducted with parents given
severe prenatal diagnoses to
convey the message given by
Jesus Christ, to explain to
His disciples why a man was
born blind, “from birth.”
They asked Him, “Rabbi, who
sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born
blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither
this man nor his parents
sinned; he was born blind so
that God’s works might be
revealed in him”
(see Jn 9:1-3).
I have come to believe that
every life is precious in
the eyes of God and should
be also in the eyes of man.
God is sovereign over all
life and has an eternal
purpose for all His
creation. King David clearly
declared God’s love for all
pre-born children when he
wrote:
“For
it was you who formed my
inward parts;
you knit me together
in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully
made.
Wonderful are your
works;
that I know very
well.” (Ps 139:13-14)
I would like to thank
Madeline for her relentless
love for life, especially
the life of the pre-born
with a severe prenatal
diagnosis. Her passion to
“[s]peak
out for those who cannot
speak”
(Prv
31:8) is completed by her
love and compassion for the
parents who are struggling
to “defend
the rights of the poor
and needy”
(Prv
31:9).
May God continue to richly
bless her and her mission to
convince mankind of God’s
moral will regarding the
sanctity of life which is
found throughout His Word
beginning in Exodus when He
declared, “do
not kill the innocent or
those in the right, for I
will not acquit the guilty”
(Ex 23:7).
For His Eternal Glory,
Mark X. Lowney MD, FACOG
Fall River, Massachusetts
May 16, 2007
My Child, My Gift: A
Positive Response to Serious
Prenatal Diagnosis
To
contact publisher, please email
New City Press
To
contact author, please email
Madeline Pecora Nugent
Would you like to
have a copy of this
book mailed to a
particular
physician, health
care provider,
geneticist, member
of the clergy,
place of worship,
educational
institution,
library, pregnancy counseling
agency, friend,
relative, or other
individual? Or can
you give them a copy
of this book? The
Confraternity of
Penitents supports
the distribution of
this book to such
groups and
individuals and
offers a $5 discount
on each book so
ordered through the
CFP Holy Angels
on-line gift shop.
See this
link
for more
information.
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