|
 Jonathan
was diagnosed in utero with Potter's
Syndrome, a condition that is incompatible
with life. Despite doctors telling his
mother that she "must terminate," Jonathan's
parents continued the pregnancy. He was born
at full term and lived an hour of love in
his parents' arms.
TESTIMONIALS
Down
Syndrome and Spina Bifida
Thank
you so much for this book.
When my son was a newborn, I met a young
counselor at a pregnancy aid office who
treated me like the new mother I was when
his older sister was born. He was very
small, being born a month early, and he has
Down syndrome. I don't remember what brought
me to her office, only that I seemed to fall
back into the mainstream world when we were
talking. I think if we had not met, I would
not have realized so early that my son's
diagnosis had thrown me into some kind of
out of sync subculture as his mom.
As I was preparing to leave the office, I
thanked her for being so natural and
authentic, or whatever set her apart from
everyone else I had met. She told me that
she was born with Spina Bifida, and had been
diagnosed only a few years earlier. She was
mildly affected and that delayed her
diagnosis, although the condition caused
challenges that were significant enough that
she was relieved they could be explained
when she found out.
She said that not being diagnosed at birth
caused her to have many opportunities that
she would have missed otherwise, and that
she was also aware that if a prenatal test
had been available she would most likely not
have been born at all. She said that gave
her a very different perspective on babies
with disabilities and prenatal testing. It
seems to me as though something far beyond
that made her the person I found that day,
but of course we will never know.
Seeing the web page about My Child, My Gift,
reminded me of that life changing meeting.
Thanks again for your book.
Pam
Wilson, Seattle, WA
---------------------
Defects incompatible with life in kidneys,
heart, and bladder
My baby was
born still on Easter Sunday 2007. Some of
his organs didn't develop properly, and he
couldn't have lived outside the womb. He
died some time shortly before birth. The
autopsy showed that his kidneys, bladder and
heart didn't develop properly. They don't
know why this birth defect sometimes
happens. The doctors were amazed he lived
all the way to full term (42 weeks). If a
baby lives past birth with this, they
usually die within the first day or so. I'm
so thankful he died with me and not in a
NICU!
We are so
grateful for the time we had with
him. Pregnancy is a special time that God
has given to parents - especially
mothers. We get to know our child with
increasing intimacy as we spend more time
with them. God in His Love for each one of
us has given us parents to be examples of
His parental Love for us. Seek this Love
from God and you will know how to care for
your child. We have lost our child, but God
has given us special knowledge that our son
is with Him in heaven and that He has a
special intimate relationship with our son
in heaven. We know that Jesus touched our
child while still in the womb to show our
Thomas who He was and how Thomas could love
Jesus. Ask Jesus to touch your child. Ask
Jesus to heal your child if it is His will.
Jesus Loves your child just the way he is.
Please consider that the doctors are not
always correct in their diagnosis. Many
parents who choose life are surprised to
find the diagnosis incorrect.
Sadly some abort their children when they
learn their baby has a condition not
compatible with life. I just don't
understand why. I'm so glad for the time we
were give with him from Jesus (Keith and I
seriously suspect Our Lord gave us a little
extra). He lived out his life as Jesus
wished. I pray all parents would give their
children the same chance. How can we know
what Jesus does with these children in the
womb? Their lives, however short, have a
purpose according to God's plan, too. If we
had known beforehand that Thomas had this
condition, we still would have let him live
for as long as God willed.
So thank you for the
memorial page of
Thomas
and for all of your prayers!
Holly
Bodoh, Milwaukee, WI
-------------------------
Many
defects incompatible with life
BABY ALEXANDER ROBERT WAS BORN APRIL
18TH-AFTER AN EASY DELIVERY -5 LBS, 13OZ. HE
PASSED INTO THE ARMS OF OUR LORD,3 DAYS
LATER SURROUNDED BY HIS LOVING FAMILY.
HE HAD MANY DEFECTS-BLINDNESS, DEAFNESS,
BRAIN DEFORMITY, AND A HEART DEFECT, TO NAME
A FEW.
PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED HOWEVER, IN THAT THE
BABY GOT TO GO HOME IN HOSPICE CARE AND HIS
PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE THERE AND GOT
TO LOVE HIM AND HOLD HIM EVERY MIN OF HIS
SHORT LIFE. IT GAVE EVERYONE TIME TO BOND
WITH THIS DEAR LITTLE ANGEL.
HE WAS BAPTIZED AND HAD A FUNERAL IN WHICH
THE PRIEST PUT EVERYONE AT EASE AND WAS
A VERY COMPASSIONATE PRIEST. BEN & CHRISTINE
SAID THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS ANY OTHER
WAY. THE JOY AND LOVE THEY FEEL FOR THEIR
LITTLE PRECIOUS ONE WILL REMAIN IN THERE
HEARTS AND MEMORY FOREVER!
WHEN THEY ARRIVED HOME, HOSPICE WAS WAITING
FOR THEM AT THE DOOR.! THEY TOOK CARE OF ALL
THE DETAILS FOR THE BURIAL AND EVERYTHING.
THEY ARE NOT ANGRY, BUT FULL OF JOY AS TO
HAVE MADE THIS DECISION TO SEE THIS TO THE
END. NOW CHRISTINE AND BEN WANT TO HELP
OTHERS IN THIS SITUATION. THEY ARE IN A
SUPPORT GROUP AND FEEL GOD CAN USE THEM IN
A SPECIAL WAY. THESE 2 AGENCIES HELPED THEM
SO MUCH! "NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP" AND
"MISSING GRACE". THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE LEFT
THEM WITH SUCH PEACE IN THEIR HEARTS KNOWING
HE IS IN GOD'S LOVING ARMS!
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!
LOVE, SUE
-----------------------
So, I
finally got my hands on a copy of your book
(just two weeks ago was the first time I'd
seen it), and I LOVE IT!!! It is just
perfect...not judgmental and just SO
compassionate and lovely. It will most
certainly steer women to the spiritual
guidance they SO DESPERATELY need when faced
an adverse prenatal diagnosis. If you
impact one woman to change her decision to
terminate, you have saved a LIFE...amazing
work. I truly believe, as you do, that many
women make this decision quickly and out of
fear.
Although I knew my decision on diagnosis,
your book surely would have lifted my
spirits through the sharing of these stories
and real-life situations, like mine.
Jennifer Howard
------------------------
I
ordered three copies and will be ordering
more--already gave it to a lady whose
neighbor got a Downs diagnosis at five
months pregnant. . . . Thanks so much for
this wonderful resource. . . . Your books
are going faster than any other on our
Respect Life Month table - I put one out at
a time and it seems whenever I check back
they are gone!! I am so grateful this
information is getting out there - and
thankfully we have a VERY supportive/active
pastor and staff at our parish. I know many
lives will be changed...many saved as
well!! Thanks a bunch!
God
Bless, Kathleen McCusker
--------------------
Last week I spoke at a women's retreat for a
group of women from Allentown, PA. One
woman in the group is a long-time friend of
mine who was the first person I know
personally to have a child with a severe
pre-natal diagnosis. Ruth was told her baby
would not survive outside the womb but
Nathan lived 12 hard, long years. Ruth and
her husband had one daughter prior to Nathan
and three more daughters after Nathan's
birth. Year after year, Nathan lingered but
Ken, Nathan's dad, shares that he was
personally drawn into a relationship with
God because of Nathan's life. That was his
purpose. There is so much to their story
but I will leave that for Ruth to share
sometime soon, hopefully.
I took several copies of My Child, My Gift
with me and Ruth was eager to read her
copy. She called me this afternoon to tell
me that she wept through the entire book,
able to relate on so many levels with so
much within the book. She wishes she had a
support system 25 years ago, family,
friends, church, resources were absent or
non-supportive then. She felt completely
isolated and yet continued to press on.
Nathan passed away just about the time my
daughter, Tess, was born. That was thirteen
years ago and Ruth is finally able to get
some healing, thanks to several factors of
God at work in her life at this time. One
of these factors is My Child, My Gift.
Thank you, dear Madeline, for being obedient
to the call of God on your life and making
this My Child, My Gift happen!
------------
Sorprendente! después de haber tenido a
nuestra beba hace veincicinco años, es
increible descubrir en los testimonios de
¨My Child My Gift¨, ¨Mi Hijo Mi Don¨, los
mismos sentimientos, ideas y pensamientos.
Qué importante es comunicarse con quienes
vivieron la misma experiencia.
Gracias a Dios, no estuve sola, pero
pienso que hubiera facilitado mucho si
hubiera conocido el libro o la página, a
pesar de no existir internet.
De ahora en más, no estoy más interesada
en los doctores ni en quienes nos hicieron
sufrir más que tener un hija limitada. Ahora
deseo profundamente recordar todo el
enriquecimiento que nos legó nuestra querida
María Lía y compartir todo lo que aprendimos,
uniéndonos a quienes deseen respetar la vida.
Vale la pena!
Maria de la Paz Maroto
de Nadale
-----------------------
I wanted to let you know about something your readers may not know. I
am a celiac, which means that I am intolerant to wheat, oats, barley and
rye, and anything made from them. If I eat them , the villi in my
intestine are stripped, leaving me unable to absorb certain nutrients.
This problem is genetic, and can be symptomless; it can also result in
miscarriage and trauma to a baby in utero. If a pregnant mother has
this undiagnosed condition, it can result in neurogenic defects in her
child, because the mother does not absorb essential nutrients through
her intestine, most notably, iron and folic acid. It may be that a
mother who delivers a child with anencephaly may have this condition, but
that it is undiagnosed. Celiac disease is 98% undiagnosed, and is present in
1% of the population, about as many people as are diabetic. Please
encourage mothers who have had children with neurologic defects to get
tested for this. Any mother who has children with Down's syndrome
should also be tested. I hope this information helps prevent birth
defects.
Lisa Drouillard
--------------------
After reading the first few pages of your book, I immediately knew that this
book was written for people like my husband and me. It has been such a blessing
to have this book minister the beauty of all God's children. . . . Thank you from
the bottom of my heart for ministering to me and for your prayers. I will keep
you up to date on my baby's precious life. God bless you.
Crystal Standiford
---------------
Hi,
I purchased your book in February and was
very glad I did. I gave birth to a daughter
in April with Spina Bifida, and
hydrocephalus, who is doing great. Aside
from a two week stay in the hospital and two
surgeries, she is just like any other baby;
she just has a lot more Doctor's visits for
check ups.
My parents were not very supportive at all.
At first they thought I should terminate my
pregnancy which I could never have done. My
mother has totally changed her view since my
daughter has been born and is now very
supportive. People are definitely scared of
the unknown. No one in my family or my
husband's knew anything about Spina Bifida
so I think they expected the worst. I have
since lent your book to several people. It
made me realize that there are a lot worse
things than Spina Bifida. Today people tend
to use a prenatal diagnosis as a death
sentence which is very scary. My daughter's
neurosurgeon guessed that around 25 % of
Spina Bifida babies are aborted.
Thanks for writing such a great book, I
think it will save lives,
Lori Leland
--------------------
I have
read My Child, My Gift also, and found it
extremely helpful, it was
the first time I got a sense that there
would be some joy in our baby's
birth, despite everything, and that was true
in the end. (Posted to an Anencephaly
Support On-Line Board by a mom whose baby
was diagnosed in utero with anencephaly)
My
Child, My Gift: A Positive Response to
Serious Prenatal Diagnosis
See
this
link for
ordering information.
To
contact author, please email
Madeline Pecora Nugent
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