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Friday, March 20, 2015
Our Eliana is Compatible With Life and Especially Love by Naomi Coy
Confused. Upset. Scared. Angry.
These were my feelings when the high risk doctor from Riverside Hospital’s Maternal
Fetal Medicine told me that my baby was going to die. He told me she had
Trisomy 18 and bluntly stated that she was, “incompatible with life.” He asked
my husband and I if we wanted to "terminate the pregnancy." We politely declined.
He asked us again. We told him no once more. For a third time, he strongly
stated that she was going to most likely die in my womb and there would be no
reason to further the pregnancy. Once again, we declined, but this time we
added, “This baby is our child. We just saw little arms, legs, fingers and toes
on the ultrasound! Just because she has an extra chromosome and a few
abnormalities, doesn’t mean she is not our sweet, precious baby. We are
pro-life and you are not going to change our minds.”
Eliana made it to 33 weeks
gestation before she had to be delivered due to her cord blood flow being
reversed, which could have caused her to be stillborn. She was born December 5th,
2014. She needed help from the CPAP to open up her lungs (just like most
preemies). She was transferred to Children’s Hospital due to her little heart
having many unforeseen abnormalities.
Her cardiologist said, “Eliana’s case is the most complex I’ve had in my
entire career.”
Originally, the Heart Center at Children’s Hospital denied her
heart surgery, knowing that without it she would die. Her neonatologists told
us that they’d give her narcotics, take her off respiratory support, let her
pass in peace and allow her to “die with dignity.” Up to that point, she had been low on her
oxygen requirement and moderate on her pressure requirement. She just needed a
little help -- help which the medical community denied her. I contacted 8 different
children’s hospitals around the nation. A
surgeon out of St. Louis, who is extremely Trisomy-friendly, offered to do the
lifesaving surgery! Once I told Eliana’s cardiologist that we were planning to
transfer, he kicked things into high gear. He took a surgeon aside and pleaded
with him to do the surgery on Eliana. He agreed!
On February 26th, Eliana got
the heart surgery she desperately needed! She is doing very well and we are
working with her neonatologists to get her home. She still has many, many obstacles to
overcome, but the fact is, we gave her the opportunity to fight. We fought for
her in the womb when she didn’t have a voice. We fight beside her now.
Eliana loves to smile. She loves to
have her head rubbed. She loves to stare and look all around. She has a feisty
personality which she gets from her mommy. She has a stubborn will just like her
daddy. She is a child. She has been discriminated against because of the number
of chromosomes she has, but chromosomes should not determine the value of a life.
The PRO-LIFE
MOVEMENT is upon us! There is a worldwide movement forming. Many organizations supported the Geneva Declaration on Perinatal Care
which was presented in front of the United Nations on March 11th.
This declaration will end terminology like “incompatible with life” and promote
support for mothers to continue the pregnancy after a fatal diagnosis, such as
Trisomy 18. I urge everyone to join in the
movement!
Abortion should be illegal because
EVERY life, no matter how short, has value!
We don’t know how long we will have Eliana. We are very thankful and
grateful for every minute we have with her. We believe she is completely
compatible with life and most certainly compatible with LOVE!!
BIO: Naomi Coy is a wife, mother and pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She has almost 18,000 followers on her Facebook page, Eliana's Journey!
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2 comments:
God is good and you are amazing parents. Your beautiful daughter was given especially to you because the good Lord knew you would LOVE her and that is what is most important., Bless you<3
Eliana is beautiful and a precious and purposeful Creation of God.
"Compatible with LOVE!" Awesome! Im going to be getting some milage out of those three words! ;-)
Precious Jesus, I plead the Precious Blood, Your Blood, over the doorposts and lentils of this child and family's lives. I ask that Eliana be a gift of immeasurable worth to them, to the world and to Your Kingdom. Flood their souls with your love. Cocoon them with the Loving and healing embrace of our God. In the Matchless and Changeless Name of Jesus Christ I ask this. Amen.
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