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Poor prenatal diagnosis

A few weeks ago we found out via ultrasound hat our seventh child has a Malformation of genetic makeup called trisomy13. Two days ago we had a clearer ultrasound that piled two more things on top of that- alobar holoprosencephaly and tetrology of the fallot. These three things combined make it highly possible that the baby will die soon after birth or even before.
I would love your prayers.

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Permalink Reply by Carol on June 26, 2010 at 10:30am
Elizabeth,

We will pray for you and your baby!

Carol
Permalink Reply by Patricia on June 26, 2010 at 12:35pm
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, deign to send your holy angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect and defend this precious child of Elizabeth's. Stretch forth Your holy right hand upon her child. For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and we glorify You, Father+, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Elizabeth,
Please be assured of our prayers for you & your baby. Consider having your priest administer the Anointing of the Sick (or anointing for healing) to you for your baby. As your due date nears, have some Holy Water with you so that you may Baptize your little one if necessary.
God bless you!! And thank for loving this child & offering them every chance at life & love despite the pain & fear you must be experiencing. May you grow closer to our Lord & His Blessed Mother during this time.
Permalink Reply by StephC on June 26, 2010 at 1:22pm
Elizabeth, you, your husband and your wee little one have my prayers!

Of course you do not need to answer this here, but have you and your husband considered asking a particular "Blessed" to petition Our Lord for a miracle for your child that might then lead to the Blessed's canonization? (If not, of course that's okay...I just wanted to put the idea out there, as it was a new concept for me until a few years ago.)

Also, just in case you're interested & when you're ready, there's an informative and supportive resource called www.BeNotAfraid.net

God bless you--St.Gianna, pray for us!

Stephanie
Permalink Reply by Patricia on June 26, 2010 at 2:54pm
StephC,

Be Not Afraid is an excellent resource for support -- thanks for the reminder. Another one is Prenatal Partners for Life:
http://www.prenatalpartnersforlife.org/

God bless--
Permalink Reply by elizabeth arendale on June 26, 2010 at 3:24pm
I am in touch with benotafraid. They have been really helpful with thinking of the pragmatic side of things and also validating my thoughts and emotions.
Two of my brothers are priests so rest assured- some type of baptism will be performed at the earliest possible moment- in the labor and delivery room likely.
Permalink Reply by Sherry Antonetti on June 30, 2010 at 1:42am
Dear Elizabeth,

It is very difficult to receive such a devastating bit of news about one's child. You and your whole family will be in my prayers. I know a few friends who have received parallel diagnoses of their children. Be Not Afraid was an excellent resource for one of my friends. Take good care of yourself and let others pamper your family as much as possible.

Sherry
Permalink Reply by Tima on July 4, 2010 at 10:06pm
Elizabeth,
Be assured of my prayers! God Bless your heart for the sacrificial love you have for this little soul and for the example you are showing to all of us.
Permalink Reply by Amanda C. on July 8, 2010 at 4:09pm
A friend in my La Leche League has just gone through the same thing. Her newborn son Gideon was born with encephelceles with microcephaly. he wasn't expected to live past birth, but has just celebrated his 7th week on Earth. She found comfort in Angie Smith's blog, Bring the Rain. http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/

I will keep you in my prayers.
Permalink Reply by Pamela Karol on August 24, 2010 at 9:33pm
I am so sorry for this cross you have to bear. My prayers are with you & and your family.
Permalink Reply by Lisa Seeley on February 28, 2012 at 1:52pm

You & your husband are in our prayers.

A good friend of mine had a baby with Trisomy 18.  Here is her story.  Perhaps it might be a comfort to you.

My Little Mariposa

By Christy Wall

 

The technician’s hand is poised over my swollen belly like a child standing with a net, waiting to catch the butterfly.  The baby flutters and turns in the warm water, I can almost see her pretty face laughing.  There is a wild trail of goo on my skin marking the dance of my daughter as she cavorts within my womb.   I am breathless with her beauty.

My daughter.  My daughter, Clara.  It is music to my ears to say her name.   She pauses for a moment and the technician starts measuring with clicks and whirls of the machine.  I am so enamored with her pretty little round head that I do not see the horrendous cysts taking up the space where her brain ought to be.  Her arms wave in front of the camera like a sweet greeting and my heart swells with love, but I do not see that the other one lies floating in sea, for it has no bones.  The misty floaty thing, the technician says to me, as I admire her curved spine, is her bowels.  I can not even process this information, for she has taken off again in a flight of fancy, swirling and leaping in joy.  And finally, the technician mentions the heart that is doing nothing because it is broken.  I look at the technician with wide eyes “But my heart is all she needs.”

 

“Yes”, she agrees slowly.  “But your baby will die once she leaves your womb.”  Tears well up and in a moment I am sobbing.  I am overwhelmed.  My little daughter is alive and rejoicing in life.  She knows my voice, the beating of my heart, the measure of my step.  She knows the deep voice of her father, the laughing voices of her nine brother and sisters.  She is home and has a family.  My womb gives her the only life she will ever know.  Every moment within my womb is a moment of joy and love and comfort that she would not otherwise have.  Because the minute she is born, the world will kill her.  What mother does not wish to protect her child with her very body?  And I am given the unique privilege of giving her the only life and protection she will ever know.

 

But there is more.  With God’s grace, I will carry this baby in my womb for 20 more weeks.  20 weeks to know her better, for the children to talk to her, for her to kick with her two good strong legs, for her to laugh as she plays in the waters which belie her floating intestines and arm, for her to love because she does not need a brain to love. 

 

And after that, I will bring a priest and the family to the hospital.  And I will deliver this baby into the arms of the priest who will baptize her.  She will be born into Life, then.  Eternal life. 

 

What greater blessing can a parent know?

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