a womb-baby's heart

 A couple of weeks ago I reflected briefly upon some of the uncertainties that parents face, especially when an abnormality is detected in their womb-baby.  I linked to the evolving story, as told by Petrina and Dave on their blog, whose womb-baby's heart was in distress; whose little body was distended with fluid that the wee heart was failing to direct through the tiny body.

We are a family who believe in the power of prayer, and we are asking GOD to protect this unborn child and mother; to guide the minds and hands of the professional care providers, and to bring blessing through this difficult time.


Some years ago a young couple spoke to me about their womb-baby, who had been diagnosed with a serious heart defect at the 19 week anomaly scan.  They had been anticipating the wonder and joy of the birth of their first child.  Instead they experienced unutterable shock.  They had been advised to abort the baby.  They quickly and confidently declined the offer.

Our faith community at that time united in prayer for the young couple, and for their womb-baby.  We prayed for him each time he had surgery, and we have watched him grow. 

This week his story has been told in a Herald Sun newspaper article.

IN Melbourne's eastern suburbs on Friday, a boy called Kush will join classmates at a graduation dinner celebrating the end of his primary school years. Last year, he qualified for his school's cross-country competition and he plays cricket every weekend.
He's a kid who was never expected to live long enough to even start primary school, let alone finish it. This little chap functions on only three heart chambers. He's cheeky and smart and he has a mile-wide smile.
He has endured four open-heart surgeries - the first was when he was just five weeks old.
At 19 weeks gestation, medics discovered he had a serious congenital heart defect. They recommended termination because of the likelihood he would die early and painfully.
But his parents would not consider abortion.

In reflecting about our young friend Kush, and about Petrina and Dave and their womb-baby, I want to encourage midwives to remember that the life of a baby in the womb, even a womb-baby who has an imperfect heart, is a gift from God to that family.  As they learn to do whatever is possible to promote health and wellness, they also learn to accept the possibility of loss of a child - a journey that one would never choose.  These are life lessons, and are the lessons our parents and grandparents had to learn, in a different time, when the possibilities of restorative medical and surgical interventions were vastly less than they are today.

I am sure it has been difficult for Petrina and Dave to share their journey, often not knowing what the next day will bring, with an open audience.  Yet I sense that they and others will be helped, as a little network forms around a tiny and less than perfectly functioning womb-baby's heart, knowing that they are not alone. 

In a society which pretty well assumes that it's *best* that a baby who may not survive birth should be aborted - terminated - I honor parents who stand against the prevailing trend, and treasure the life of that womb-child.


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