When she was just 21 weeks pregnant, Karen Crawford was like every other expecting mother—excited about the life that was growing inside of her, and eager to meet the child God had blessed her with—a daughter named Myla.
Already a mother of six, Karen had the pregnancy routine on lock. Still every blessing comes with their own surprises.
In a recent post written for pro-life group Save the Storks, Karen shares about the day doctors told her that Myla would most likely be born with Down syndrome.
She “vividly” remembers the ultrasound appointment where the nurse measured Myla and tried to get a good picture of her little face.
“Seeing our baby move and play on the screen was incredible,” Karen writes.
When she was finished, the nurse explained to Karen and her husband, Chad, that the doctor would be in soon to re-measure and go over the details of the ultrasound.
“As soon as she left the room, I told Chad something was wrong and that I could tell the lady saw something of concern. He assured me everything was okay just as the doctor walked in.”
Karen resolutely prayed as the doctor did just as the nurse had explained—checked the measurements and reviewed the ultrasound.
When he finished, he took a deep breath, then informed the Crawfords that their baby presented two of the four “soft signs” for Down syndrome.
He advised a blood test which would be able to diagnose the syndrome, and Karen had it done at her midwife’s office.
“My mind was racing as I walked out of the blood test, knowing it would be seven to 10 days before we would have results.”
Karen says she spent the next week earnestly praying and trusting the Lord. And after an excruciatingly long 10 days, she got the call.
“[The doctor] said, ‘Hello Mrs. Crawford, we got your test results back and your baby does have Down syndrome,’ and without taking another breath he went on to say, ‘We can terminate the pregnancy if you like…’”
Shocked and angered by the casual offer from her doctor, Karen responded in true mama bear fashion.
“Never,” she immediately snapped back. “That will never happen!”
Baby Myla, who has Down syndrome, was saved from abortion because her mother fought for her life!
Facebook/Save the Storks
“I was carrying a precious baby—how could he say that?” she writes.
Karen writes she’s since learned that more than 80 percent of babies in the United States who are diagnosed with Down syndrome pre-birth, are aborted. Some studies suggest that percentage is even higher—somewhere around 92 percent.
As Faithit previously reported, that statistic runs even HIGHER in other countries including the U.K., Iceland and Holland.
That was clear at Karen’s next doctor’s appointment when the nurses repeatedly expressed how happy they were that she and her husband had decided to keep the baby.
“My midwife was in tears telling me that ‘No one ever keeps the babies with Downs.’
She was so happy that this baby had been given to us and so was I.”
Karen says modern prenatal practice relies heavily on genetic testing and resorts to termination when “possible Down syndrome” presents itself.
“This breaks my heart. I pray that Myla’s life might make a difference in this terribly sad and heartbreaking statistic. I hope her life helps raise awareness about Down syndrome so others might see that termination isn’t the answer. Life is too special and important.”
Facebook/Save the Storks
“Down Syndrome obviously has its struggles, but so does everything this side of heaven,” she wrote. “We need to bring awareness to things like Down syndrome so people won’t be so afraid of it.”
