This is the real story of a young woman who was in a crisis pregnancy situation. She received all the help needed from Life Line Malta. Listen to her touching story!
Life Line Malta is the support & care arm of Life Network Foundation
Din hija l-istorja ta’ mara li esperjenzat tqala mhux pjanata u li llum il-ġurnata tghin nisa ohra li għaddejjin mill-listess sitwazzjoni simili taghha.
Life Line Malta is the support and care arm of Life Network Foundation
A mother who adopted a child with Down’s syndrome has shared her inspiring story.
The anonymous mother, who adopted Harry, shared her adoption story with the Metro, as part of their ‘Adoption Month’ news coverage.
After struggles with infertility and a miscarriage, the mum decided she wanted to adopt, and was approved to adopt a child aged three or older.
After several months in the process, she was given Harry’s profile.
“I asked specifically for a child with Down’s syndrome and the very next day, I received Harry’s details.”
Harry was a dream from day one
When the mother received Harry’s details, he was just four months old.
Despite being only approved to adopt a child aged three or over, her unique experience meant that the adoption agency made an exception and allowed her to adopt Harry.
The mum had grown up in a family where disability was not uncommon.
In July 2016, after six months of paperwork, she finally got to take him home. “Harry was a dream from day one,” she said.
There were challenges of course: “When he was young, he used to often be sick at night, all over the bed, due to reflux issues. Cleaning up the vomit for the millionth time is the only time I thought to myself ‘I can’t do this’ – but you just have to grin and bear it.
Children born with Down’s syndrome are often hard to place. “There are so many kids out there who need a home. I would absolutely encourage people to adopt a disabled child, as they can be the hardest to place but have so much love to give.”
“I’m now looking at adopting a second child, perhaps one with Down’s syndrome – but I am keeping an open mind. Fingers crossed, Harry will have another sibling next year.”
Scale of Down’s syndrome abortions
Sadly, this inspiring story takes place against the backdrop of 3,183 disability selective abortions across England & Wales in just 2019, with 656 of those occurring following a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome.
At the same time, a recent report revealed that pregnant mothers who refuse to abort their children with Down’s syndrome are being pressured by some medical professionals to change their decision.
One mother, whose child is now four-years-old, said medical professionals told her they could leave her baby with Down’s syndrome to die if it was struggling after birth.
Another mum recounted that even at 38 weeks pregnant she was being offered an abortion.
Right to Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said, “Unfortunately there is so much stigma surrounding Down’s syndrome and more inspiring stories like this one need to be heard. But there is hope. The High Court in London will soon hear a landmark case against the UK Government over the country’s discriminatory abortion legislation, which singles out babies with disabilities by allowing terminations right through to birth for conditions including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.”
“This young mum’s story is just one example of the positive impact that the Down’s syndrome and disability communities have across the United Kingdom. In 2019, 656 babies were aborted due to a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Every one of those lives lost represents a failure of our society to embrace those with disabilities inside and outside the womb.”
This is www.righttolife.org.uk opinion piece
A 21-year-old mum who delayed cancer treatment rather than have an abortion has now been given the all clear.
Ellie Whittaker from Chesterfield was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October 2019 while she was also 16 weeks pregnant. Ellie was told that chemotherapy to treat the cancer could harm her unborn baby, so her doctors told her she should have an abortion.
“I don’t regret my decision and I’d make the same one again given the choice.”
Ellie refused to have an abortion and decided to delay chemotherapy until after her daughter was born.
‘The doctor advised I have an abortion because cancer treatment could cause problems for the baby. There was no way I was going to give her up so I chose to delay it.’
Her daughter, Connie, was born on 18th March 2020, and by that time the cancer had progressed. Ellie started treatment almost immediately after the birth.
She said: ‘I tried to spend as much time with Connie as I could before I started. I remember crying and thinking I wouldn’t be able to be there for her.
‘I knew the chemotherapy would take its toll.
‘But when they scanned me the cancer had progressed to stage three – it had spread to my stomach and spleen.’
The all clear
Ellie underwent 12 gruelling rounds of chemotherapy between March and September before doctors finally gave her the all clear in October 2020.
“I’m so pleased it’s gone and I can focus on being a mum.”
“Connie’s an amazing baby – she started teething and trying to sit-up. She’s the quietest baby and sleeps through the night. I wouldn’t change her for the world.”
Pressured to have an abortion
Women are advised or even pressured to have abortions for many different reasons. They are often pressured to have an abortion if doctors think their child might be disabled.
In 2017, a damning report from the UK’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) accused Marie Stopes International (now MSI Reproductive Choices) of paying staff bonuses for persuading women to have abortions.
In October of this year, a nurse in the UK said she was left fearing for her life and needing emergency surgery after MSI Reproductive Choices denied her proper counselling and pressured her to take abortion pills at home, rather than under the supervision of a doctor in a clinic.
Right To Life UK’s spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said: “It’s wonderful that Ellie is now free of chemotherapy and her daughter is healthy. It’s so encouraging to see this brave mother refuse an abortion despite potential risks to her own health.”
“Sadly, in this case the doctors are endorsing a form of twisted logic that says: ‘Better to have an abortion than risk harming the baby.’ In reality of course, nothing could harm the baby more than ending his or her life through abortion.”
This is a www.righttolife.org.uk opinion piece
A woman in her early twenties came to us asking for an abortion…she was scared and unsure, and looking for alternatives…
After a few sessions with our counsellor she decided to keep her baby. Moreover, during her ultrasound examination she heard not one but two heart beats! Twin boys were on their way to the world.
Unfortunately, soon after she was given a negative diagnosis and told that one of the boys would probably die, possibly even losing both…
Can you imagine how hard her journey was…?
Amazingly, following our support sessions and doctors’ appointments she delivered her two beautiful and healthy baby boys!
A girl called in panic considering abortion…in fact she had already ordered and received the abortion pills by post.
Our team members kept meeting with her for over a month, discussing all the options with her. Following her counselling sessions, she chose to have her baby!
And, of course, as promised we helped her in all she needed, including things like the baby bag, pushchair, milk, baby cot, etc. We continued to support her for over a year.
After 1 year both the mother and her baby daughter are doing very well and giving each other unconditional love every day!
We got a call from a pregnant girl who was a relapsing drug addict and raped. The girl was in a very bad emotional state…
Nevertheless, after many meeting with our counsellor she changed her mind about having an abortion and decided to give her baby up for adoption!
Later, the baby girl was born. Our volunteers took great care of her until she was released for fostering.
A healthy and happy girl is now going to be adopted giving a lot of love and joy to an expecting family.
The birth mother is now also doing well following a rehabilitation programme.
One day we received a call from a foreigner working in Malta…she was troubled as her boyfriend had just left her…the reason behind the breakup was an unexpected pregnancy, and her refusal to abort their child.
She called us for help and soon after we went to visit her in a tiny cramped apartment. She decided to collaborate with us and our team helped and supported her in every possible way: we booked her prenatal care, assisted her during delivery, after child’s birth – with baby materials, babysitting and so on.
Now that 18 months have passed, she is happily settled in a shared rental apartment with her baby daughter… and while mummy is working her precious one is taken care of in a child’s centre.
