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After a 20-week scan revealed possible heart abnormalities and genetic concerns, medical staff twice offered to abort a Christian couple’s baby. Six weeks of fervent prayer later, the heart defect was gone — and their son is nearly ready to be born.

It happened twice. Both times, a genetic counsellor calmly told my wife and me, “I want you to be aware of all your options, including termination.” For months, those conversations have replayed in my mind, bringing back the initial emotions of shock, anger, and horror. Now, as my wife and I prepare to meet our son in a matter of weeks, his story is already a testament to God’s power and faithfulness.

Earlier this year, my wife Abby and I learned that we were expecting our second child. Despite having faced some unexpected challenges during labour and postpartum with our first child, we were thrilled by the news. Throughout the first trimester, the pregnancy progressed without any complications.

The 20-Week Scan

I accompanied Abby to her 20-week anatomy scan, where we planned to find out the sex of the baby together. Initially, everything seemed perfect. Abby and I stared in amazement as the baby came into view. We watched with delight as the little body moved, alternating between playing with their feet and sucking their thumb. A few minutes into the scan, the technician accidentally revealed the baby’s sex — another little boy! I recall leaning forward, watching the screen as I whispered, “Thank you, Father, for the gift of this child.”

As the scan progressed, the technician’s mood gradually changed. Although neither Abby nor I are medical professionals, it became clear that the technician was spending additional time hovering over the baby’s heart. As the ultrasound approached an hour in duration, both Abby and I sensed that something was wrong.

After about 90 minutes, the technician left the room, and Abby and I prayed, bracing ourselves for what the doctor might say. Eventually, the doctor came in and told us that it appeared our son had a double aortic arch, a serious heart condition, and other possible heart abnormalities, which would require surgery shortly after delivery. He also said there were two indicators suggesting the baby might have Down syndrome.

Still processing the news, we were led to a small office. A genetic counsellor soon joined us and asked if we understood what the doctor had said. We admitted that we did not fully comprehend everything. Patiently, the counsellor reviewed the doctor’s notes. She explained it was too early to know definitively what might be wrong with our baby’s heart, but that we could do an amniocentesis to find out if our child carried a genetic condition — or we could just make plans to end the pregnancy.

Abort Our Baby?

Abby and I were still grappling with the phrases “heart condition” and “genetic disorder” and did not immediately respond when the counsellor first mentioned abortion.

Once the gravity of the remark finally registered, I felt numb. We had just watched this little boy, our second son, play with his toes and respond to the ultrasound probe. Minutes earlier, we had cried tears of joy. And now someone was calmly mentioning abortion in reference to our child.

“Terminate the pregnancy?” I mulled the counsellor’s words in my mind. As I continued to sit in stunned silence, Abby’s voice began to shake as tears came to her eyes.

I came to myself and explained that abortion was not an option for us. We were not going to end our child’s life because he might have a genetic condition or physical abnormality.

The counsellor responded by noting that it was our decision and suggested that we wait six weeks to learn more about the baby’s heart. She also said we could do some blood work to confirm a genetic disorder. She then thanked us for our time and walked out.

Praying for Our Baby

I would like to say that my wife and I were subsequently model Christians in how we responded to the news. We were not. We both fretted over the various genetic conditions our son might have. Research suggested that if he had a double aortic arch, he would need surgery immediately upon birth.

But we prayed. And cried. And called out desperately to God. Every night, I placed my hand over my son and prayed for God to intervene. We prayed for healing and that God would be pleased to restore our son to full health.

Two weeks later, we received the results of the blood work. According to the results, our son did not have Down syndrome or any of the other major genetic conditions that were tested. We were thrilled. I sank to my knees and thanked the Lord for the healthy report. Now we could focus on the situation with the baby’s heart.

However, within an hour of the good news about the genetic testing, we met via Zoom with someone at the hospital who explained the results more fully to us. Once again, it was a genetic counsellor.

After reiterating that our son did not have a major genetic disorder, she reminded us that at 22 weeks, abortion was “still an option,” especially given the unknowns about baby’s heart condition.

Almost instantly, my wife and I experienced simultaneous emotions of shock and rage. Abby could not respond as emotion overwhelmed her. My heart raced, and I felt flushed. “You’ve just told us that our son is healthy, and you think we want to kill him,” I thought.

“Thank you, but that’s not an option for us,” I think I responded.

“Okay, well, he’s likely to grow up and live a typical, healthy life, and you have nothing to worry about,” the counsellor replied.

Abby, who had carried our son for nearly five months at this point, struggled to make it through the rest of the call. She motioned for me to answer the remaining questions, and I tried to conclude the appointment as quickly as possible.

Answers to Prayer

Four weeks later, at our 26-week appointment, we received encouraging news. Following the ultrasound, a doctor explained to us that with six additional weeks of development, the double aortic arch the cardiologist had suspected no longer appeared.

Instead, he has a right aortic arch, a rare condition that is less serious and does not require immediate medical intervention.

The doctor smiled and said, “Your son will not need immediate surgery when he is born and might not ever need it. It’s something we will just want to monitor as he grows.”

After walking with the Lord for close to three decades, I have experienced several instances of answered prayer.

It is difficult to imagine something surpassing that moment in the doctor’s office. For six weeks, every night, Abby and I had poured ourselves out before the Lord.

We had begged God to heal our son’s heart.

I do not think we will ever know exactly what took place in my wife’s womb between the 20-week ultrasound and the appointment at 26 weeks. But somehow, someway, God touched our little boy and healed him.

I do not think I will ever have adequate words to explain the joy and gratitude that washed over us in that moment.

I have always believed that God hears and can answer prayer. I also know that God is not obligated to answer any specific prayer, but I will never forget the gracious answer He provided to the prayers we offered over the course of those six anxious weeks.

Choose Life, Not Abortion

As Abby and I celebrated the wonderful news with our family and friends, I kept thinking about the genetic counsellors and their offers of abortion.

Before going to bed that night, I made my way over to my wife’s side of the bed. Kneeling just as I had over the previous six weeks and placing my hand on her stomach, I thanked God for the healthy prognosis.

But I also prayed for other couples who had received a heartbreaking diagnosis. I prayed for those who had, like us, been offered abortion. I prayed that they would choose life.

Our story so far has had a happy ending. Our little boy is likely to grow up and live a normal, healthy life. Although the news we ultimately received was good, I know that other couples in our situation have received different news.

My hope is that God gives families facing challenging medical situations grace and strength. My wife and I believe that God is the author of life and that every life, regardless of physical or mental ability, is made in God’s image and possesses inherent dignity and worth. A diagnosis does not diminish that.

Reflections on the Medical Industry and Abortion

But another lesson from our story is how quickly medical professionals were willing to offer us abortion.

In both instances, the counsellors acknowledged that there was much they did not know. In the first case, it was possible but not certain that our son had a heart defect. There were indicators of a genetic condition but no definitive evidence.

And yet, despite the many unknowns, abortion was offered immediately. And in the second case, the counsellor celebrated the blood work with us that ruled out genetic disorders and then mentioned abortion as one of our options. When we told her that we would continue the pregnancy, she then reminded us that our son was healthy.

God’s Faithfulness, and Advocating for Life

I am not sure why the Lord allowed our family to experience six weeks of unknowns related to our son’s health. However, what I do know is that it grew our faith and dependence on God.

I will forever be grateful for the healing work he accomplished in my son, and I look forward to one day telling him about how God has sustained him from the womb (Psalm 71:6).

Another result of this experience is my renewed resolve to work toward a culture that values all human life. In such a world, no one would offer a confused, grieving couple abortion minutes after learning about a potentially life-altering health condition. No one would celebrate the good news of a test result but quickly remind you that abortion was “still on the table.”

Unfortunately, a review of the laws in many of our states and the campaign pledges of many of our candidates for public office remind us that our culture devalues and degrades life in far too many ways.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps outside of Krakow, Poland. I have always been interested in the battles of World War II and the larger-than-life figures like Winston Churchill who mobilised the free world to fight Nazi tyranny.

Nothing could have adequately prepared me to walk through a former gas chamber or see a room filled with children’s clothes that had been stripped from the backs of boys and girls before they were marched to their deaths.

Throughout the day, I kept asking myself how anyone, even in a fallen, Genesis 3 world, could carry out these atrocities against their fellow human beings. And then I was reminded that the Nazis were convinced that entire classes of people were subhuman.

In the fight against abortion, we are confronting the belief that a category of humans — pre-born children — are not full persons with moral standing. This dangerous, horrifying conviction fuels the abortion industry and its political supporters and leads well-meaning counsellors to suggest that aborting a healthy child could be “an option.”

I have spent nearly a decade challenging the falsehoods of the pro-abortion movement. I have written a book, presented dozens of pro-life lectures to thousands of people, and preached several sermons.

However, the moment when my wife and I were personally presented with abortion still left me reeling.

Although we were both horrified and unnerved, the experience has left us with an even stronger resolve to advocate for life and support families who face challenging medical circumstances.

One day, I assume my son will read these reflections, since they are the earliest part of his story. I will conclude with some words to him:

James, Lord willing, you will be with us in six weeks. Mama and I are so excited to see you and introduce you to the world. These past few months have been filled with excitement, surprise, and not-so-patient waiting on the part of your parents. I pray that you will grow up and never remember a time when you were not aware of your Heavenly Father’s love. He has already worked a miracle in you. Your life is already a testament to the goodness of God. As your father, my most fervent hope and prayer for you is that you love God and determine to follow Him. I also hope that you will be shaped by the conviction that everyone has God-given dignity and value and that you will embody a pro-life ethic in every area of your life. I love you, son, and I cannot wait to meet you.

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If you or anyone you know needs support with an unplanned/crisis pregnancy or is hurting after a past abortion, please reach out to Pregnancy Help Australia: https://pregnancyhelpaustralia.org.au/

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Republished with thanks to The Washington Stand. Originally titled, “The Son We Were Told We Could Terminate”. Image via Adobe.
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