I was pregnant, at 40, in 2000. It was quite a surprise. Around my second month I started bleeding heavily and went to the hospital to discover that I had been carrying twins and had miscarried one of the twins. The second baby had a very strong heartbeat. My pregnancy progressed pretty normally for me, no morning sickness and little weight gain. Because of my age my midwife recommended an amniocentesis, but we declined, since we had decided when we had our 3 other children that we would accept what God gave us. Instead, my ob sent us to a perinatal specialist for a Level II ultrasound, to check for Downs Syndrome, etc.

I went to the specialist in May, 2000 (due in October), and the baby was too small to see much. I went back July 7 and the "specialist" told me there were a number of things she saw wrong. Enlarged heart muscle, echogenic bowel, severe growth restriction and low amniotic fluid. She said that the baby had "severe chromosome abnormalities, incompatible with life" and that we should go to California immediately and abort the baby. She didn't think we should put ourselves through the pain of losing the baby at birth, or having her surive the birth but be a "vegetable" who wouldn't live more than a few months. She even offered to go before the Arizona Medical Board to get permission for a late term abortion (I was 26 weeks), but strongly urged us to terminate as soon as possible. She did an amniocentesis, so we would "know what we were dealing with".

I went home devestated, in shock, and went on the internet to research the problems she had found. I found alternate explanations for each and every "chromosome abnormality". We returned for another checkup a week later to let her know what we were going to do, and we told her about what we had found. She said "You aren't looking at the Big Picture". I also told her about a vision I had had in answer to a prayer, and that I knew my baby girl would be ok. She said I was "letting myself in for more pain" and that I should not wait any longer to have the abortion. She would not even talk about the alternate things we had found, and pressured us to "take care of the problem" immediately. We said we would not, because we knew the baby would be fine.

Well, a week later she called us with FISH results (preliminary to the amnio), to let us know that it was "worse" than she thought, and that she had never seen results like this before. She said she would go before the Board immediately to get permission for the abortion. We told her we would wait for the amnio results. Three days later she called to "give us the good news". The results were completely NORMAL!!! I said "I told you so" and promptly changed doctors.

To make a long story short, my baby was born at 29 weeks, weighing 1 pound 1 ounce, but perfect in every way. She spent 4 months in the hospital; had infections; was on a ventilator for a while; but, she is a perfectly normal, healthy 2 year old now. Emily Faith.

I wrote a letter to the "specialist's" senior doctor, letting him know what happened. I have never heard a word from him or the specialist. Not even an apology.

I thank God each and every day that I DID NOT listen to the "specialist". I feel God gave me a sign because there was no one I could talk to, or at least I didn't know enough to try and find someone to talk to. My husband Doug, and I felt such extreme pressure to act immediately on her advice, that I cringe when I think of the parents who may have listened to her, because of her position, and aborted normal healthy babies. It makes me cry.