A number of mothers nationwide have shared their personal stories of refusing doctor recommendations to abort, giving others hope and encouragement in the midst of much talk about the abortion “rights” bill signed into law in New York on the 46th year of Roe v. Wade.
“This is a story worth telling. This is a life that I could have thrown away. This is the baby who I could have murdered,” writes Kristi Lee Bensinger Maurer, sharing a photo of her daughter, Emma, now 24.
Emma was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at 28 weeks gestation. Maurer gave her child a chance at life, and says that even “before she was born, I knew she was going to have a story to tell.”
“This young lady excelled in school, earning honors and scholarships. This young lady has traveled internationally, played sports and the piano, has sung at Carnegie Hall, was in choirs and musicals and bands, and oh so much more,” Maurer joyed. “This beautiful young lady has chosen a life of service and missions.”
“This gorgeous human being, my beautiful daughter, wouldn’t be here today if I had chosen to abort her 24 years ago, when the diagnosis, that seemingly daunting life sentence, was cast upon her,” she shared. “Can you see what I would have thrown away?”
Sarah Wickline Hull remembers how she was counseled to have an abortion while fighting an aggressive cancer.
“People are talking about the medical necessity of abortion to save the mother’s life. I was one of those mothers,” she wrote. “I will never forget when the first doctor, an oncologist, mentioned abortion.”
“We had gone through years of infertility to get pregnant. I knew I would rather die and give birth. Then I met with another doctor who listed all of the problems the baby would have if I did not terminate. I stood my ground and refused. He said, ‘That is ok. The baby will probably spontaneously abort anyway,'” Hull recalled.
She consequently sought out doctors who would support her stance for life, and not only did Hull give birth to a healthy baby girl, but she also overcame her cancer.
“I will be celebrating 10 years cancer free in May,” she outlined. “I have a healthy, beautiful, bright, precious 10-year-old daughter who is a living reminder that doctors do not know everything.”
Jami Marie was pregnant with twins when she was urged to abort one in order to save the other child’s life.
“‘Baby B is not going to make it, and you’re putting Baby A in serious jeopardy the longer you wait to terminate,'” she recalled being told. “Appointment after appointment, doctor after doctor, boy did they put the pressure on—almost as if they would receive some sort of commission.”
Jami Marie refused, knowing that she could possibly lose one of her children, or both. But at 34 weeks, she gave birth—to two baby boys, both of which are now thriving toddlers.
“I delivered two of the most beautiful, perfect babies I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” she wrote. “Baby A tipping the scales at 4lbs 15oz and Baby B—the baby who ‘will never ever make it,’ the baby in utero with 0% chance of survival—defeated all odds and proved a strength I wouldn’t believe if I didn’t see with my own eyes, blessed this world at 2lbs 9oz and not only never needed a ventilator, but only needed oxygen and a feeding tube.”
“And here we are. Almost 2.5 years later. To think of how different my life could have been had I listened to any single one of those doctors.”
Barbara Shufelt was advised while 26 weeks pregnant to obtain an abortion, stating that her daughter had spina bifida, that her lungs were under-developed, and that survival was unlikely. She declined.
“This is my 27-year-old they said wouldn’t survive,” Shufelt wrote, sharing a photograph of her daughter. “My question is do they really know? Oh, and the small opening they said was spina bifida on her lower back WAS A BIRTHMARK.”
Kate Bledsoe McKinney learned last year that her unborn son had a cystic hygroma and was not expected to survive.
“I was encouraged to go ahead and terminate. In fact, they could even do it that same day. It was nothing to them,” she recalled.
Mckinney had likewise been told years earlier that her twin girls had little chance of survival, and was advised to abort, but they miraculously proved doctors wrong.
“I couldn’t believe I was here again,” she said. “When he came back, I told him that there was no way I was terminating. He then told me about the risks of continuing the pregnancy and what would happen during a stillbirth. He was still trying to persuade me to abort.”
Minutes later, the nurse who came into the room to tend to Mckinney’s blood work encouraged her heart.
“She gently placed her hand on my arm and looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Just have faith. Nothing is too big for God,'” she recalled. “I know God put her there that day to tell me that. I needed to hear it.”
During one visit, after weeks of much prayer, Mckinney asked why her child’s cystic hygroma had not been measured.
“[The attending doctor] gave me this sweet smile and told me that there was nothing there to measure. It was gone. I’m not sure who seemed more shocked,” she shared.
Mckinney gave birth in November.
“He was perfect. 10 fingers, 10 toes and a head full of hair! The doctors were shocked. So much so, they ran every test possible trying to figure out something that must be wrong with him. They all came back negative and clear,” she rejoiced. “He does have a very common small heart murmur that is expected to close on its own. That’s all. The baby that was given 0% percent chance of survival is here and healthy.”
“I firmly believe my faith was tested during this pregnancy. God wanted to see if I would do the unthinkable and terminate His plan. He wanted to see if I would believe in Him to heal our baby. Boy, am I glad I did. I choose life. Yesterday, today and tomorrow. I will pray for New York and the leaders that made that decision. As I know all too well, nothing is too big for God.”
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