(Photo courtesy of www.BibleVerseImages.com)
I do not usually address volatile or political
topics in my blog posts, but in honor of my very courageous and amazing niece,
I need to speak about life in the womb. My view on this has evolved over a
lifetime of experiences and the deepening of my faith. Today, unequivocally, I
believe that life begins at conception. The experience I just shared with my
niece, as she lost one of her twins last night to premature labor at 18 weeks,
solidified that belief for me. It was the most beautiful, tragic miracle I have
ever seen.
My great nephew, Dylan Charles, was alive almost
until the time he was delivered. At 18 weeks, he was fully formed; with 10
perfect little fingers and 10 perfect little toes. Although it was the saddest moment,
it was also the most beautiful display of the miracle of life, and I say that
being a mother of twins myself. It was such a roller coaster of emotions for my
family. When my niece’s water broke early on Tuesday, we all thought she would
lose both of the precious babies inside her womb. Since their conception, we
had watched them develop. Just a couple weeks before, little Dylan was seen
sucking his little thumb serenely, while his sister, Madelyn, was moving all
around. We joked about how that little girl will be hyper, just like her mommy
was when she was little.
Then the doctor gave us hope. He said it is possible
that once Dylan was delivered, there is a 50/50 chance that Madelyn can still
be saved. There were so many unknowns, but for the first time since my niece’s
water broke, we had some hope. My niece’s labor went into the night and lasted
all day yesterday. I went to work, just planning to stay in touch via texting,
but I realized I simply had to be with my family and I had to see my precious
little great nephew, no matter what his condition at delivery. Although it was
the saddest thing I had ever witnessed, I am so grateful to God that he allowed
me to be there and witness His creation, in all its miraculous splendor.
I also want to say that I have never been more proud
of my niece as I am today. She has not had an easy life. She has had to
overcome a lot of obstacles, including learning disabilities and bullying in high
school. Through all of her trials, she never gave up and she has always been
resilient. She has overcome the odds, time and time again. Her high school
guidance counselor told her she should find a trade, because she would never
make it through college. Well, my niece not only graduated from college, but
she also achieved a master’s degree! With all of her career aspirations, the
one thing she wanted more than anything else was to be a mom. She has always
loved babies and has always been so good with children, including mine.
When she and her spouse decided they wanted to start
their family, my niece discovered that she had fertility issues. After
surgeries and hormone injections, she attempted IFV. She got pregnant, but then
lost that pregnancy. She was devastated, but would not give up. She had surgery
to remove endometriosis, and then she tried again. They implanted 2 embryos.
They both took and we were all elated. Her dream to become a mom seemed to be
coming true. Then, she was hit with this tragedy at 18 weeks into her pregnancy.
She has every right to feel sorry for herself. She
has every right to feel angry and bitter, but her heart is too big and too
loving for that. Even as she was waiting to deliver her 18 week old baby boy,
she talked about how she would someday turn this tragic situation into a
triumph. She spoke about how she would someday help other women who are going
through the loss of a baby. She also spoke about how she may even adopt a
special needs child. I sat in awe of her, and her spouse whom I love, as I
watched their amazing strength through the worst situation of their lives. I
always admired my niece for her resilience, but now she is my hero.
I felt compelled to share this story because it has
impacted me in ways I cannot even explain. To see the range of life and death,
and God’s grace through enormous tragedy, and not share that would be wrong. I
am telling all who are reading this that life absolutely begins at conception.
Life is such a miraculous creation of God. It is so very precious. It should
never be taken for granted. I also want to say that my beautiful niece is a
shining example of what we should all strive towards. She is a fighter for life,
her own and others’. She never lets adversity keep her down and she will fight
with every ounce of her being for what she believes in and for others. She is
an inspiration.
I hope that you do not walk away from this post
feeling sad, ashamed or offended. That was not my intent. My hope is that it
gives people the will to fight for life, no matter how hard and no matter what
the obstacles. Life is precious. Your life is precious. You can overcome
whatever pain with which you are dealing and turn your tragedy into a triumph.
If I ever doubt myself, I will remember how strong my niece is and I will persevere,
just as she always has. Let her story inspire you to do great things, even if
that means keeping an unwanted pregnancy. This is my plea; even if you feel you
cannot care for this child, please, consider adoption. There are so many people
out there who cannot have a child of their own and who would be happy to adopt
your precious baby. I saw life grow in my niece’s womb. It is life and life deserves
a chance. If you have read this post in its entirety, I thank you. May God
bless you and may you be an overcomer, just like my niece.
