When we learn that we are waiting for a baby, there is always a desire that everything goes well during pregnancy and childbirth. But sometimes, for some reason, the development of the fetus is not as expected and some babies are born lifeless or doctors give them little chance of survival due to their condition.
Many women choose to terminate the pregnancy, while others choose to continue, to have at least the opportunity to see and carry their baby, even if they are only a few hours or days. But certainly the case of Keri Young of Oklahoma, is one that is moving the entire world. She You have decided to continue the pregnancy to donate your baby's organs when she is born.
Keri and her husband Royce received the news that their daughter Eva, as they decided to call him, would be born without a part of his brain and skull due to a condition called anencephaly when they went to their medical appointment when they turned 20 weeks of pregnancy. In most cases, the baby dies before birth or a few hours or days after birth, and rarely survive childhood.
Due to her condition, Eva will only live a few hours or days, which devastated the couple. But Keri has decided to turn this sad news into something hopeful, continuing the pregnancy to be able to donate Eva's organs when she is born, and thus save the lives of other babies.
A few years ago a similar situation occurred in Britain, in which a couple waiting for twins knew that one of them suffered from anencephaly and, as in the case of Keri and Royce, they decided to continue the pregnancy and donate the organs of one of their babies . In the end, the baby only lived two hours, becoming the youngest organ donor in Britain.
Since they learned of her condition, Keri has been posting on her personal Facebook the progress and news of her pregnancy, as well as the reasons for her decision.
This is the perfect heart of our daughter. She has perfect feet and perfect hands. He has perfect kidneys and a perfect liver. Sadly, he doesn't have a perfect brain. Recently we learned that she suffers from anencephaly and that it is terminal. Faced with terrible options We have decided to carry the pregnancy to term so that Eva, which literally means life, can grow strong and give life to multiple people through organ donation. This was not an easy decision.. For the next 20 weeks I will feel her kicks, the hiccups and we will be able to hear her heart, all while we know that we can only have a couple of hours with her when she is born. As you should imagine, we are devastated but we have an incredible support system with our family, friends, church and doctors. We are choosing to try and see the positive in this situation and enjoy our time with Eva, and be grateful for the impact she will have on the world with so little time to spend on it.
The couple, who already has a son named Harrison and has been going to appointments with their doctors, learned that Donating your baby's organs could save up to 50 lives in less than 24 hours. Royce, Keri's husband, shares the admiration he feels for his wife in making this brave and difficult decision, in a publication that tells about the process they have had to go through:
"The other night, before leaving for New Orleans, I saw my beautiful wife sleeping peacefully on the couch. I looked at her lying there, her big belly with our daughter kicking her, a daughter who will not live more than a few days, and I felt overwhelmed by how amazing this woman is"Royce begins to tell, that being a writer he usually writes what he feels and saves it for him, but now he decided to share what he and his wife Keri have lived.
"I thought about the moment we found out that Eva was not perfect, and how literally 30 seconds after our doctor told us that our baby had no brain, somehow, through a horrible and complete cry, Keri looked up and asked: 'If I carry it to term, could we donate your organs? '", Royce continues to narrate.
"I remember that our doctor placed his hands on Keri's shoulder and said, 'Oh, dear, that's something very brave to say.' As if to say, how nice you say that, but come on. Keri meant it. There I was, head down and heartbroken, but momentarily I felt elevated out of the moment and just looked at her in amazement. I was a spectator in my own life, watching a superhero find his super powers. In what is literally the worst moment of your life, finding out that your baby will die, it took less than a minute to think about another person and see how you could help. It is one of the most powerful things I have experienced".
In the message Royce says that they met a child who needed a kidney and motivated them even more to continue their decision, and talks about how difficult the whole process has been. But above all it counts what worries him most: how difficult it will be when the day comes on Eve, be born and return empty-handed home.
"Many people say things like 'I wouldn't change anything' after a difficult situation, but I won't say that. I would definitely change this if I could. I want my daughter to be perfect. I want her to blow the candles on her first birthday. I want to see how you hit your head on the living room table while you learn to walk. I want to see her run with the cell phone bill for sending messages to boys. I want to accompany her on her way to the altar. I want to change all that with a lot, very much. But I can not. This is our reality. And there is no way to stop it."
Since making their decision public, Keri and Royce They have received hundreds of messages full of good wishes, motivating them and supporting them in this difficult process. They thank each show of affection and ask people to keep them in mind in their prayers so that things go as well as possible.
Keri's estimated due date is May 7, and they plan to spend as much time as possible with their daughter while she lives. What would you have done in this situation?
