Mom Of Daughter With Down Syndrome Mails Letter To Doctor Who Suggested Abortion
When Florida mom Courtney Baker found out she was expecting her third child, she assumed it would be like her first two — very easy and relaxed. However, early on in her pregnancy, her baby was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Courtney was scared and nervous, just as any parent would be, when she heard the news, but she expected her doctor to be there to tell her everything would be okay. However, Courtney’s doctor did just the opposite. He told her how hard it would be to raise a child with Down Syndrome, and said it would lessen their quality of life. Ultimately, he recommended she and her husband abort the pregnancy.
Wow: Woman Writes Letter To Doctor After He Told Her To Abort Her Baby With Down Syndrome https://t.co/6t6hSgn7aY
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 9, 2016
When her doctor told her she should abort her child, Courtney was shocked and hurt. Even after she refused to consider abortion, Baker said she still felt pressure from the doctor to end her pregnancy, and felt incredibly unsupported.
Now, Courtney’s daughter Emersyn Faith is 15-months-old and is a happy, healthy little girl. She brings joy to those around her, and has a contagious smile that could light up a room. According to Baker, her daughter is absolutely perfect.
Mom of child with Down Syndrome writes an open letter to the doctor who suggested abortion: https://t.co/0wqxJpH6yP
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 9, 2016
Over the past year, the doctor’s words have replayed over and over in Courtney’s mind. So much so that she decided to write him a letter to tell him how wrong he was to suggest aborting her little girl just because she had Down Syndrome. After completing the letter, Baker shared a copy on her Facebook page. Read a portion of her letter below.
“I came to you at the most difficult time in my life. I was terrified, anxious, and in complete despair. I didn’t know the truth yet about my baby, and that’s what I desperately needed from you. But instead of support and encouragement, you suggested we abort our child. I told you her name and you asked us again if we understood how low our quality of life would be with a child with Down syndrome. You suggested we reconsider our decision to continue the pregnancy. From that first visit, we dreaded our appointments. The most difficult time in my life was made nearly unbearable because you never told me the truth.
“My child was perfect.
“I’m not angry. I’m not bitter. I’m really just sad. I’m sad that the tiny beating hearts you see every day don’t fill you with a perpetual awe. I’m sad that the intricate details and the miracle of those sweet little fingers and toes, lungs and eyes and ears, don’t always give you pause. I’m sad that you were so very wrong to say that a baby with Down syndrome would decrease our quality of life. And I’m heartbroken that you might have said that to a mommy even today. But I’m mostly sad that you’ll never have the privilege of knowing my daughter. Emersyn.”
Baker said it was therapeutic to finally drop the letter into the mailbox with the help of her little girl Emersyn. She said she isn’t sure how the doctor will react to her words, but she hopes it will change his way of thinking when it comes to unborn children diagnosed with disabilities.
“Every action, from opening and closing the mailbox to raising the red flag, was closure for me,” Baker told ABC News. “I have no idea how the doctor might have reacted to my letter, but I do have faith that God can work any miracle, and he can change any heart.”
[Photo via Shutterstock]
