According to Florida mom Courtney Baker, she was pressured by her doctor to abort her baby after the unborn child was diagnosed with Down syndrome. While Baker refused and now has a beautiful 15-month-old daughter named Emersyn, the incident continued to trouble her.
As a result, the mom wrote a heartfelt letter to the anonymous doctor in order to get some peace.
“Every action from opening and closing the mailbox, to raising the red flag, was closure for me,” Baker told ABC. “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.”
Baker’s letter, which was sent last month, was also posted to Parker Myles’ Facebook page, a blog run by mom Kat Abianac, whose goal is to educate people on raising kids with Down syndrome.
“Dear Doctor,” the mom writes. “A friend recently told me of when her prenatal specialist would see her child during her sonograms, he would comment, ‘He’s perfect.’ Once her son was born with Down syndrome, she visited that same doctor. He looked at her little boy and said, ‘I told you. He’s perfect.’”
“Her story tore me apart,” she continued. “While I was so grateful for my friend’s experience, it filled me with such sorrow because of what I should have had. I wish you would have been that doctor.”
Baker goes on to explain how she was anxious about her visits to the doctor, even before her unborn baby was diagnosed. When she finally received the news, her doctor continually pressured her to abort, reiterating “how low our quality of life would be with a child with Down syndrome.”
"Emersyn has not only added to our quality of life, she’s touched the hearts of thousands. She’s given us a purpose and a joy that is impossible to express."
Noting that she is not angry or bitter, the mother tells the doctor how her baby girl Emersyn has changed her life for the better:
“Emersyn has not only added to our quality of life, she’s touched the hearts of thousands. She’s given us a purpose and a joy that is impossible to express. She’s given us bigger smiles, more laughter and sweeter kisses than we’ve ever known. She’s opened our eyes to true beauty and pure love.”
Baker now hopes the doctor will “see true beauty and pure love with every sonogram.” She ended her letter saying: “My prayer is when you see that next baby with Down syndrome lovingly tucked in her mother’s womb, you will look at that mommy and see me then tell her the truth: ‘Your child is absolutely perfect.’”
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that occurs in one in every 700 babies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2009, ABC reported that Down syndrome births were on the decline as more women were aborting their babies after receiving a prenatal diagnosis. Then, in 2015, studies confirmed that the Down syndrome community was reduced by 30 per cent.
This issue is one of the reasons Baker decided to share her story. “Emmy is proof that children with special needs are worthy and can change the world,” the mom-of-three said. “She’s doing it right now.”
On Facebook, Baker’s post has received over 6,000 likes and 3,000 shares. In the comments, many shared their own similar stories with heartwarming endings.
“My doctor did the same to us about our son, Draco. The negativity he spewed made us stop going to him for 2 months until termination wasn't possible anymore,” one user wrote. “We love [our son] to the moon and back. Yes, there have been medical issues, but the love more than makes up for it.”
Another said: “I was told after my 12 week ultrasound to ‘don't bother doing anymore testing. Just abort. And try again. You are young. You won't be able to handle a disabled child.’ Fast forward 3 years later! And she is my little superhero!”
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