‘I couldn’t abort her’ says mum who chose life

Five-year-old Amber is looking forward to Christmas, after her mum refused to abort her when she was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in the womb.

Amber, who lives in East Kilbride, has undergone 29 surgeries. Although the youngster has experienced fluid build-up in her skull, she has not suffered any brain damage.

Amber started primary school this year, and unlike last year’s Christmas disrupted by a major surgery at the hospital, the family are planning to spend the holiday together in Aviemore.

‘Don’t give up’

Mum Leanne reflected: “I was told 80% of parents who got this diagnosis then terminated the pregnancy because the outcome wasn’t very good at all”.

But she said: “Even though I was only 22 weeks I could feel her moving about inside me and I thought I cannot go through with the termination – it was like she was telling me not to give up on her yet, she still had a chance.”

Amber was born a month early and immediately rushed into intensive care for surgery.

Even though I was only 22 weeks I could feel her moving about inside me and I thought I cannot go through with the termination – it was like she was telling me not to give up on her yet, she still had a chance.

Support

Opening up on her experience, Leanne shared: “I completely broke down in hospital. I was so scared and couldn’t cope”.

But when she discovered the support group Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland, she said the “first thing someone there said to me was ‘congratulations on the birth of your daughter’.

“She was the first person who had said that to me since Amber was born. It just made me really emotional hearing that.”

Liberal law

In Great Britain, abortion is permitted for most reasons up to 24 weeks, but up to birth if the unborn child is deemed to have a disability such as spina bifida.

Watch the Christian Institute’s Choose Life series – people’s personal stories of how they were deeply affected by pregnancy, abortion and choosing life.