December 17, 2009

Dear family,

It has been over five weeks since we sent out our news about our little one. We have not had any more news until last week when we finally started in on the round of specialists. There was a mix-up and our information did not make it to the high-risk unit until we started calling around ourselves, but in the end this was a blessing as we had a very peaceful month, lifted up by the prayers of others, praying for healing and trusting in God.

The appointment started with an hour-long ultrasound (see the two attached pictures), where we received confirmation that our baby is indeed a girl, followed by an appointment with an obstetrician. The ultrasound was very uplifting: it was wonderful to see our baby in three-dimensions, looking so beautiful. The results, however, were not positive. The doctor, rather than focussing on the diaphragmatic hernia as we had anticipated, was primarily concerned with apparent chromosomal issues, what we had originally considered a secondary issue. Her concerns were enough for us to decide to do an amniocentesis, which occurred on Tuesday, preceded by an appointment with a geneticist on Monday.

We received the results of the amnio yesterday, and it is with great sorrow that we were told that our baby has trisomy-18, a fatal condition. Trisomy refers to three strands in a chromosome, instead of two, and when this occurs in either the 13th or 18th chromosome, as is the case with our baby, significant abnormalities occur. The other possibly trisomy is 21 and is the cause of Down's Syndrome. A child with either trisomy 13 or 18 can die in utero or during labour, and if our baby is blessed to leave Rebecca's womb alive, we pray that God allows us the time to both bond with her and also prepare to let her go.

Because of the concerns raised before the amnio, we had anticipated that our little girl had one of the two serious trisomy conditions, so the news yesterday did not come as a shock. Since last Thursday, we have sensed that we were entering a time of sadness, but it is a sorrow accompanied by the joy of knowing our little girl, even if it ends up being for too short a time.

Today we had another appointment with the same high-risk pregnancy physician as last Thursday. We are not focussed on the particular symptoms our baby is facing right now because they could change somewhat, but as we get closer to birth, we will need to decide what degree of intervention we want to make. We are not inclined to do anything heroic, but certain procedures may extend her life for long enough that the procedures are worthwhile. Surgery in Toronto seems unlikely now. Please pray that God will give us the wisdom to make the right decisions.

We are still praying for God to heal our baby, but if God does not bring healing now, He will do so after death, and in both cases, it is a miracle. It is not a question of whether she will be healed, but when. Our baby will be dancing in His presence sooner or later. While we hope and pray that God will heal her now, our prayer is primarily that God would give our baby a death that is painless and peaceful while still hoping for a miracle on this side of heaven. We also pray that our other kids, especially our older ones, have the grace to prepare for whatever is to come.

We thank all of you who have offered support, both in prayer, in words of encouragement, and in practical ways. We miss not having our family close in times like this, but we thank God for the amazing community He has blessed us with in Ottawa.

Our baby girl continues to be very active in the womb, which is a great comfort. We have not yet named her, but hope to do so soon. When we do, we will let you know. We do not have another appointment scheduled until after the New Year, and we will pass along any updates.

As we prepare for Christmas, we know that Christ came into the world to bring life. His Life is present in our little girl, and for that we give thanks through our tears.