{"id":251341,"date":"2021-08-16T16:40:31","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T21:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=251341"},"modified":"2021-08-16T15:07:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T20:07:47","slug":"defend-diagnosed-anencephaly-angela-parents-chose-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/defend-diagnosed-anencephaly-angela-parents-chose-life\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We are going to defend her’: Diagnosed with anencephaly, Angela’s parents chose life"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Children like Sonia Morales\u2019s daughter Angela prove that all babies are miracles no matter the length of their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, Angela<\/a> was diagnosed with <\/span>anencephaly<\/span><\/a>, a neural tube defect in which a baby may be born missing parts of the brain and skull.\u00a0<\/span>Many anencephalic infants die shortly after birth, but in an interview with Live Action News, Sonia explained that Angela\u2019s head was not completely open like in some anencephaly cases, and only one part of her brain was exposed. Angela lived outside the womb for nearly four years after her birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>WJAR-TV<\/span><\/a>, Angela sadly passed away in 2017, just a few months shy of her fourth birthday. While her daughter\u2019s life was brief, Sonia said she considers herself \u201cblessed\u201d to have been given \u201cextra time\u201d than she expected to have with Angela. Every life has a purpose, and Sonia believes that her daughter\u2019s is to bring \u201chope\u201d to parents who have received a similar diagnosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through the Facebook page,\u00a0<\/span>Baby Angela: A Miraculous Journey with Anencephaly<\/span><\/a>, Sonia does just that by sharing Angela\u2019s story, as well as information about anencephaly. She also posts pictures of her daughter, showing others the unconditional love Angela enjoyed during her time here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Refusing Abortion<\/b><\/p>\n

Sonia received the anencephaly diagnosis during a 16-week ultrasound appointment, where a doctor informed her that Angela was \u201cincompatible with life.\u201d Upon hearing the news, Sonia cried, as she \u201calready loved this child\u201d and was \u201cwaiting for her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After another ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis, Sonia was told to speak with some counselors at the hospital, who proceeded to inform her that most parents faced with this scenario choose abortion.\u00a0<\/span>When the counselors asked Sonia what she wanted to do, she replied, \u201dI want to keep this baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Sonia, abortion was \u201cnever\u201d an option for her,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cbecause I already loved my child, and I knew I had to defend her right to life,\u201d Sonia said. \u201cMy love for her didn\u2019t change after the diagnosis.\u00a0<\/span>So, I was not the one who created the heartbeat, and I was not going to be the one ending her life,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the appointment, Sonia went home and told her husband that they were going to have a baby girl and, having already chosen a name, she told him they were going to call her \u201cAngela.\u201d Then Sonia informed him of the diagnosis, embracing him as they both cried.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the pair held each other, Sonia\u2019s husband said, \u201cWe are going to have this baby like this.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Sonia was glad for the support, as it meant her husband was \u201cchoosing life for [her] baby as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo that was very reassuring that, yes, we are going to keep this baby and we are going to defend her, and we\u2019re going to give her the only life we can give her,\u201d she said. \u201cEven if it is a few minutes or hours, we are going to love her, and we\u2019re going to make sure she is respected with dignity. And that\u2019s what we did.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo: Baby Angela: A Miraculous Journey with Anencephaly<\/p><\/div>\n

Choosing Life Over Fear<\/b><\/p>\n

When Angela was born, she did not cry or open her eyes, and her lips were slightly \u201cblueish.\u201d At first, Sonia feared the baby was stillborn, but she saw that she was still alive after Angela moved her fingers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Angela\u2019s family rushed to take pictures and collect her handprints, and they also had a priest come in to baptize her. While Sonia and her family did not know how long Angela had to live, they savored their time with her, which thankfully lasted for a few years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sonia noted how many may still wonder why she carried Angela to term when she knew the baby had a disability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she was disabled because she was not able to walk or talk or do any activities, like any other child,\u201d Sonia said. \u201cBut her life was beautiful. And even though she was disabled, she was able to enjoy the only life she knew because she was happy all the time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite her condition, Angela would move her head and eyes when she heard her family\u2019s voices, which Sonia believes is a sign that she knew who they were.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cShe knew that she was loved and here, and we didn’t care,\u201d Sonia said. \u201cWe didn’t care that she was disabled because we treated her as we treated our older child who was healthy.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cAnd we wanted her to enjoy her life even with her disabilities. And she did. And that’s what matters,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Sonia, carrying a baby like Angela to term \u201cleaves no regrets,\u201d as it means choosing \u201clove and life over fear.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can give birth to a baby who is going to pass, but naturally,\u201d she said. \u201cWe defend them from the moment of conception until they die naturally… [T]o be honest, I don’t carry any regrets because I know I did absolutely everything that I could to save her, to help her, to guide her, and to protect her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sonia said that when she speaks with mothers whose babies have been diagnosed with anencephaly, she sympathizes with their pain, assuring them that they will not regret choosing to spend time with their child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is heartbreaking. It is a bittersweet journey,\u201d she said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, you know, it was worth it because your baby lived, even if it was a minute or two hours or days or months or years, as my daughter did, you never know how long those babies are gonna live if we don’t give them the right life first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike\u201d Live Action News on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for more pro-life news and commentary!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Children like Sonia Morales\u2019s daughter Angela prove that all babies are miracles no matter the length of their lives.\u00a0 In 2014, Angela was diagnosed with anencephaly, a neural tube defect in which a baby may be born missing parts of the brain and skull.\u00a0Many anencephalic infants die shortly after birth, but in an interview with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":617,"featured_media":251342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9455],"tags":[1779,11899,1049,11900,11901,11898,127],"yoast_head":"\n'We are going to defend her': Diagnosed with anencephaly, Angela's parents chose life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Children like Sonia Morales\u2019s daughter Angela, who had anencephaly, prove that all babies are miracles no matter the length of their lives.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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