{"id":266696,"date":"2022-04-23T15:10:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-23T20:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=266696"},"modified":"2022-04-27T22:58:49","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T03:58:49","slug":"abortion-fetal-abnormalities-regret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/abortion-fetal-abnormalities-regret\/","title":{"rendered":"Aborting a child with fetal abnormalities left this book author with grief and regret"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author Jenny Foster and her (now ex-)husband had a two-year-old daughter and were over the moon when they learned they were expecting a son. But their happiness was short-lived when a 16-week ultrasound revealed several concerning medical issues: a large cyst on the baby\u2019s kidney, a hole in the ventricular system, no atrial septum, and a cerebral malformation. The neonatal radiologist advised the couple to have an abortion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a soul crushing decision to make, to take the life of the son I wanted so badly,” Foster told Live Action News in a recent interview. “At the time, I wasn\u2019t walking with the Lord and my [then-]husband was an atheist. I didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pressure to have an abortion<\/h3>\n

She underwent an amniocentesis to determine if the medical malformities had a genetic component. She later learned that her son did not have a cerebral malformation, but the other medical diagnoses were confirmed. \u201cThere was no genetic component to my son\u2019s medical conditions,” she said. “The genetic counselor told us that the congenital malformations my son had occurs about 25% of the time. I learned later that approximately 120,000 families a year receive a poor prenatal diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctors pressured her to end the pregnancy. Foster told Live Action News that her obstetrician informed her he would not feel comfortable committing the abortion if she waited any longer. \u201cApparently, he felt he wasn\u2019t skilled enough to abort a later term baby, so he urged me to have the procedure done immediately,\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n

After agonizing over the decision and seeing no other options, she decided to proceed with the abortion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first felt my son move at 14 weeks, it was a joyous feeling,\u201d she explained. “Up until the time I was administered anesthesia as I lay on the exam table, I could feel movement.\u00a0It was heart wrenching.\u201d<\/p>\n

A botched procedure<\/h3>\n

After the abortion, she began to have kidney infections. Within three months, she knew something was wrong, but didn\u2019t realize at the time the infections were the result of the abortion. \u201cI was walking around all that time with some of my son\u2019s body parts still inside me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A dilation and evacuation (D&E) was required to extract the remaining body parts, leaving her feeling as if she lost her son a second time. The trauma of the experience left an indelible mark on her psyche, and she was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the D&E, the doctor inserted a seaweed rod into my cervix to dilate it so the body parts could be removed. But it caused trauma to my cervix,” she explained. “Afterward, I experienced a multitude of medical problems such as bladder and kidney infections, a cyst on my cervix and an irritable uterus requiring me to undergo additional surgeries.\u201d She subsequently developed fibromyalgia and thyroid cancer, adding to her struggles.<\/p>\n

READ: People who regret past abortions aren\u2019t hypocrites \u2013 they\u2019re people who learned the truth<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n