{"id":329533,"date":"2025-04-15T10:38:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T15:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=329533"},"modified":"2025-04-15T06:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T11:25:50","slug":"mom-encouraged-abort-doctors-worked-save-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/mom-encouraged-abort-doctors-worked-save-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Mom encouraged to abort baby, even as doctors worked to save others like him"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It is tragic when the story of a child with a prenatal diagnosis is exploited in an effort to promote the intentional killing of other children.<\/p>\n

As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/a>, Megan Kling and her husband Sam had two daughters and were expecting their first son. But at 21 weeks and five days, an ultrasound revealed that there might be a health concern with their preborn baby boy. There appeared to be a lack of amniotic fluid \u2014 a sign of a serious, life-threatening condition for the baby. The doctor, Dr. Kaitlyn Cunningham, knew that it was likely bilateral renal agenesis \u2014 also called Potter syndrome \u2014 and sent the couple for a more specialized ultrasound at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, where the condition was confirmed.<\/p>\n

But this story from the Journal Sentinel isn’t actually telling the whole<\/em> story.<\/p>\n

Potter syndrome and survival\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Potter syndrome is a condition in which the kidneys do not form, preventing the preborn child from urinating. This causes a low amount of amniotic fluid. The lack of amniotic fluid leads to underdeveloped lungs and other concerns in the preborn child. Without kidneys or fully functioning lungs, children with the condition are likely to die at birth.<\/p>\n

Though the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reported that Potter syndrome carries a 100% mortality rate, there actually are<\/em> survivors.<\/p>\n

Abigail Beutler<\/a>, the daughter of former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and her husband, has lived nearly 12 years since receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Potter syndrome. Abigail was given a chance to survive through experimental amnioinfusion, which involves injecting fluid into the amniotic sac \u2014 improving lung development and potentially increasing the survival rate.<\/p>\n

Herrera Beutler went into premature labor at just 28 weeks in July 2013; amnioinfusion carries this risk. Abigail was put on dialysis due to her lack of kidneys; once she was strong enough, she received a donated kidney from her father. She is now 11 years old and is reportedly doing well.<\/p>\n

Another little girl, Katalina<\/a>, was diagnosed with Potter syndrome when her mother Esther Quiralte was 21 weeks pregnant. Her doctor told her there was nothing that could be done and that abortion was the “best option.” After conducting her own research, Quiralte found Dr. Michael Barsoom at CHI Health, who agreed to help her. She began traveling from California to Omaha, Nebraska, for amnioinfusions \u2014 even temporarily relocating to Omaha with her husband and three-year-old daughter to have 15 infusions before going back to California to give birth. Katalina was born and underwent dialysis while awaiting a kidney; though she had a long journey ahead of her, she was alive.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t listen to all of these doctors telling you \u2018no,\u2019 because there will be one telling you \u2018yes,\u2019 \u201d she said. Katalina is reportedly “happy” and “normal.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Barsoom is the family’s hero, but according to him, \u201cThe real hero in her life is her mother because she had to endure all the travel. And even if she didn\u2019t have to travel, she had to endure having the procedure once a month. And if it wasn\u2019t for her mother\u2019s resolve, she wouldn\u2019t be here.”<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (@stanfordchildrens)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n