Hello, my name is Shellie and I would like to share my story with you. When I was 20 years old I was in a very unhealthy relationship. My boyfriend was abusive, I stayed in the relationship hoping he would change. Finally, I decided this was not what I wanted for myself, and I left. As time went by I started worrying that I could be pregnant. The home pregnancy test confirmed my fear.
It's hard to put all my emotions into words, I was terrified! Not to mention the embarrasment of having to tell everyone about my "mistake." What would they think of me? How was I going to raise a baby on my salary? I contacted my ex-boyfriend and told him the news. At first he told me to get an abortion, then he said we should get back together. I decided to give our relationship another try for the baby's sake. That lasted about 2 weeks, until he became abusive again. This time I left him for good ,I feared he would hurt my baby.
When I went to the doctor, it seemed to me the health care workers thought it best for me to terminate the pregnancy. They said things like,"what do you plan to do about this pregnancy?" In my mind there was only one thing I could do-- have a baby.
In the 6th month of pregnancy I had my first ultrasound. The ultrasound tech was acting a little strange, I asked him if something was wrong. He said that because he wasn't a doctor, he was not allowed to discuss the results with me. He did however tell me I was carrying a boy. I was sent home with pictures of my little boy.
Since that was Friday, I had to wait until monday for my doctors phone call. That was the worst week-end of my life. On Monday the dreaded phone call came, I'll never forget the words. " Your baby has an abnormality in the brain." I don't remember saying good bye, I do remember dropping to my knees and crying. At my next ob appointment a women doctor took me in her office, she proceeded to explain that I would be better off if I terminated the pregnancy. She told me my baby would be retarded, and that a termination would be best for him. His condition was called hydrocephalus, (fluid on the brain) I was determind to have this baby even if the whole world was against it! Another doctor recommended that I have labor induced at 32 weeks, so that a shunt could be put in his brain to drain off some of the fluid.
I prayed that my little boy would not be retarded. I told God that I would love my little boy and accept him no matter what. God did give me a healthy baby, the surgery was never needed. Although he still has hydrocephalus, it has caused no problems. Dylan is almost 9 years old now, and how I would love to take him to the doctors and show them the little boy the world would be" better off without." God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, who is a terrific father. I thank God for all he has done for me, I never was alone. I pray for all the women who are faced with an unwanted pregnancy. At the most confusing time in their lives people seem to be pushing them to terminate. Abortion is not the answer! In this time of fear and uncertainty, please take time to learn about your options, become informed about fetal developement. And get ALL the facts on abortion.
When things seem so hopeless It's hard to look into the future and see how things can turn out for the good. An unwanted pregnancy can turn into a very wanted child. When I learned of my pregnancy,I cried. I wasn't married, the father was definitely not "father" material. I didn't have the best paying job in the world. I worried about my baby growing up without a father.Don't give up, reach out for a helping hand extended out to you. There is help out there to assist you in keeping your baby. when things seem hopeless, lean on others for support.
Shellie
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