“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” – Luke 12:27
Flowers bloom and babies are conceived pure, not through any work of their own – they are glorious, but sometimes their lives are brief, or they may not see the sun at all.
Lily’s Gift, a pastoral initiative named for the flowers of Scripture and an infant who never took her first breath, offers support to parents who receive poor prenatal diagnoses (PPD) including a variety of conditions such as genetic syndromes, heart problems and spina bifida.
The organization was conceived last fall and is modeled after Be Not Afraid, a private non-profit corporation that supports families who receive a PPD and trains local organizations to do the same. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office for Persons with Disabilities, Office for Life and Family and Catholic Social Services are partnering in this ministry.
Lily’s Gift offers a free service focusing on meeting the needs of expectant parents who have received a PPD by connecting them with trained volunteer peer ministers and professionals. They provide care with birth plans, referrals to community support systems, compassionate guidance through anticipated grief, neonatal and stillbirth care, and medical decision making.
“I have been so inspired by the loving response of our Lily’s Gift volunteer peers,” said Sister Kathleen Schipani, I.H.M., director of the archdiocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities.
continue reading at http://catholicphilly.com
In addition to the websites for Lily's Gift and Be Not Afraid, visit the website of the National Catholic Bioethics Center for more information on prenatal diagnoses.
Erin Maguire is a freelance writer from Flourtown, PA
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