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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Terminate, Interrupt or Choose Life?




by Kate Chetta

“Poor prenatal diagnosis”– These words are sudden, jarring and unbearable. My world came crashing down when I learned that LILY, my second daughter, bore this horrendous fate. It must be a mistake, I thought; but test after test by the best Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists in the country made it clear that Lily was extremely sick from something called congenital CMV. The damage to her little body was severe. If she did survive birth, she would likely be severally disabled, with what doctors deemed a “very poor quality of life”.

As I sat in the examination room and the initial shock subsided, I asked the doctors what they would do if they were in my situation. Without hesitation, the doctor said “I would “interrupt” the pregnancy”. My head began to spin as I tried to grasp the meaning of those words. He was telling me to end my pregnancy – to abort my child. In that moment, I fully understood the fear, desperation, and hopelessness experienced by families who are forced to make a choice between what the experts tell them and what their hearts long for.

My husband and I thanked the doctors and went home. We decided we would savor and celebrate whatever time we had with Lily. My husband read to her and kissed my belly, her older sister gave her hugs and told her she loved her. We made a conscious decision to make each day special to celebrate her life, no matter how brief.



The above was written by Kate Chetta – Mom of 4 to Sophia,5, Julia, 2, and Dominic, 6 months, and Liliana in Heaven. Married to Gaetano, the bestest man ever for 8 years this May. Have the privilege to be a SAHM to my kids in addition to directing the Jeffersonville A Baby’s Breath. Love hiking, birding and crocheting.


Lily’s Gift is a network of concerned parents and professionals who have experienced or worked closely with issues surrounding poor prenatal diagnosis. Modeled and trained by Be Not AfraidSM, volunteers from Lily’s Gift offer a free service of practical guidance and compassionate care focusing on meeting the needs of expectant parents as they seek to honor the life of their baby no matter how frail or how brief.  For more information on this organization, please use this link.  



Voices for Life is an e-publication dedicated to informing and educating the public on pro-life and pro-family issues. To read our Mission Statement, use this link. Follow us on FacebookGoogle, and Pinterest.  Help us spread the pro-life message by sharing our articles on your favorite social networks.

Pregnant, need help or know someone who does?  


National Hotline: Call 1-800-712-HELP or Text 'HELPLINE' to 313131.
In Southeast Penna:  Call or text 610-626-4006  

If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available.  Call Project Rachel's national toll-free number 888-456-HOPE (4673) or visit hopeafterabortion.org.  


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