Everyone suggested Bethan to have an abortion because of a terrible diagnosis, but (PHOTOS/VIDEO)

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Everyone suggested Bethan to have an abortion because of a terrible diagnosis, but (PHOTOS/VIDEO)
Everyone suggested Bethan to have an abortion because of a terrible diagnosis, but (PHOTOS/VIDEO)
Anonim

26-year-old Bethan and her husband Kieran experience real horror after they find out that their unborn child has a terrible disease. At first they thought they had to terminate the pregnancy before they learned there was another option

During a routine check-up at 20 weeks, the parents learn the terrible news. The unborn baby's head was not the right size. The mother was sent to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, where the baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition where the baby's spinal cord does not fully develop in the womb. This disease can affect the child's ability to walk.

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"They said our little girl had spina bifida. We were offered to continue the pregnancy, terminate it, or a new option called fetal surgery to fix the problem before the baby was born," Bethan recalls.

Until now, the procedure has only been carried out in Belgium, but Bethan - who is due to give birth in April - is one of the few mums to be operated on by a team of Belgian and British surgeons in London.

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“The baby and I went through amniotic fluid tests, an MRI and a scan. We got approval and scheduled surgery. - In the next few weeks, our lives were full of anxiety.

The surgery was performed when Bethan was 24 weeks pregnant. She is only the fourth mother in the UK to undergo this intervention.

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“I had the most famous surgeons from around the world from University Hospitals in London and Belgium looking after me.”

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The surgery itself involved removing the baby from Bethan's womb and restoring the spinal cord so that it would have a better chance of a normal life. The fetus was then placed back into Bethan's womb for the remainder of the pregnancy.

"Unfortunately 80% of mothers in England who have this diagnosis choose to terminate the pregnancy. However, this is not a death sentence. The child has the same chance as any of us. Yes, there is a risk that things can go wrong, but please think more about spina bifida it's not what it used to be. I feel my baby growing and kicking me day after day like nothing happened. Our daughter is very special she is a part of history and showed us how much she deserves this life," says Betan.

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