Mum pens powerful letter to doctor who told her to abort her child with Down syndrome
She hopes no other parent has to experience what she did
Courtney Williams Baker has written a letter to the doctor that recommended she get an abortion when she was told she’d have a child with Down syndrome.
In the emotive letter shared on Facebook, she said she dreaded doctors appointments after that moment and has told her story in a bid to raise awareness about having a child with Down syndrome.
On Facebook it said: 'Dear doctor, A friend recently told me of when her prenatal specialist would see her child during her sonograms, he would comment, “He’s perfect.” Once her son was born with Down syndrome, she visited that same doctor. He looked at her little boy and said, “I told you. He’s perfect.”
'Her story tore me apart. While I was so grateful for my friend’s experience, it filled me with such sorrow because of what I should have had. I wish you would have been that doctor.
'Instead of support and encouragement, you suggested we terminate our child. I told you her name, and you asked us again if we understood how low our quality of life would be with a child with Down syndrome. You suggested we reconsider our decision to continue the pregnancy.
'From that first visit, we dreaded our appointments. The most difficult time in my life was made nearly unbearable because you never told me the truth. My child was perfect.
'I’m not angry. I’m not bitter. I’m really just sad. I’m sad you were so very wrong to say a baby with Down syndrome would decrease our quality of life. And I’m heartbroken you might have said that to a mommy even today. But I’m mostly sad you’ll never have the privilege of knowing my daughter, Emersyn.
'Because, you see, Emersyn has not only added to our quality of life, she’s touched the hearts of thousands. She’s given us a purpose and a joy that is impossible to express. She’s given us bigger smiles, more laughter and sweeter kisses than we’ve ever known.
'So my prayer is that no other mommy will have to go through what I did. My prayer is that you, too, will now see true beauty and pure love with every sonogram. And my prayer is when you see that next baby with Down syndrome lovingly tucked in her mother’s womb, you will look at that mommy and see me then tell her the truth: “Your child is absolutely perfect.”'
It was posted on , which aims to raise awareness of having children with Down syndrome.
It's a genetic condition, caused by having an extra copy of chromosome 21. According to the charity website Extra 21 there are around 60,000 people in the U.K. living with the condition and two babies are born everyday with it.