The congresswoman was told the diagnosis was fatal, she refused to have an abortion, prayed for a miracle and went looking for a treatment.
Welcome to the world, Abigail!
Via ABC News:
Facing long odds after a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler has announced the birth of her daughter, Abigail Rose Beutler, who suffers from a rare medical condition known as Potter’s syndrome.
“With great joy, gratitude and hope, we are pleased to share with you the news of the birth of our daughter, Abigail Rose Beutler,” Hererra Beutler, R-Wash., wrote on her Facebook page today. “She is every bit a miracle.”
The baby was born July 15 about two months premature. She weighed 2 pounds, 12 ounces at birth. She is now two weeks old so the congresswoman decided to share the news on her Facebook page.
“Although Abigail will need ongoing care after she comes home, we have every expectation that she will lead a full and healthy life,” Beutler, 34, wrote in the post. “We are grateful to the thousands who joined us in praying for a miracle. But most of all, we are grateful to God for answering those prayers.”
The congresswoman announced in early June that her baby suffered from Potter’s, which is often fatal and occurs when the levels of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus are insufficient, leading to underdeveloped lungs. Its kidneys fail to develop properly, a condition known as bilateral renal agenesis.
“There is no medical solution available to us,” she and her husband wrote at the time of the diagnosis. “We are praying for a miracle.”
Facing the likelihood of delivering a stillborn baby, the couple decided to move ahead with unproven treatment by amnioinfusion at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Every week for five weeks, doctors injected saline into the womb to give the infant’s lungs a chance to develop.