A Wrong Diagnosis Could Have Cost Me My Life
Shauna Bauer
Abortion is a very controversial issue. It always has been and probably always will be. These days, the battle between pro-life and pro-abortion activists seems to be very intense. There is a great need for support of the pro-life movement. That is just one reason I want to share my story with you.
The issue of abortion hits very close to home with me. I have to thank my parents for making the right decision because I didn’t really have a say in the matter at the time. My mother was on her eighth pregnancy. About twelve weeks into it, she started having problems. After having three miscarriages, she knew that she should get to the doctor. She went to see her doctor and had a cat scan done. These were thought to be safe for pregnant women at the time. The found cysts on both of her kidneys. The diagnosis was polycystic kidneys. This disease eats away at the kidneys and can be deadly.
My parents went to a specialist and he recommended that she have an abortion. They were given two reasons why they should do this. One was that polycystic kidneys is hereditary and could be passed on to the child. The second reason was that when a woman is pregnant, her kidneys have to work extra hard. So, if my mother decided not to terminate the pregnancy, she could possibly die.
The outlook was not good. If she went ahead with the pregnancy, she could die. Even if she gave birth, the child could have polycystic kidneys as well. My parents didn’t even think twice. They knew that abortion was not an alternative.
Fortunately, my mother had no further problems with the pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy daughter. My mother told me later that they put their trust in God and knew that He would take care of her.
It’s been almost twenty years since that all happened and my mother is doing fine. The doctor she goes to now believes that the diagnosis of polycystic kidneys was wrong. She believes that what my mother has is called simple kidney cysts, a condition that is neither hereditary nor life threatening. That one wrong diagnosis could have cost me my life.
The point I’m trying to make is that my parents trusted God. They knew that abortion was and is wrong. My mother took the chance of losing her life because she very strongly disagreed with abortion. That makes such a statement; not only about the wrongness of abortion, but also the strength of my parents faith.
This has also brought me closer to God. God has helped me share my story not only with you, but also with my peers. I went to a public high school where in one class we would often have debates about abortion. When my classmates and I would debate about the abortion issue, I was able to share my story that I have just shared with you. I told them that if my parents believed in abortion, I would not be here. Even though it didn’t change everyone’s mind about abortion, it did make them think twice.
I just can’t understand how there can be such extremes concerning abortion. My mother took a chance of dying because she refused to have an abortion. Other women have had several abortions because it was inconvenient to be pregnant and have a child at that time. The battle to ban abortion is a very long and tough fight. But with God on our side, I can’t imagine how we could lose. I can thank God that my mother and I are here today to help fight the good fight.
