PORTLAND – A Republican congresswoman from Washington has given birth to a ‘miracle baby’ after refusing abortion as an option when told that the chances of the child’s survival were small.
Representative Jamie Herrera Beutler and her husband Daniel announced the birth of the child, a girl, on her Facebook page on Monday.
“With great joy, gratitude and hope, we are pleased to share with you the news of the birth of our daughter, Abigail Rose Beutler, on Monday, July 15 at 3:13 AM at Emanuel Legacy hospital in Portland. She weighed two pounds, twelve ounces and was only 28 weeks along,” the announcement read. “She is every bit a miracle.”
Earlier this year, Beutler, 34, was informed that Abigail had a fatal condition known as Potter’s Syndrome. The baby’s lungs were not developing properly due to a lack of amniotic fluid and would likely die, the doctors said. Therefore, Beutler was given the option of either aborting Abigail or letting the baby die on her own. But being pro-life and a Christian, Beutler knew that there was really only one choice: to trust God.
“Multiple doctors explained that based on medical evidence her condition was incompatible with life and that, if she survived to term, she would be unable to breathe and live only moments after birth,” the family explained. “The options we were offered were termination or ‘expectant management,’ that is, waiting for her to die. Instead, we chose to pray earnestly for a miracle.”
However, a group of doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital was willing to try a test procedure to see if it might help encourage the child’s lungs to grow. Beutler received regular injections of saline and prayed for a miracle.
“There was no way to know if this treatment would be effective or to track lung development, but with hearts full of hope, we put our trust in the Lord and continued to pray for a miracle,” Beutler’s husband stated.
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The congresswoman went into labor early, but little Abigail survived. She made her entrance into the world with a healthy cry. However, as her kidneys were not functioning, she was transported to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in California where she underwent surgery, and received dialysis treatment.
“As far as every doctor we’ve spoken with knows, Abigail is the first baby with bilateral renal agenesis to breathe sustainably on her own,” Beutler’s husband marveled. “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 family says that they will be sharing more of Beutler’s miracle story in the future. Abigail is now two weeks old and the congresswoman is doing well.
Beutler has been serving in office in 2007, when she was appointed to the Washington House of Representatives to replace Richard Curtis, who resigned following sex scandal allegations. She retained her seat in an election the following year, and again won by a landslide in 2012.
