Choosing Life After an Adverse Diagnosis

Now you need me makes my heart hurt think that there are thousands of children that were never fought for singly because of their location, because of their health status. This Rachel guy. She is living, breathing proof that we have a creator who loves us and informed each one of us in a unique and special way. Rachel is here with her parents, Suzanne, Peter God, and they have an incredible story to tell. Determination, love and hope. This is Focus on the Family and hostess books president Dr. Jim Daly and John John working to share an inspiring story from a family a great family have a passion for life of passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ. And that's a good combination there. They've been through quite a journey with their daughter, Rachel, and what God did in her life has really changed each of their lives.

And you know they experienced hardship with doctors and what the prognosis was working to get into all that this is that kind of program that you're pregnant want to share with a friend that's going through some kind of difficulty. They may not feel like they know how to trust the Lord.

This is a trust the Lord story and will get into it with Suzanne and Peter and their daughter Rachel right now and Suzanne is a pro-life speaker. She served as an advocate at a crisis pregnancy center in Georgia for eight years. Rachel was also very active in pro-life causes. She's the leader of Marietta, 40 days for life then Peter is actively involved supporting both of those women and their efforts to defend pre-born babies well welcome to each and every one of you. Thank you for being here to be here yeah good and Rachel good have you thinking it's good let's start Suzanne Peter with your story before Rachel's birth than what was going on.

You were really active in the pro-life movement of her arrival obviously changed everything but tell us about your backgrounds and what was going on spiritually for each of you and then get married and what's happening while I had the privilege and meeting Peter in college I had given my life to the Lord started in the middle of my college journey and out one of the first things that God convicted me out and he had a whole lot a stop that he could have convicted me.

I have but the biggest thing that he convicted me about was my choice on being pro-abortion I had bought into the lie woman's right woman's body.

When I gave my life to the Lord. It was the first thing that he senses the first of all, not only is that not letting women while distinct human being that is left out of the narrative in the my body, my choice that other body involved. So God really did a work in my heart.

The crazy thing I did nothing with I will say I change my voting habits is very convicted. I knew that I had to start seeking out people that actively supported the sanctity of all human life. Other than that I did not do anything you meet Peter anywhere you in that position were saying well if you want to date me.

I go to church regarding church.

Well, that's another college romance truth is I was born and raised as a Christian scientist and met Suzanne in college. We went to the same high school but never saw one another mutual friends never saw one which was unusual and Suzanne and her mom Mary led me to the Lord through some gnashing of teeth and other things. But it was it was a challenge, but what we ultimately agreed upon was that she would start giving me books about being a Christian, and pro-Christian and I said I would stop reading the science and health. The Scriptures we just both focus on the Bible and that's where we landed a great decision that was signed God's word and then I became a believer and was saved to get married and then what's the family plan was said about children. Did you want to get started right away what was happening, you know, we had always really helped that we would be able to have children right away and just assume that that would happen and as the years went on, we realize that not everybody is blessed that way. To be able to get pregnant right away and that wasn't very very hard lonely at times, devastating journey. I just want to say to anybody listening. If you're struggling with infertility God sees. He carries any here is very hard when you had to go through that struggle physically and it was seven or eight years later, I think, a very different story correctly that you had some breakthrough in that area. What happened while we were very blessed by will tell you just something before I say that that God was really doing the work in my life personally saying Suzanne this is good right and beautiful dream that you and Peter have even need to dream more important than the dream giver and that was really finding moment in my life of real surrender and setting free that I just said to the Lord I'm so sorry because it was a good night beautiful thing. I didn't realize that I needed more important than you and I made the dream giver back on the throne of my heart made him the focus and I was really finally freed and you know went back to school to study teaching and then lo and behold one of those days.

After many, many, many trips to going to the different drugstores to get the pregnancy test. We saw that little line Shallotte and we could not believe it that we were pregnant so you read the positive pregnancy test and you start with the doctor what's happening in those early weeks of pregnancy. Everything is going pretty normally or what's happening while we had been told, because we had so much trouble conceiving and struggled with infertility. We were told that we really needed to go to one of the best hospitals with the best practices with the best doctors so we were heavily it was heavily suggested as to go to this particular doctrine. This particular practice of high risk exactly and we never thought to?

The really important piece of the puzzle so I started seeing the specific doctor. Everything was going pretty well, but at one point they did what is called an alpha fetal protein test. I never thought to question anything about any of the test because we were so excited that we were pregnant. I mean, I didn't say hey what is this mean why are you doing this that kind of – or so on the test came back with results of the doctor said he would like to do amniocentesis because there is a high percentage that your child would have down and without missing a beat I said well that's okay I'm not going to risk harming the baby by having amniocentesis if the child has down syndrome. The child has down syndrome so we don't need click and that was the first time very noticeably. My doctor was very upset with not even a member thinking.

Why would he be upset with me and why would a doctor behave in that manner.

I honestly should have been a huge red flag. But again, we were new at this so you know she Being persistent and down the doctor visit with me and I Think no were not going to do it so he was very frustrated but he said okay and down you know we would go back for another visit with a level II ultrasound.

Many weeks later, but in the meantime, I had developed something called hyper emesis. I didn't know what the terminology was at the time, but violently violently throwing up all the time, to the point where my mom said I cannot believe the doctor is not sending you to the hospital to get an IV and I said mom every time I call him. He asked frustrated with me.

He tells me this is normal just to let it go. I don't need an IV again.

You know, of course, I should've had many red flags that I just thought this is a doctor. I was told he is one of the past.

We were entrusted into his care. So he must be giving me good advice. You women in your point being, get a second opinion get another referral link try to find other people who are truly pro-life and the physician then you going for the ultrasound. What that took another turn for the worse.

What happened in that diagnosis while Pete and I wear very excited about our 22 week schedule.

Part 22 week ultrasound we were talking back and forth. If you're going to find out the gender we just could not get to this ultrasound fast and happy about so excited and at the last minute Pete got called out of town on a business trip, but we were so excited about this appointment that we agreed that I would go without him and that I would call him after Intel and all the wonderful news and that kind of thing so I got to the appointment I'm lying on the table. The cold gel is on my stomach, and that the ultrasound tech is moving the wand around and excitedly looking at that beautiful baby, the humanity of that beautiful child on the ultrasound screen and the next thing I know the technician says I need to excuse myself and go get the doctor now. I knew in that moment that something was probably not right, but I was not prepared for what was about to happen.

A doctor from the practice. Not my primary OB/GYN comes rapidly in the door and the most elevated frantic voice of voice that I didn't even think doctors spoke to patients and saying you need to have an abortion half your amniotic fluid is gone.

Your baby must have a chromosomal abnormality not compatible with life. We heard that if we heard that 20 times we heard it 30 times over and over before I could even say anything she just kept emphasizing your baby must not have any kidneys of the bladder and your baby clearly has a chromosomal abnormality not compatible with life. You could die in your baby most certainly will die, and when she finally took a breath and I got into check.

Something praised God in that moment he gave me the presence of mind to say I would never let my husband and I would never abort this child is valuable and I'm not going to port stops in place but she was very frantic and continued to go on and on saying all these different things about this chromosomal abnormality and how our child would never let when I refused, she said fine.

Not happy, way fine. Come back in two weeks.

That's amazing is the pressure you draw so wonderfully into that moment tough moment in our guest today are Peter and Suzanne guy and her daughter Rachel this is Focus on the Family with Jim Daly and if you're following along thinking I'm feeling those same frantic emotions that Suzanne was feeling or if you had an experience that really has you unsettled give us a call. We have curing Christian counselors here would be honored to be able to talk with you and income to get you into a place of calm and peace and seeing what God might be doing her numbers 800 K in word family and the link is in the episode notes so you know what happens next go away for two weeks you come back what happened. Peter no doubt there will tell you something after that. 22 week visit. I immediately called Pete on some phone explain what happened.

He said Suzanne I'm going to call your primary care OB/GYN. He called that person and that Dr. said to Pete, don't worry about it. Just tell her to drink more water. Fast forward to week 24.

Yes, my wonderful husband was with me that were definitely going to make sure we are there together more difficult news. The interesting thing so we go back there for the ultrasound again. This time there was no sane doctor said for certain you could die your baby most certainly will die have no amniotic fluid for sure there's a chromosomal abnormality not compatible with life. We both said that we would not abort what was about to happen next was truly more chilling than even having this doctor in the most animated frantic way speaking to us because we were sent up to an office with yet another doctor in the practice but in the most calm bone chilling casual way. He told us. The only thing the only answer. The only thing they would offer us was an abortion and he said it as if he was talking about something that was so casual, the taking of a human life as if it was not as if all of a sudden our child's life had become disposable sheet, gone from a valuable human being to just because of a poor prenatal diagnosis. All of a sudden she was seen worthy of a death sentence.

I asked him I said will, we would like some other options and what is he said in all his years of practice. Nobody in our position has ever not abort. He said to us, don't worry. You'll have plenty of other children, to which I said we'll carefully have children. This child is valuable and he said I think you guys are not understanding your child will have no quality of life. Your child will be blind, deaf, have mental issues.

If your child even lives, and we said most certainly will have quality of life because her child will know the unconditional love Jesus Christ as everybody's going what happened well there some things that happened in between so Pete so beautifully sad for the end of our back-and-forth conversation. What will you do for us. We have made it clear we will not take our child's life, and he said go home and wait for your baby to die and you will give birth to a stillborn child. So we went home with a level of depth and despair that I cannot put human vocabulary to, but as we started our all know God. We are asking people to patient what was going on. I will never forget the Holy Spirit led words of Rachel's grannie, my mom, Mary. She said this simple statement that to this day is a driving force in our life and can I say.

May no one ever minimize the voice of one person taking word straight from God's heart and mouth to the heirs meeting hope and life into a desperate situation. Everybody's been telling so supportive, so loving, we will pray my mom sat Suzanne, is there still a heartbeat. Simple yes. She said Suzanne if there is a heartbeat. There's hope. We pray and simple statement wanted to take us from a place of despair and darkness to putting our eyes on Jesus and not living like our daughter was dead because she was very much alive and all of a sudden we had a bounce back in our step. We are going to fight for this baby. So we called up. We were not going to church that weekend.

We were so sad.

But now we had a new bounce in our step. We went to church. Pete talk to this amazing OB/GYN. We went to church when she said I know your primary OB/GYN going to come. She called and said I know this family please fight for their baby won't you please do some more tests fight for their baby. He said the only test I will offer them as an autopsy. While it's like the whole deck is stacked with physicians dismissed, fully dismissed, no hope, no action for life. Rachel had been dismissed by the starter. So what happened so that this wonderful doctor friend said I talked to some doctors at my hospital and she did and they said we will honor their request to fight for their child's life because they saw the humanity of our daughter and they saw two patients and they saw that her child was not disposable. They saw that she was every bit as valuable, even if she was everything the doctor said sick or not. Obviously, in a very concerning situation that she was a human being worth fighting for. God bless pro-life doctors I assumed when Rachel was younger she once said to me, mom, why didn't you go to a pro-life doctor in the first place. I said Rachel your father and I thought all doctors were pro-life.

That's a good lesson of this whole situation for everybody. So true, so you have a C-section. Rachel was born. She goes in the NICU describe it quickly because I would say it will fast-forward to 26 1/2 weeks. Suzanne been in the hospital. Both with Rachel on born monitoring them and they rush them in for the C-section. At one point and I was in the room hiding behind blue sheets and then I saw a Rachel come up from behind the blue she said she would make a noise and she was making all kinds of noise arms were swinging the normal stuff the normal stuff. It was a beautiful thing.

The doctor later told us that it was like taking up a pit out of a peach. There she was, and then she was taken to the NICU and that's a whole mother's 2 ounces while soap my wedding ring here that fit over her hand and slip past her elbow so tiny she was and then she spent a lot of time in the NICU. We would take one step forward and three steps back and there were a lot of 5 1/2 months 5 1/2 months, but she made it she made it brought her home. We brought her home Rachel while you're sitting there listening to all the store I know you probably heard of the thousand times if not $10,000 to hear those doctors talk about you so disposable. Now that your hearing held a 2222 your living and walking and doing fine in your your health.

What you think about when you think about the way those doctors talked about you eight shocks me to think that they devalued me. It makes my heart hurt think that there are thousands of children that were never fought for, simply because of their location, because of their health status shows the reality that somebody's not saved or if we aren't putting the Lord first. How quickly our mindset of the humanity of a life can be lost and when I was 14 years old in 2012 the Lord said right.

The doctors who didn't fight for you.

I said I said Lord I don't know what to say help me guide me… Me in Scripture is God through us six month process. He gave me the message. He said you share the gospel with them. You share with them that I desire to see them forgiven and set free. You share with them the you for gave them and I can't forget them without my Lord, I can't but in him. I can and you asked them to use their power to fight for life and not harm life. I sent the letter. I didn't have any expectations. What I have getting any response back but by the Lord's grace and by his mercy I got two responses back of the doctors and they both said I didn't think even live. I'm thankful you're alive. It was an absolute heartbreak and brokenness to see how easily they dismissed my life yet it was also the Lord's hope to see that they could be renewed that they could be transformed that that in all of us.

The gospel message transforms us and so God could use you, and I think about in Genesis 5020 in the summary. It talks about Joseph. What man meant for evil. God is good for the Savior. Many lives and man meant and send meant and held meant for my life to be taken, but God said no, no not on my watch and it is is a responsibility that I think that our family recognizes to proclaim the Lord Jesus as and to show also that we have a responsibility not only to speak of spiritual life, but to speak of the fact that God has given us responsibility as believers to proclaim life for the gospel and to proclaim the physical life is fought for what I so appreciate that. What perspective you be so proud your daughter is 22 okay on only if what I mean. What an amazing thing. Your passion born out of your pain this idea of your mom Mary well named by the way your mom Mary saying his laws as a heartbeat. There's hope, and wouldn't that be the better scenario for these doctors to go by, rather than their God syndrome.

Somehow bestowing upon them a thumbs up or thumbs down for life. Just trust God until the end. I think the whole culture has to battle with this because were in the situation where it's easy to say what's terminate, it's much more difficult to trust God and but when you're here and you're walking living testimony to what God intended for you and this is the testimony the you know raises the eyes of Rome decide what is that these people believe that person survive. She should've never survived. We got to know more about her God.

That's the letter that you wrote that is good to read. This is so good, looking at the end the wrap up statement here house a change of family. Although I think of how to say that is the same way. Honestly, I believe her life more than ever, has shown us the importance and priority saying yes to Jesus. Trusting Jesus even when people with bigger and fancy degrees are telling you something.

It's so easy to accidentally even as believers look at somebody from a worldly perspective and say they're smarter than I and have bigger degrees and I have but to remember that ultimately we must filter everything through God's opinion and view of things. As a woman who was in a crisis pregnancy adding doctors breathing down my neck saying this was my only option. I fight for the women to say no one ever regrets choosing life. No one ever regrets saying yes to Jesus. Even if she had not lived. She was still valuable and worth fighting for, and we all have a role to play in fighting for these children and loving women in unplanned pregnancies or planned crisis pregnancy batter and well there is a role for every person to play. Well, that's perfectly said thank you all for being with us.

This is been really encouraging us. Thank you both for fighting for life that let me should excite you as well. We been doing are optional percent, which is placing ultrasound machines pregnancy resource clinics around the country. We're nearing 500,000 babies saved a thick report hundred 65,000 over those 16 years. There's 465,000 Rachel's and Bobby's and everybody else that have been saved because their mother, who was abortion minded Saul the picture of the baby and said something to choose life and we want to continue my goal is to try to reach a million, say by 2025. That was then would rather accomplish in five years what took us 15 got it down with the help of these pregnancy resource clinics who are at the ground level and I would say to your point Suzanne support the local pregnancy resource clinic volunteer time. Clean the toilets there do those things and be done to support them financially, which is what focus is been trying to do all these years, but I think together we can get there to the millions yes, and it's only $60 $60 life to save a life, and $600 for the abortion and 60 to save the baby's life and I would encourage you think about maybe you could do that monthly think of saving 12 children's lives every year. That would be the way to go. I think you and Gina and I are committed to that. So thank you again for being with us and I hope I hope Rachel and Suzanne and Pete's testimony moves you to say I can do something 60 bucks to do that was there together you join us as we speak up for life and defend those who have no voice so you can join the support team for option ultrasound of which is Jim said is been going on now for 16 years and very very effective in saving babies make that monthly pledges can were one time gift of $60. So appreciate call 880 family or the link is in the end, as I said earlier, if you're in a tough spot facing pregnancy is difficult to you're not sure were going to give us a call with Karen. Christian counselors or donors make that service free and love to talk to you will set up a time for you to have a consultation with one of call 800 behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team here. Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back once again help you and your family thrive. Christ January is sanctity of human life, month, and you can join Focus on the Family as we love every heartbeat make an impact in your family neighborhood and community. You'll find ways to participate@focusonthefamily.com/March for life