no simple dilemma
christian has filled you in a bit on our recent life situation. what are we feeling? not really sure at this point. kind of numb. deep sadness and pain. basically just feeling like life sucks right now. we're really curious to learn how you deal with life's hanging curveballs?
here's the dilemma. 16 week old fetus that has a zero percent chance of surviving outside the womb according to science. but we believe in a living god who has raised men from the dead and has healed many afflictions and sicknesses. everyone is telling us that we should abort. but i look at this picture and don't see a mass of cells.
i see a human life that is made in the image of god. i see my child. how can i end the life of my child just because doing so might bring the least amount of pain and suffering? for some reason god decided that the first face this baby would see is his. lucky baby. sad parents. no simple dilemma. what would you do if your child had no chance of survival? would you terminate its life to get on with yours?
posted by ryan sutherland @ 5:21 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Ryan & Rachel, first of all - thank you guys for being willing to share these pictures with us. They really help put a "face" on the situation.
(brief aside - I love the first photo. It looks like he's a little pirate saluting. Of the best sort of, course - "Mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" I know we don't know he's a 'he' yet, but under the circumstances as his surrogate uncle of sorts, I hope you don't mind if I just run with that assumption until proven otherwise. It just sounds so much better than calling him an 'it').
I'm sure this must be tremendously hard on you both right now, and I just want to encourage you and let you know that we love you. All four of you: Ryan, Rachel, Bridger, and (for lack of anything better yet) 'Little Jack'.
We'll continue praying...
Ryan and Rachel,
I have never seen an ultrasound that shows the baby's face so clearly. It breaks my heart even more than before, just seeing that precious little face. I pray that you will be able to treasure that sweet face, even as you struggle to find peace and hope in an immensely difficult time.
I've been claiming Psalm 34:18 a lot lately, and I pray it for you now: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
I'll never forget the story of two parents who drowned in a flood while keeping their Down's Syndrome son alive. The child survived. God calls us to love our children, and die for them if necessary. They belong to Him, yet He entrusts them into our hands, even if it's only for a short time. I'll be praying for you.
On a purely medical note, all tests (even ultrasounds) have a margin of error.
God bless you and your child,
healer
hi, i noticed that this article is 2 years old, so i was wondering what happend in the end? how are things now? please, reply back i was touched by your story and i'm hoping everything went fine
Thanks for asking Sunny - here's Ryan's summary and reflections a year after the birth - and death - of their child.
That'll give you all the links to all the details.
It was a very sad thing - and hard for the Sutherlands - but God has been very gracious to them since. They now have another baby boy (Asher), with another little one on the way. So God is good. And we're all thankful.
Thanks for checking up on them.
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