On March 23rd, a daughter was born to Sonia and Rony Morales. But it was just five months prior to her birth that the couple found out their daughter had fatal birth defects. And according to doctors, the best option for their unborn child was to end her life through abortion.
As LifeNews previously reported, their daughter had Anencephaly, which is a severe form of spina bifida where a failure of fusion of the neural rube in early pregnancy results in the baby developing without cerebral hemispheres, including the neocortex. Tragically, most babies who survive to birth almost always die in the first hours or days after birth.
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Sonia said, “They told us she had fatal birth defects, that she was incompatible for life, because babies with her birth defect sometimes are stillborn or die just after birth. They gave her no chance. We had three ultrasounds that confirmed the diagnosis. They used the word ‘terminate,’ but for us, that meant abortion — killing our child.”
However, the couple refused and decided to name their daughter Angela, because it means messenger of God. Sonya said, “She would be our angel, our Angela. We thought she was going to heaven right away.”
Now, that Angela has turned one, Sonia talked with People magazine about how she’s doing now:
“Every day is truly a gift. She knows how much she is loved,” Sonia says.Angela, who weighs only 16 lbs., has been making steady progress. She can lift her head and recognizes the voices of her mother, father, sister and grandparents. When Sonia says Angela’s name, she kicks and smiles. The Morales have created a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses, as well as a Facebook page to document their journey as a family.
Older sister Elizabeth, now 6, says she knows Angela is different from other babies, but loves her just the same. She frequently changes her diapers and says, “Angela, I know you might never walk but I’m going to help you try.”
Looking to the Future
Although the Morales don’t know if Angela will ever talk or even make it to her second birthday, they strive to make sure she lives every day to the fullest.
The family still goes on those trips – to the park, to the beach – but now they take Angela with them. They’ve even gone hiking in New Hampshire.
“Disabilities don’t stop people from living,” Sonia says. “We took her out in the snow, and when it’s nice out I describe to her how beautiful the trees and flowers are because she can’t see.”
As Angela continues to grow, so does her family.
“Angela has made us better people. She might never be able to contribute to society, but she is teaching us how to become more compassionate and loving,” she says. “I see life differently now. I only see love. I am a lucky mom.”
