This has been on the back burner for a while now and I just haven’t had the heart or the motivation to write it, but I have began following a new blog, a new story recently and the question keeps popping into my head.

Let me just say, I am

not a medical expert

. Second,

I am not

in any way

saying this family is wrong or right

or anything. I am just clearly wondering out loud and would like to hear other people’s thoughts. That is all.

This new story is about a precious little baby who is now 18 days old. This precious baby has Trisomy 18 which is a genetic disorder. Essentially half of all infants born with Trisomy 18 die where as others have been known to live to their teenage years, but have medical and developmental problems.(That is the basic, condensed story.)

The parents of this precious little baby were given the option when they first learned of her diagnosis to terminate the pregnancy – ending this precious baby’s life. They chose not to. And I don’t blame them one bit. I am sure I would make the same decision.

But

, the reason I wonder if it is the right decision is that this precious baby at 18 days old weights 4 pounds 10 and one half ounces. She is currently on oxygen. She has “blue spells” where she turns blue due to lack of oxygen. There have been hospital visits and hospital stays. While pictures of her are precious and beautiful, I can’t help but wonder if she is in discomfort or pain.

I know that no parent wants to see their child – their baby in pain or discomfort. I know that. But I wonder how far a parent would go to keep this precious baby living in their life. Would you want medical provisions so that all medical measures were met to try to keep her alive or would you instate a do not resuscitate order or something similar so that no extensive measures were taken to prolong her life? At the same time, how much of keeping her alive is selfishness on behalf of the parent? Is the baby’s well being really being thought of?

Please, do not think I am saying a parent should do one thing or the other or that this family is wrong. I can say right now what I would or would not do, but I am not and have never been in that situation. I pray I never would have to be in that situation and I praise those who are in it or have been in it. You are much stronger than I. It just really makes me think… If you’ve never been in that situation,

what do you think you would do?

If you have been in that situation,

what did you do?