‘The place where God would be’ - After prenatal diagnosis, parents find support in Catholic ministry

“I was alone and sitting with the medical team,” Jane told The Pillar.

“They confirmed that baby Emmi had anencephaly and said that she would not survive after birth - if she even made it that far.”

“It was as if a part of me had died right then and there,” she said. “The rest of that day, needless to say, was full of crying and weeping. It was the most painful thing my heart had ever felt. I fell asleep crying that evening.”

But in that painful experience, Jane says also encountered God’s love, in part through the support she received from Be Not Afraid, a Catholic non-profit organization supporting parents whose child has received a prenatal diagnosis.

Jane’s doctor offered her a list of resources that included Be Not Afraid (BNA). She connected with the organization, which helped her family “navigate a lot of those decisions we would have to make.”

Members of Be Not Afraid (BNA) offered Jane’s family resources, education, and even gifts unique to their situation.

“They were truly a God-send, showing us that we were not alone.”

Here's a fascinating and inspiring article from The Pillar about a unique ministry that offers grief ministry for parents whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a fatal illness. It's an indepth piece which made me wish there was such a ministry in Dallas. 

Here's a bit more and then go read the whole thing.

Medical professionals who are not Catholic or even pro-life have responded positively to the work of BNA, she said, because they see the positive effect the ministry has on parents as they navigate a very challenging and painful situation.

“We have had doctors who come out of the delivery room and cry and say that the birth plan was amazing.”

In some cases, medical professionals think carrying a baby to term will lead to a horrible event, she continued. These professionals encounter the option of a person choosing “to love their baby enough to give them time, or love their baby [enough] to accept their baby with a disability, however long that baby’s life will be.”

“We introduce them to sacrificial love.”