“I had an abortion at age 32. My husband and I who have been married for six years were over the moon when we learned I was pregnant. It was not planned, but very welcomed. After focusing on our legal careers for seven years, we were ready for this next step. About 14 weeks into the pregnancy, we received the results of our genetic testing. To our shock, we learned that both my husband and I have two recessive genes, both for the same genetic conditions. We immediately went to a high-risk doctor for a cvs test to see if the genetic conditions were passed on to the baby. Although there was only a 25 percent chance that the baby would get the conditions, we found 2.5 weeks later our first child would be born with both conditions. We immediately knew that termination was the right decision for us. We could not bear to bring a child into this world who would have a poor quality of life. While the decision was not hard, the emotions that have come in the months following are like nothing I have ever felt. Almost anything will make me cry and yearn for the life I dreamed of for us as a family of three. It also feels like the world is passing me by. While my husband has moved on, I have not.” —Anonymous
