Incompatible with life? Let’s take a look…

Melody was born with full Trisomy 18. We were told she was “incompatible with life”, and she was sent home on hospice to die. She is now eight years old and counting!

We are abundantly thankful for how well Melody is doing physically.

When Melody was born, she had severe sleep apnea. We are deeply grateful for Sandra Coulson, a speech therapist, who gave us a simple system for remedying that. Within one week of implementing her system we saw significant improvements in her breathing. Within a month she no longer had any signs of apnea. Six years later, she still breathes beautifully and has no evidence of apnea.

Melody was born with significant holes in her heart. We had her heart checked a little over a year ago, and it is apparently working beautifully. We are thankful that the holes have healed up. The flaps to the valves in her heart used to be paper thin. We were happy to hear they are now sturdy and doing exactly what they were designed to do.

Melody takes no medication. She uses no equipment. She has had no surgeries.

She recently had blood work done. We were pleased with the results. According to the tests, she is absorbing her proteins beautifully. Her thyroid is healthy. Her calcium, iron, and b vitamin levels are fabulous.

When she was a baby I asked a doctor if we could test her vitamin d levels. Her levels were so low at that time that the number did not even register on the charts. We greatly appreciate the chiropractor who told us about liquid Vitamin D/K by Thorne, as within a few weeks of giving her that, her levels were exactly as they should be. In assessing her latest test, the doctor noted that Melody’s levels were the best she has ever seen.

Trisomy 18 children tend to get urinary tract infections, which can be life threatening for them. Melody has had three of those, all of which were especially dangerous for her. We have been greatly blessed by the alternative medicine practitioner who told us about D -Mannose, a supplement that is the potent component of cranberry. Several years ago we started giving that to her, and she has not had a UTI since then.

Melody’s immune system appears to be healthy. In the last year and a half she has only had one minor cold. In fact, it was so minor we were not sure if she was even sick.

Melody’s tummy can be quite delicate, which can be challenging. However, everything functions as it was designed to do with help from her amazing acupuncturist.

Children with Trisomy 18 tend to have very sensitive mouths. So teething can be a bit difficult. I think it is safe to say that having an aversion to teething would be insufficient grounds for calling her “incompatible with life”. 😊

Melody is little in stature. That comes with the Trisomy 18 territory. Yet she more than makes up for it by having a big heart that exudes love for all those around her. As for the love she draws out of others, I have stories that could fill a book.

When God designed Melody, He breathed value, meaning, and purpose into her life. Even if she had only lived one hour, that would still be the case. Every child has value regardless of their vulnerabilities or the brevity of their life.

The vast majority of children who have a positive screening test for Trisomy 18 in the womb are aborted. There was a study done that indicated those tests can be wrong about 50% of the time. (See our Help! page for a resource for parents who have a positive Trisomy test.) That is consistent with my experience with moms who share with me that they have been told their baby has Trisomy 18 or 21. Often their doctors are quite convincing that the baby has a genetic issue, and most of the time the pressure to abort is intense. These moms frequently give birth to a child with no extra chromosome. What is done to countless babies in the name of Trisomy is tragic.

We must not put God and His purposes in a box and assume that some children are worthy and some are throw aways. They all have a story to tell. 

This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:23