Her parents were told their baby had a life-threatening heart condition. Doctors twice recommended an abortion.
But when little Chanel Murrish‘s parents saw her ultrasound, they changed their mind.
Chanel Murrish gives thumbs up
Sarah Zagorski reports for Life News, April 13, 2015, that United Kingdom residents Fay and Michael Murrish were thrilled to be expecting their third baby. But at their 20-week scan they found out some devastating news— their unborn baby had a life-threatening heart condition called Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and had only a low chance of survival.
Even with operations, their baby would have only a 50-50 chance of surviving the first and would need two more. Her life expectancy would only be to young adulthood and she would eventually need a heart transplant.
In fact, doctors felt so strongly about their baby’s dire outcome that they recommended abortion twice.
However, the couple refused abortion after their baby started kicking in the womb and an ultrasound showed something remarkable.
Fay explained, “But Chanel started kicking. There was no way I could have a termination. I know she wanted to live because she was giving a huge thumbs-up at her scan.”
In 2014, Chanel Murrish was born via Caesarean section and was rushed into surgery. She became the youngest baby ever to undergo open-heart surgery in the United Kingdom and is now thriving. Fay concluded, “Chanel is going from strength to strength having got through not just the first operation but a second procedure at the age of just seven days.”
According to the Center for Disease control, HLHS is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart and as the baby develops, the left side of the heart does not form correctly. Research finds that HLHS is extremely rare but it does have a high mortality rate, accounting for approximately 23% of neonatal deaths. The condition can be detected on a fetal echocardiography, although in many cases it isn’t diagnosed until after birth because the unborn child appears to be developing normally.
LifeNews had reported on a previous case of a baby born with HLHS who successfully underwent two heart operations and is now doing well.
In 2012, Scarlett Crowther was born with the same condition as Chanel. She may not have made it at all had her mom decided to have an abortion, but Scarlett’s mother Rebecca Turner rejected that idea. Scarlett was given a 50/50 chance of surviving the defect just like Chanel but went through two successful heart operations, with one of them coming at five days after birth.
Mother and baby are now doing much better. Rebecca calls Scarlett a “little fighter. When I hold her now I just can’t believe how healthy and happy she is. She’s my miracle baby.”
The ultrasound of little Chanel giving a thumbs-up HUMANIZES the life in Fay Murrish’s womb.
The pic made Fay and Michael Murrish realize that the life growing in Fay’s womb is a human being. That is why the pro-aborts get so enraged when pro-lifers display posters of aborted babies.
~Éowyn
