A True Story About A Miscarriage And A Pregnancy

REGINA CRAM, CNS

Published: June 3, 2004

Moses was nearing the end of his long life. As he stood on the brink of the Promised Land, he begged the children of Israel to follow God’s laws, which led to eternal life. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse,” Moses pleaded. “Therefore, choose life.”

A long time ago there was a woman in Hartford, Conn., who chose life, and her decision changed my world forever. It was a rainy spring morning when a young woman arrived at a hospital ultrasound lab. She already had two small children, and she was pregnant again. At least, she used to be pregnant. She was pretty sure she’d miscarried this new child. The doctor couldn’t find a heartbeat; the previous ultrasound showed no sign of life.

The doctor sent her for this follow-up test just to be sure, before scheduling her for surgery to remove what was left. The woman arrived alone; she was distracted, and afraid. Her gaze kept sweeping across the ultrasound monitor in hopes of seeing her baby, but no baby. The technician looked for a long time.

After what seemed an eternity, the young woman’s fears were confirmed. There on the screen she could see the remains of her unborn child. Choking back tears, the young mother slumped back on the table. The doctor expressed his condolences and left the woman to her grief.

Her baby was dead, this child whom she loved even though she never had cradled him in her arms, never whispered his name. She turned away and wept, feeling more alone than ever.

After awhile she realized that the technician was continuing the ultrasound.

“What are you doing?” the mother asked dully.

“Oh, just looking a little more,” the technician replied.

The mother didn’t understand but she really didn’t care, either. What could the ultrasound show that would make any difference now? She stared blankly out the window as rain drizzled beyond the hospital walls.

Suddenly the technician gasped: “Look at the monitor! Do you see that?”

There, in a sea of static was a tiny “blip, blip, blip” on the screen. “What is it?” the young mother asked, not understanding.

“It’s a heartbeat,” the technician whispered. “It’s your baby’s heartbeat.”

The mother was confused. “But you said the baby died.”

“He did,” the technician explained gently. “This is a second baby, and this one looks awesome.”

And so she is awesome. That “blip, blip, blip” on the screen so long ago is now 15 years old and a joy in my life. Her name is Tierney, and I was that young mother.

Tierney is alive today because that technician chose life. She was criticized for making other patients wait so long for their turn, but she was unwilling to send me to surgery if there was any chance that life remained. Why? Because life is awesome.

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse,” God speaks to us tenderly. “Choose life.”