Editor’s Note: This story contains discussion and/or embedded videos of late-term abortion and infant loss. If you are going through pregnancy or infant loss and need immediate support, you can contact The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA or 1-833-852-6262). A trained counselor is available 24/7. For ongoing support, contact Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773.
For a variety of reasons, abortion is a sensitive topic for many people. The sensitive nature of the subject can create stigma, misunderstanding, and shame. Australian fitness influencer Danielle Mitchell, who once shared the excitement of her second pregnancy, decided to share the devastation of her late-term abortion for medical reasons.
Danielle’s Story
Danielle and her husband, Nathan, were already parents to a toddler daughter when they became pregnant with their second child, Maggie Jean. The family of three excitedly readied their home for a new baby, even purchasing a larger vehicle for their growing family. But at one of Danielle’s anatomy scans, it was discovered that baby Maggie Jean had a condition that was causing her organs to develop outside of her body.
Photo Credit: Canva
The news was earth-shattering, but, with modern medical interventions, it was an obstacle that could be overcome. This diagnosis led to more scans and invasive testing to look for genetic abnormalities. Danielle shared in an update after her 25-week appointment, “We had our Fetal Medicine growth scan today, and they also had our results for the amnio, and our baby isn’t compatible with life. The chromosomal abnormalities and some new findings on her brain, mean that she won’t survive.” While crying, she added, “I knew it was going to be bad, but I just didn’t want it to be this bad.”
According to the grief-stricken mom, their unborn daughter dropped from being in the 6th percentile to below the 1st percentile for growth. Maggie Jean had “6-7 confirmed heart defects, her organs growing on the outside and 2 new findings on her brain, then they went into our amniocentesis results, where we were told her condition and the cells it is affecting based on the defects found in the scans are not compatible with life.”
A heartbreaking decision
The couple was given two options: carry to term or a termination for medical reasons. But doctors explained that Maggie Jean would likely not make it to delivery, and if she did manage to survive until delivery, the chances of her surviving birth were slim. The medical team confirmed that if, by some miracle, she survived birth, heart surgery, and bowel surgery, they were not sure how long she would live or what quality of life she would have due to the defects in her brain.
This news left the young couple with an impossible choice for their desperately wanted and loved child. As a family, they made the gut-wrenching decision to terminate the pregnancy. The process was unfamiliar to Danielle before this pregnancy. After spending time scouring the Internet for someone to relate to only to come up empty, she decided to share every part of her journey online. She explains the process of late-term termination, which includes stopping the baby’s heartbeat approximately two days before delivery. Danielle is then checked into the hospital and given medication to induce labor.
The couple’s heartbreaking journey through the labor and delivery of their sleeping daughter was documented by Willow and Finch Photography. It captured the raw emotions between and during contractions. The photographer also documented the support provided by Nathan and the medical staff as they navigated this emotionally-wrought process.
In the photographer-provided black and white video, Danielle writes, “Our hearts are forever broken, our lives are forever changed, I’ll never stop saying your name, Maggie Jean born sleeping with the angels at 5:55pm.”
Offerings of support
Commenters offer the couple heartfelt support, encouraging words, and share their own stories. One person says, “Beautiful Maggie, so incredibly loved and within your hearts forever and always. Brings those like me who have been where you are and sitting within the depths of the worlds of deepest grief and despair, right back in that room, the room with the butterfly on the door, the room filled with silence and sadness. Holding you whilst you navigate through this next part and saying the final physical goodbyes.”
Another writes in part, “Maggie Jean was loved every single day of her life. She knew the warmth of your body, the sound of your voice, and the endless love of her family. I know that the path that brought you here was not the one you dreamed of. The decisions made for Maggie came from a place of profound love, courage, and protection. As parents, we would do anything for our children, and sometimes the hardest acts of love are the ones that break our hearts the most.”
Someone else says, “All she ever knew was how much she was loved. You sacrificed yourself to protect your beautiful Maggie. A mother’s love knows no bounds.”
“I don’t think there are words big enough for a loss like this. I’ve thought about you and your family constantly. The courage and love you’ve shown through the unimaginable is truly remarkable. Beautiful Maggie Jean will be remembered by so many people whose lives she touched, simply because she was loved so deeply. Sending all my love to you,” another offers.
