Mother who endured a high-risk pregnancy says her daughter was “worth it”

Image credit: Germs via Unsplash

A woman who experienced what she called an “extremely high risk” pregnancy, which was expected to be fatal to the baby, and potentially herself, has shared that her daughter is now a happy and healthy 4-year-old, declaring that she was “worth it”.

According to Live Action, back in 2019, Melissa Brusoe was 41 when she suddenly started to haemorrhage. The mother of three girls thought it was due to an endometrial ablation she had endured 12 years prior which was done to remove scar tissue from her uterus, which had arisen from an abortion complication in her teens. However, doctors in the emergency room told her they believed she was having a miscarriage.

“I was informed I was having a miscarriage,” Mrs Brusoe said. “My husband and I didn’t even know we were pregnant, so that was quite the shock.”

A scan later confirmed that the baby was alive and well and the parents heard her strong heartbeat.  However, due to Mrs Brusoe’s previous procedure, there was a high chance the baby would not survive due to damaged lining of the uterus, and doctors believed there was also a risk to the mother.

“Anyone who has had an endometrial ablation would know that you’re not recommended to get pregnant after an ablation. It is extremely high risk. What I was told is that it was 100 percent fatal to the child and very likely could be fatal to the mother,” she said.

However, she and her husband believed that their miracle baby was there for a reason.  

“Knowing full well, after being told that my child could die and there was a good chance I would die as well‚ I just felt 100 percent if I can get pregnant after no cycle [due to the endometrial ablation] for 12 years at 41 years old, God had a plan, and I was willing to trust it,” she said.

Medical experts have testified that abortion is not necessary to save a mother's life. An early delivery to protect the life of a mother, where every effort is made if possible to save baby, has always been permitted in Ireland, for example, when abortion was outlawed. 

Mrs Brusoe said that her doctor was pro-life, but did not think the baby would survive.

“Although my doctor didn’t suggest abortion, he was very surprised that I was still pregnant during every visit. He was like, ‘You’re a walking miracle,’” she said.

When Mrs Brusoe was 26 weeks pregnant, her doctor discovered that her placenta has attached itself to her bladder and cervix. At 28 weeks, she haemorrhaged again, and so underwent an emergency c-section to save both herself and her baby.

“My daughter, Eliyannah, is a miracle,” she said. “At 28 weeks, she was born crying with her arms in the air. We say she was praising God because it’s unusual for her at 28 weeks to have her arms up, fully alert and crying.”

However, after the delivery, Mrs Brusoe became weak after losing a lot of blood. She had to be resuscitated after her heart stopped, and was then given 33 pints of blood to save her life.

The family named the new baby girl Eliyannah, because in Hebrew it means “God answered”, for God had brought her safely into the world. Baby Eliyannah spent 49 days in the NICU and is now a happy and healthy 4-year-old.

“My girl is healthy. She’s strong. She was 100 percent worth it. She has a gift, and I have no doubt she has a purpose,” said Mrs Bruseo “I know God used both of us in the hospital room that day … The number of doctors and nurses that came in that room after she was born shaking their heads and crying — that tells me God did big things.”

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “What a beautiful story and what an inspiration Mrs Brusoe is for giving her daughter a chance at life. Modern medicine can care for both mother and child without recourse to abortion. Her bravery and powerful words speak volumes in the fact that all of our children are absolutely worth it!”