She was told to abort her baby and try again. But his diagnosis did not diminish his value

When Genavive Edman, 11 weeks pregnant with her second child, underwent an ultrasound, the technician acted rather “cold.” At the time, Edman wondered why the technician wasn’t sharing in the joy of new life. She didn’t wait long to find out.

Edman told Live Action News, “I received a call from my obstetrician who wanted me to come in for another appointment. An abnormality had been detected — my baby’s skull didn’t look fully formed, and I was being referred to a specialist.”

An unexpected diagnosis and a decision to trust in God

The specialist told Edman her baby had acrania, a relatively rare congenital disorder characterized by flat bones in the cranium that are either completely or partially absent; in this case, the skull was missing, and the baby's brain was exposed in the womb.

“I was told the condition was incompatible with life,” Edman said. 

Yet Edman shared with the specialist the desire to give her baby life and hoped there would be a possibility that cutting-edge treatment would save his life. But Edman was told that 98% of babies with such a diagnosis were aborted, making it impossible for medical science to study the disorder more closely.

Prenatal screening is a pro-life tool hijacked by the abortion industry

Edman explained, “The specialist and I had a thoughtful conversation in which he related that if parents weren’t so quick to end the lives of these children, medical science might be able to learn more on how to treat acrania. He assured me there was nothing I did that caused this condition. It was such a helpless place to be.”

Edman learned her baby’s diagnosis on Holy Thursday, providing the Edmans with the prayer they needed to ask God for a miracle, but to trust Him regardless of circumstances.

“It gave me the words I needed as I prayed for my baby would be okay,” Edman said. “All I could do was entrust him to God no matter the circumstances. But regardless of the estimated outcome, my husband and I chose to give him a chance at life.”

Push for abortion

Edman would soon discover that doctors did not want her to carry her baby to term. They would push her to consider abortion in the name of mercy for the parents, but not necessarily for the child.

“My regular obstetrician wanted us to terminate the pregnancy so we could start again,” Edman said. “He felt it would be more merciful and even told me I had 24 weeks to decide. Yet, he knew there was a life growing inside my womb. I decided to find an obstetrician who was more compassionate and supportive.”

Edman let him know how valuable her child was, regardless of his terminal condition. 

“I told him that we’re all going to die at some point, even him,” Edman said. “I didn’t see him planning his funeral and I wasn’t going to end my son’s life prematurely. I wanted to give my child the dignity to pass on his own.”

Other doctors were quick to claim that she wasn’t carrying a living human being – that her child was “brain dead.” But she could feel him moving around and watched him move away from the wand during an ultrasound. Her son was very much alive.

"To me, it seemed like a healthy, normal pregnancy," she said, "much like my first one. I could see his hands and feet were fully formed. He was growing, had a regular wake and sleep schedule, and certainly didn’t seem ‘brain dead.’ I had been given so much false information.”

While she understood that doctors may be trying to prepare mothers whose preborn babies are diagnosed with life-limiting conditions, their “doomsday” attitudes, she believes, are more harmful than helpful. 

“I just wish some doctors would demonstrate more compassion to their suffering patients rather than push for abortion,” Edman said. “I would encourage parents to seek out doctors who are supportive and offer understanding during a critically challenging time.”

For Edman, grieving her child throughout her pregnancy was one of the most painful times in her life, but she has no regrets in carrying her baby to term.

“We drove two hours to receive care from a compassionate obstetrician who understood our son’s value,” Edman said. “And just before the final push, our son passed away. It was such a hard pill to swallow. But I held him, bathed him, and kissed him goodbye.”

A beautiful life results in healing 

Edman and her husband named their son Clark Job and introduced him to their two-year-old son, who tenderly held his brother and touched his tiny toes, kissing him gently on the head.

“For such a young age, my son showed incredible awareness,” Edman said. “It was a beautiful moment for our family.”

Afterward, Edman dressed Clark in a white gown, and they buried him two days later.

She compiled an album of photographs to honor Clark's brief life and shared the album on Facebook. During the Christmas season, the post went viral — it was as if her son was likened to the innocent Christ child who was born in the manger. That simple act resulted in messages from around the world from mothers, who, like Edman, had suffered the unimaginable loss of a child.

Edman said, “I received messages from women in the Middle East and Africa that never got the chance to meet their babies who were born deceased. I think by sharing my photo album, it resulted in a lot of healing for these women.”

The following year, Edman invited families who faced similar diagnoses to share their stories on her Facebook page to commemorate the first anniversary of Clark's passing. She also wrote a blog detailing her bittersweet journey of love and loss (Meet Clark Job – Life + Love + Loss). Now a mother of six children on earth and one in heaven, Edman and her family still visit Clark's grave.

“On September 15, we just marked his 10th anniversary,” Edman said. “He’s a beautiful reminder of where we’re all headed someday.”

Why it Matters:

Research shows that aborting a baby following a health diagnosis causes significant emotional harm to parents. In a study of 405 parents who carried to term following the prenatal diagnosis of a life-limiting condition, 97.5% of participants reported an absence of regret in carrying to term. Another study determined that “[c]ouples experienced selective termination as traumatic … [T]he women ultimately felt as if they were betraying themselves and their babies.” Additional research shared by the organization Be Not Afraid supports this; it says that parents who carry to term report being emotionally prepared for their child’s birth and possible death, and share that they felt “a sense of gratitude and peace surrounding the brief life of their child.”