Apparently a lot of anencephaly moms have been getting attacked via the internet lately. The comments and emails being sent to them aren't just hurtful and rude, many of them are obscene. I know that Myah (mommy to Faith), Nicole (mommy to Logan), and Misty (mommy to Isaac) have all had unsettling comments or emails sent to them. As if going through this wasn't hard enough, people have to make it harder by just being nasty. It makes me sick to think about.
So I'm asking a favor. Please pray for these people who are attacking these courageous mothers. Pray that they might let God enter into their lives. And if they can't do that, then maybe we should pray that they can just be nice. And if they can't do that, then maybe we should just pray that they won't be mean.
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Welcome to Emma's Story. It all began in June of 2008 when my husband and I found out that our family of four was going to become a family of five. Things took a drastic turn, however, when in September of 2008 our baby girl was diagnosed with anencephaly.
We had people across the world praying for us and for Emma that God would provide us with a miracle and that baby Emma would be born alive and be able to spend just a few moments with us. However, Heavenly Father had a different plan in mind and Emma died during labor and was born in the evening of the 15th of January.
However, we have learned that the true miracle lies in the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ and in eternal families.
If you have any questions, comments, stories, or anything else, you can contact us at EmmasStory@gmail.com. Thank you for traveling this journey with us.
We had people across the world praying for us and for Emma that God would provide us with a miracle and that baby Emma would be born alive and be able to spend just a few moments with us. However, Heavenly Father had a different plan in mind and Emma died during labor and was born in the evening of the 15th of January.
However, we have learned that the true miracle lies in the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ and in eternal families.
If you have any questions, comments, stories, or anything else, you can contact us at EmmasStory@gmail.com. Thank you for traveling this journey with us.
These People Helped Me Thank You
Emma is Loved
Our Little Emma
What is Anencephaly?
Anencephaly is a defect in the closure of the neural tube during fetal development. The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes between the 3rd and 4th weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord of the embryo. Anencephaly occurs when the "cephalic" or head end of the neural tube fails to close, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Infants with this disorder are born without a forebrain (the front part of the brain) and a cerebrum (the thinking and coordinating part of the brain). The remaining brain tissue is often exposed--not covered by bone or skin. A baby born with anencephaly is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a rudimentary brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch may occur.
Taken from the NINDS Anencephaly Information Page (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anencephaly/anencephaly.htm)
Taken from the NINDS Anencephaly Information Page (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anencephaly/anencephaly.htm)
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23 comments:
I have to fight the urge to wish them ill...really I do. I'm so so so so so very mad at these people for being the way they are being. I'd love to pray for them but so far I'm having trouble getting beyond praying that God gives me the patience to not make comments right back to them.
I'll pray for them anyway though, knowing that God forgives me for my angry and vengeful heart.
Thanks for reminding us of what is important. I'm going to try really hard to let go of my fury and replace it with love for these people who need it. And I do believe they do need it...else why would they be so hurtful unless they are hurting themselves?
This sounds so simple, ignore those comments/emails; but I wish it was that easy. Words can cut deep and make a wound even more painful.
I wish all these wonderful mommies the strength to overcome this kind of hate.
there will always be hateful people in this world and it is not any of your ladies fault.
I know even know any of you but I love you and your babies so much!
I received an inappropriate comment on Carleigh's blog but I was able to catch it right when it was posted. I since moderate all my comments. I don't know why people feel the need to do these things. I hope that it stops. We for sure need to pray for these people.
I read about this this AM and it is upsetting. Thank you for the reminder to pray for them.
Hello, I've never left a comment before, but I have followed your blog since September/October. Via a mutual friend in Utah County. (Mckenna, I believe you are in the same ward.)
I wanted to say how heartsick I am over comments that horrible evil people send. I have followed all these blogs and have taken great strength and hope in them than I ever thought possible.
I do not have Myah's contact information, but if you have the ability to talk to her, please please please let her know that I am praying for her and faith! Tell her that I am so disgusted with people and how cruel they can be. Let her know that, Father in Heaven is mindful and so loving towards all his daughter's who've gone through so much pain, and will not tolerate this evil in his kingdoms.
Just as that is said, I am also praying for you and your lovely family. You have no idea how much of a testimony builder you and Emma have been to me and my family. I want to thank you for blogging your thoughts, feelings, joys and pain. I believe we are all down here on earth to learn from one another. Though our trials will all be different, we are meant to support, love, care, and morn for all of our brothers and sisters. You are the best example of selfless love and I am so ever grateful.
Love, Melissa!
(please forgive the grammar and spelling.)
I feel very sad for the person who has such a sad life they have to do something like this...I hope they get some help or find something to fill the void they have missing in their life.
Oooooooo. I'm trying not to be unjustly mad about this...but it's not working yet. I'll go take some deep breaths and then work on my charitable attitude. But wow...I might have to work hard.
It is terrible and I cant believe the harsh words either! OMG! I cant even support her with loving comments cause she is having to block out the hateful comments! So terrible. she said to add to facebook but whats her last name!
First off, I am currently a member of the website that most of the negative comments are coming from. I would like to say that I am in no way affiliated with the horrible people who have posted such nasty things.
I pray for all of you to find peace at this trying time in your lives, and to continue to carry yourselves gracefully as you have been doing. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine the pain that you and your families are going through.
I don't have Facebook, but someone please pass along a message to Myah and Faith telling them that not everyone on that website is a terrible person, and that I and quite a few of the other posters have requested that the rude vocal minority kindly cut it the blankety-blank out. :)
Again, you and yours, along with other families grieving, are in my thoughts and prayers.
That is so nice...I have prayed that they stop but really...there is something wrong or missing from their lives to so unjustly attack others in this situation. Perhaps they are jealous of the love they see being so freely given to Faith when that is what they truly crave themselves and are not getting. I think the way Misty responded is perhaps the best way to respond....with love and grace through Jesus. It confounds and dumbfounds those who are not believers. And we can pray that even though they are leaving this hurtful messages they are somehow still being touched by the story, the beauty in the pain, the faith and love in Jesus, and eventually it will have an impact on their lives and change their hearts forever!
Ditto to all the above comments. I am so in awe of your strength and my heart breaks for you and your precious children. Please also pass on my heartfelt love and prayers to Myah and Faith as I have been following their journey also. To all the negative people out there, I am astounded at your callous hearts. Could you not for one minute put yourselves in the shoes of these brave and selfless people. They actually respect that the little person inside them has a right to life, no matter what, and have chosen to honour that, at great cost to their own emotional well-being. Do you think it's easy to watch the child you carried and nurtured inside you go through any kind of suffering? It is a great sacrifice and shows a great love, that they have given their precious children a chance at life and I, for one, salute them. To all the parents of children born with anencephaly, you are in my heart and prayers. May God flood you with His peace and the joy of knowing you will meet your precious children again in Heaven. To Myah and Faith, I will continue to pray for you both, that God will do a miracle with this precious little girl who has touched my heart.
I am also a member of the site the negative press is coming from. The person who posted the link to Faith's Story didn't intend for the negativity to happen. I'm glad I saw the link as now I can read all of these sad but enlightening stories. The people who posted negative comments don't understand what a mother/mother-to-be feels when something threatens or harms her child (and to be honest, I don't either, but I know it's sacred). They think because many expectant parents choose the option of termination when anencephaly is diagnosed, that you should have as well, regardless of your beliefs on the matter. Anyway, I wanted to post to let you know we're not all bad, and your story is something I feel privileged to read. Please don't let the negative comments of an immature group of people keep you from writing, your story needs to be told!
I'm another member from that site, here to say that I'm inspired by you and the other mothers others are attacking.
I'm also a mother and I can't even imagine what kind of strength and bravery it takes to lose a child to anencephaly. You'll all be in my thoughts.
People aren't mad or being mean to her because of her choice to carry it to term, it's her delusional state of mind, and the way she's using it to further her own radical pro-life agenda that's pissing people off. It's the fact that she's going "Oh look! Look how how totally advanced and normal my child is and what a liberal abortion loving lie anencephaly is!"
That's the problem and what's making people mad. The truth of the matter is, this whole thing, the condition itself, the poor child, her poor state of mind... it's just sad. It's depressing in a way I'd never thought I could feel. I feel so bad for her, and for everybody so afflicted, I just hope she finds peace somehow.
jmg3k-The "it" you are referring to is a BABY! No matter what you think or what your beliefs are the truth is still there. Faith Hope is a living, breathing, BABY! She is a miracle. There is nothing wrong with how Myah is caring for her baby. What is she supposed to do? Keep her wrapped up somewhere and starve her to death? The people that are mad at Myah need to get over it. For real people, don't you have anything better to do than hurt people who are going through enough in their lives?
@Nicole
Lady, I don't mean to be rude, but BABIES have a brain, IT does not.
Doesn't change how sad all of this is, of course, but really do we need to keep her delusion alive? She's needs to accept what happened, grieve for the child that might have been, and let go. None of this is good for her mental health.
I'm glad Emma's Mom was able to keep herself together and blog so gracefully and with such heart about her experiences. Myah obviously is not as mentally strong as Emma's mom and dad, and she couldn't handle what happened and snapped. However, by fawning over her and keeping her delusions alive you're only going to set her up for self destruction when the inevitable happens. That's the real tradgedy here :(
jmg3k-
I am not "fawning over her and keeping her delusions alive". I don't know her and I've never emailed her or spoke with her. I don't know her state of mind from a personal stance. All I know about her is what I've read on her blog and she doesn't seem too mental to me.
Faith is a BABY, brain or not. You may try to deny this fact but it doesn't mean you are right.
Out of curiosity, when you said "She's needs to accept what happened, grieve for the child that might have been, and let go." What exactly is she supposed to do? Starve her to death? I mean really, she isn't sustaining her life, only keeping her comfortable.
To Emma's mommy- I'm sorry for the argument in your blog comments. It just really bothers me that some people think babies with anencephaly are not human. It is so rude to call a baby "It".
Emma was so beautiful. I especially loved the picture in her video of her little feet--they were so perfect and adorable!
Why would anyone do that? That is insane!
What I meant was, Why would anyone leave mean and attacking comments? We all need to love and support one another.
Those people above who said they are members of the website that is the source of many of the attacks. They have since been banned from our website. We don't tolerate that sort of kindness nor will we have you ruin our good name by backpedaling.
dear heavenly father i pray that you would put a guard around these beatiful families bloggs. that mean and hurtfull people will be blocked by you. these families have only done what you have called them to do LOVE please protect them from uninformed people who have never lost anything they care about. i also pray for these people that you would bring them face to face with your holy sprit and teach them compation and love. i now lift these families up to you and ask for peace and comfort during these times for we now that you are caringing them even now
amen
+ & :)
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