Baby Diagnosed with Brain Damage While in the Womb, Born Perfectly Normal

Parents of an infant who were previously advised to abort their baby because it had brain damage refused and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, according to the Daily Mail.

Lianne Stooke, 38, was advised by her own mother to push through with the pregnancy because her instincts were telling her that it was the right thing to do. "We were told Miley was probably severely brain damaged and wouldn't be able to communicate with or recognize us. It was a terrible decision to have to come to. We agonized over what we should do right up until the last minute." Stooke and her husband, Iain, 38, were both delighted when they found out they had conceived their third child. They were previously blessed with two boys, Aaron, nine and Bailey, four. However, their delight turned into despair when an MRI scan showed a shadow of their unborn child's brain. "We were so happy that our two sons would have a little brother or sister," Lianne said. "It felt awful to see the doctors looking so worried. They immediately ordered another urgent scan," she added.

The repeat scan that took place at the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol confirmed the couple's worst fears. Their daughter was diagnosed with a condition called holoprosencephaly which meant that she was severely brain damaged. "The doctors said she might never walk, talk, or recognize our faces," Lianne said. "It was also possible she'd be physically and facially deformed. There were a lot of unknowns." At this time, Lianne was already 30 weeks pregnant - a period way past the normal limit for abortion. Even if this was the case, her doctors still advised her to consider the said option. Mr and Mrs. Stooke pushed through with the pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby girl.