Choosing Life Over Trisomy 18 | Tabitha's Story

Tabitha was given little to no chance of life outside of the womb due to Trisomy 18. Despite advice from their doctors to have an abortion, Jessica and her husband Derek accepted the biblical mandate to choose life.
Jessica LaHousee is a published author and has written a beautiful book about her experience with Tabitha - www.amazon.com/Indescribable-...
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[@tbccwarrenton]

We are happy to report that in early 2024, Tabitha turned FOUR! ❤Her mom says that Tabitha is "not just surviving, but thriving. Her life is an incredible blessing. She's full of joy and she works so hard to overcome every obstacle in her way, even though that progress can be slow. Let's keep showing that world that the narrative around Trisomy 18 needs some updating!"

[@blackthornsloe8049]

The key word in the title of this video is CHOSE .

[@karenashton5053]

I have a 35 yo daughter with partial trisomy 13. She’s passed all expectations and has two college degrees. It has been a challenge but still worth it.

[@dannadonahue916]

Our lil Beauty, Carah Grace was born at 42 weeks with mosaic T18. We were totally surprised by the diagnosis. She had a major heart defect that fought with her lungs for blood supply. She lived for 15 days but she fought hard during those days. She was definitely an Angel on Earth. She showed us how to have unconditional love. We witnessed and was a part of so much those few days. Those days are priceless to us and are precious treasured memories of a lifetime. She knew who we were. She smiled at us. She stopped crying when we were near or held her. She knew her Nanna’s voice when she was singing to her. She cuddled with us as we rocked her. The best and most important thing is she was alive. Even if it was for a few short days, she lived and made a huge impact.

[@sherylstradinger2052]

Hi! Just wanted to share that we had a beautiful young lady w T18 who was also born at 32 weeks. The journey was was a roller coaster; but she had an effervescence that made even the challenges better. We knew from her birth that we had been given a gift and that each day was a miracle. On February 20, 2022, she received her heavenly wings. She was 36 years, 5 months, 22 days. Our support and love is with your family.

[@jessicalahousse3006]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit about your precious daughter with us! It gives me so much hope to hear from families with children who have survived so long, particularly after a premature birth. Blessings to you!

[@logo9470]

I’m so very sorry for your loss. May your beautiful memories help comfort you until you are together again.🙏🏻🫶🙏🏻

[@sherylstradinger2052]

Thank you so much. Our beautiful young people, with challenges of all types, give and teach much more than we can fathom. God bless all on their journeys. We also have a young woman that has autism.

[@dindaayu9025]

Hi im sorry for your lose , if i may ask how she died at that age? Its amazing she can survive till adult.

[@sherylstradinger2052]

Hello all. Nicole passed because her body had endured so much and was just tired. She had several several infections and her organs just started shutting down. We miss her everyday, but have chosen to celebrate her life rather than her death. She was the most amazing person! Always smiling even when we knew she was hurting. She only cried a handful of times in her life. She had a trach, g-tube, seizures, pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure, digestive issues, etc. She didn't speak but her beautiful face spoke volumes. Throughout her life, there were so very many times it would look like she wasn't going to make it - yet she preserved. We were so lucky to have her for so long.

[@daisysummer514]

She is beautiful and I’m so glad she’s here on planet earth with us ❤️

[@goldcat3512]

The way you view this precious child as a gift from God brought me to tears. My dream is to become a mother one day. You have a beautiful family, God bless you.

[@marielagent4387]

She’s a beautiful baby girl.❤✨ It takes a lot of time and patience to care for a healthy baby, but when you throw a disability in the mix, I couldn’t even imagine, but all babies are a life to be lived and loved.

[@ddinottia39]

She is absolutely 💯 Gorgeous! God bless her lil heart!

[@mpardo4019]

God bless the wonderful parents that this baby girl has. She is so loved 🥰

[@laurabaker8832]

I love that you see Tabitha as a gift and an answer to prayers for your sons. Blessings on your very special and loving family.

[@christinewild6796]

Sending prayers and Love ❤️🙏 god bless you wonderful little precious Angel on earth 🙏 Amen

[@daisymae3258]

Thank you for choosing life for your beautiful daughter! God bless you!

[@eileenjonat4573]

I don't understand how anyone would knownly bring a person into this world to a life of suffering. God gave us brains and tools to prevent this. In my opinion, this is not a miracle and should be avoided.

[@beverlyarnold4991]

She is absolutely precious God Bless your family..

[@rebeccagrimm668]

She is beautiful !!

[@user-nx9bg1ej6i]

Gorgeous baby gorgeous family.

[@SherryBaby2003]

Beautiful message 🤍

[@bethcornish7248]

She is so Adorable and Sweet

[@judyburke2932]

Love your story…..💕

[@janicesmith2475]

She is perfect 🥹

[@rosah.901]

Beautiful Tabitha❤

[@Jimsalos]

Thank you for sharing your story, what a beautiful little girl!

[@hixxyted1244]

Beautiful girl I wish you all the best ❤❤

[@aribashaikh1043]

😭😭

[@erinbean7185]

God bless you.

[@gailrodgers3079]

I had a wonderful opportunity to care for a child with Trisomy 13/18 I can't remember which as it has been over 25 years ago. I was her third shift home health nurse for a month. She had a great mom and dad. She was one at the time and had a lot of deficits. Her mom had told me that she didn't have any expectations of her living long. I never had a chance to see her again. One day I saw a KZbin video on children with these two problems. It was just photo montage of the children. And there she was at age 12 or more. Whatever doctors say, a child that they didn't think would live long was still florishing! God has his own reasons and timing. I had an autistic son that God blessed me with. So many things that I can no longer physically do, but he takes care of them for me. I still so much appreciate the church members at the church we went to. Several of the men modeled what a real man was (his dad had problems and didn't see that his son had problems). No one frown or complained about his as they knew he had problems and they helpedme how they could. He is 40 now and such a blessing, not only to me but others as well. May God continue to bless you as you care for Tabitha. Tabitha was a disciple of Jesus known for completing good deeds and treating others with kindness.

[@lmrharper3586]

Where in the bible is the line “choose life?” And in what context ? Whats the rest of the sentence.

[@tessmoore3762]

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: The rest of the sentence is: Deuteronomy 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. The context is The Lord talking to the Children of Israel and telling them to choose life by loving The Lord God and keeping His commandments.

[@lmrharper3586]

@@tessmoore3762 I take this to mean the adult ,most likely male because women were nothing back then ,shown by mentioning their fathers Abraham ,Isaac and Jacob. So the adult to choose life so his descendants may live on. Since back in those days you wouldnt know you were carrying a child with problems till the baby was born you wouldnt even have the choice to abort.What did they do with disabled babies back then ? The father’s would leave them somewhere in the dessert to die because they didnt keep and raise defective babies..

[@barbiebeeks8203]

Every child is a gift from God what a wonderful story

[@tbccwarrenton]

Amen!

[@tiadavenport5465]

I'm shocked that a doctor would say this. I find it hard to believe. I was told that our twins had an issue. Never once did they tell us that.

[@tabithahoward6621]

Wow that’s cool I have the same name lol. My name is tabitha

[@wendyblack5553]

My 8 yo daughter, who rarely sits in the sanctuary because she's usually in the White Box classroom, said later in the day that Tabitha is really pretty ❤

[@tbccwarrenton]

What a sweet comment! She is a beautiful girl

[@noracollins2040]

Beautiful little girl 💕 lovely parents ❤️❤️

[@Red_Queens_Jubilee_Club]

Do you feel that with different parents and a different frame of mind the same Trisomy 18 child would have a completely different experience and outcome? If so, are the physicians advising based on something closer to other than an ideal situation so that parents who will not or cannot provide an ideal situation will view the child’s health condition more realistically?

[@LizzieB888]

What an amazing story and God bless you and all of your family for giving that beautiful baby LIFE

[@dianaf.s.1345]

I do not understand people who argue that if you’re not perfect or your life may be shorter than others that you don’t deserve to live the life that God has ordained for you. Praise God that you and many other couples understand the special gift that He entrusts you with. Beautiful Tabitha will shine in heaven… no matter how long she lives. 🙏🏻❤️😇

[@franny5295]

I think it's more along the lines of concerns about the quality of the child's life. I would not continue a pregnancy with a genetically messed up kid because while the parents get patted on the back, the child endures countless painful and scary procedures and interventions and for what? Si the parents can say, "we chose life anyway and completely ignored the consequences for the child that decision brought about..." I would not subject my child to circumstances that I would not want for myself. If somebody has to hurt, sedate my baby in the womb aggressively and inject potassium into its heart so it dies peacefully in the comfort and security of all its ever known. Everybody who opts to abort a baby that catastrophically malformed is not being a jerk. But I've been in the hospital a lot and I would not want that to be my child's whole world.

[@zaleebauer3963]

I was 41 when I had my 12th baby and while carrying her I became symptomatic and found out that I had a PFO. This made my pregnancy "high risk". As this pregnancy carried on, I was told that I had a high chance of having a baby with Trisomy 18. The high risk Dr's recommended a procedure where they would extract some amniotic fluid by a needle injected into my stomach to be tested for the syndrome. My husband and I asked what kind of risk this procedure could have on the baby and were told that 1 in every 200 babies suffer complications or are aborted. For us, the risk was too high. So we refused the procedure. We're so glad we did. 5 months later I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She just turned 12 the other day.

[@beccabeaulieu3727]

❤❤❤💜💜💜

[@cynthiawhite5040]

What is T18?

[@karenashton5053]

Trisomy 18 is when there are 3 chromosomes on the 18th. This is Edward’s syndrome. Intellectually challenged, defects in many areas.

[@JessicaNoelle.]

Praise the Lord for His good and faithful servants!

[@kimberlywrenn4254]

She's beautiful, precious,and blessed to have such great parents. God bless your family❤❤

[@debs9049]

I wanted to hear about trilogy 18, not an abortion issue

[@JaimeMesChiens]

I may have missed this, but did you say if she is partial or mosaic? Thanks

[@ramonajust4781]

❤

[@sandracrumpler54]

God continue to bless your special family

[@aribashaikh1043]

Meri Tubu me jaisi pyari pyari

[@BelieverInChristJesus4ever]

She has the most beautiful smile. I believe she will excel and shock everyone, the doctors, nurses ... I saw how she was playing with the wooden toy in the highchair & she most definitely knows where they go. I just love her wittle smile, so beautiful 🩷🩵🩵 beautiful family.

[@tessmoore3762]

God bless you for choosing life for your beautiful baby! What a precious soul she is! I have a close friend who has a daughter with Trisomy 13. They were told to abort, and refused. They were told she would miscarry, but she didn't. They were told the baby would die within minutes of birth, she didn't . They were then told hours, then days, weeks, months....she is now a teenager. The doctors are baffled. The mother continues to push forward and do all she can for her daughter. She also has 2 old boys. They are better young men for having their sweet sister. Doctors don't know everything. They said at one point the girl had leukemia and would die. She no longer has it. They wanted to keep the girl on baby formula forever. Her mother started giving her other food - pureed - more nutritious and she thrived. The doctors are baffled. They just don't get it.

[@soyamor24k]

I was told that my baby will be born with T18 he was born healthy he is 17 very intelligent❤

[@lucyterrier7905]

Why would you tube video put information about abortion on this video? Disgusting.

[@EstherFisher-lv6rq]

This poor child has no quality life at all. I never let a child coming to this world who will not have life. this is not life only vegetation.

[@tessmoore3762]

You miss out on the blessings. This child clearly is alive and happy. Maybe that isn't your standard of life, but she is a blessing to her family.

[@daisysummer514]

You’re not looking with the right heart. She’s absolutely a blessing and very needed and wanted here.

[@EstherFisher-lv6rq]

@@daisysummer514 If I have a choice when I am pregnant and know the fetus is sick or deformed I am go to abortion without any hesitation. I never can accept a sick child for myself.

[@EstherFisher-lv6rq]

@@tessmoore3762 That is what you have to say this days. the free speech is not any more. If you find a sick child burden and you say that you will be stigmatized.

[@pokeystar1980]

Please don't have a child if you feel that way. What if they become sick or disabled later in life?

[@debbiereed5359]

Will she ever walk talk go to school ? She probably doesn't know she's in the world. She's just gonna suffer. I wouldn't want that for my child. They are selfish.