Life over death

Abortion | Five women give birth despite U.S. medical pressure to abort | Cody Holt

James Allen Walker for WORLD

Kim Illion says it took her four months to grasp that Cole, her unborn son, had been diagnosed with hydrocephalus—water on the brain—at 20 weeks. "I cried every single day," said the mother from Iselin, N.J. "I didn't want to have a baby shower. I didn't want to decorate the room, because I thought that I was bringing home a baby—if I was even bringing home a baby—who was going to die."

Every day, parents like Illion and her husband hear dire news couched in clinical terms like "incompatible with life," "no quality of life," and "termination of pregnancy." Many mothers abort but some don't, not knowing whether their children will lead fairly normal lives, live with serious illnesses, or die soon after birth. Despite the uncertainty and fear, these mothers often have no regrets that they chose life for their children, no matter how brief. Here are the stories of five who continued their pregnancies despite medical advice to the contrary.