Soozy Jenner’s unborn baby Grace was diagnosed with a neural tube defect in the womb. Doctors at the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) booked an abortion without Mrs Jenner’s consent.
“I was completely shocked”, says Mrs Jenner. “I couldn’t believe someone would think it would be alright to have a termination [abortion], because his view was that baby isn’t going to live and he automatically assumed I would take a termination.
“I refused it and after that nobody got in touch with me, I had to seek out that second opinion.”
Mrs Jenner was desperate for an MRI scan to clarify her baby’s condition and chance of survival. “Ultimately, I wasn’t given an MRI as I’d chosen to go against their wishes.” Told that her daughter wasn’t “viable”, she continued to refuse abortion since Grace had a strong heartbeat.
Sadly, Grace died during birth.
Many other mothers have spoken out about how doctors have pressured them to abort their unborn children, especially in cases of Down’s Syndrome.
One mum, Emma Mellor, was reported “even though we made it really clear that it wasn’t an option for us… They really seemed to push and really seemed to want us to terminate.”
Another mother, Máire Lea-Wilson, was offered abortion three times for her unborn baby diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome. “During this time of great vulnerability, I was told that my child would not be able to live independently.”
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “A shocking pro-abortion ethic has infected medicine to the point that, for many doctors, abortion has become the first and even the only answer to complications in the womb.
“The insensitivity and callousness displayed in these instances exposes a worrying trend that must be addressed. Mothers need support and constructive advice. Instead, too many parents hit a wall of defeatism and anti-life sentiment. This is especially worrying when it comes from doctors whose calling is supposedly the preservation of life.”
