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>> IT WAS OUR FIRST CHILD.
WE WERE VERY EXCITED, AND OF COURSE,
WE WERE DOING THE COUNTDOWN LIKE EVERY NEW PARENT DOES.
>> WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING OUR FIRST ULTRASOUND
FOR OUR NEW BABY AND START OUR FAMILY TOGETHER.
>> "WELL-BABY ULTRASOUND" THEY CALLED IT.
YOU KNOW, JUST TO CHECK EVERYTHING OUT.
NO BIG DEAL.
WE WEREN'T EVEN GOING TO FIND OUT IF WE WERE HAVING A BOY
OR A GIRL.
>> AND, OF COURSE, WE DIDN'T GET EXACTLY THE GREAT NEWS
WE WERE EXPECTING.
>> NO.
THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT OUR CHILD'S BRAIN WAS NOT FORMING CORRECTLY.
SO WE HAD TO GO TO A HIGHER LEVEL ULTRASOUND.
>> SO WE DID THAT AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT WE HAD A BABY
WITH SPINA BIFIDA.
>> AND, OF COURSE, OUR LIVES WERE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
ALL THOSE HOPES, DREAMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU HAD
FOR YOUR CHILD WERE JUST GONE.
>> IN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILIES GETTING A NEW DIAGNOSIS
OF SPINA BIFIDA, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT.
>> IT MUST NOT ONLY BE QUITE A SHOCK, BUT BECAUSE THEY
MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS,
IT'S PROBABLY PRETTY TERRIFYING.
>> AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT PARALYSIS AND CATHETERS
AND SHUNTS AND WHEELCHAIRS, AND THEY START TO CRY
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY IMAGINED.
>> ALL OF THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THAT CHILD ARE READJUSTED,
ARE REORGANIZED.
>> MOST OF THE TIME THEY GET THIS DIAGNOSIS BEFORE THEY
ACTUALLY COME TO SEE US, SO THEY'VE HAD SOME TIME
TO ADJUST TO IT.
>> AND ONE OF OUR JOBS AT OUR CENTER IS TO MAKE SURE THAT
MOTHERS HAVE EVERY OPTION AVAILABLE TO THEM.
>> --TO EDUCATE THEM, TO ADVISE THEM,
TO HELP THEM SO THAT WHATEVER CHOICE THE MOTHER AND THE FAMILY
MAKES IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR THEM.