“Whoever welcomes this
child in My name, welcomes the One who sent Me. For he who is least among
you all is the greatest.”
Luke 9:48
“I have told you this
so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33
Morning Light Ministry offers
to parents carrying their baby to term with an adverse prenatal diagnosis
(at no cost to the parent) the following:
a. HOPE IN TURMOIL mini-book
b. Special prayers of blessing
for your child in the womb that you can pray daily with your family or
as an individual
c. Specific suggestions for
a detailed birth plan for your baby to discuss with your doctor before
your child comes to term. You can decide what you would like the medical
staff to do or not to do. You can decide what to include in the sacred
time after your baby is born, whether your child has survived or not.
d. Telephone support
e. Email support
Please contact MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY for information and support to carry your baby to
full-term: mlmhopeinturmoil@rogers.com
For families who need immediate
help please contact us at mlmhopeinturmoil@go.com
Please be advised that the medical community may use the following terms for abortion/euthanasia:
Medical termination
Interruption of pregnancy
Early induction of labor (labour)
Genetic termination
For Catholic Church teaching on pregnancy termination in regards to an adverse prenatal diagnosis of a baby
HOPE IN TURMOIL: A
GUIDE FOR DECISION-MAKING
AFTER RECEIVING AN
ADVERSE PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS
REGARDING YOUR BABY
By Bernadette Zambri
(Revised 2000)
(Click here for ordering information. For parents who have received an adverse prenatal diagnosis please contact us for a free copy of this extensive booklet. We will send it the fastest way we are able to send it.)
This booklet was reviewed by a Catholic moral theologian.
From “A Letter To Parents In Turmoil” in the HOPE IN TURMOIL booklet:
“Dear Parent In Turmoil,
It is my
hope that this booklet will be given to you at the time when you receive
the adverse prenatal diagnosis regarding your baby.
It is also
my hope that in your confusion, your fear, your feeling of helplessness,
that you know there are people out there who care deeply about you, your
spouse, your baby, your other children. The people in this booklet have
“been there”.
Please
read this booklet and search out the groups/organizations listed for information
and support. If your baby has been diagnosed with a fatal condition, please
contact MORNING LIGHT MINISTRY while you are
still pregnant. We can offer you support in addition to the other groups
mentioned in the Resource List in this booklet.
Sometimes
all you may need is a ‘listening heart’.
There is
HOPE IN TURMOIL.”
SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HOPE IN TURMOIL
“We heard about MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY from our midwife in 1998 who left the MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY brochure with us at the most traumatic time in our
lives after an adverse prenatal diagnosis. At the time I put the brochure
away thinking-I’m not going to need a group like this! It was in thinking
back, a coping mechanism hoping all would be alright! At this point you
are going through many emotions. You are going through the grieving process
even before your baby is born and still you are desperately hoping all
will be well. Since that time I’ve read the HOPE
IN TURMOIL booklet. I would have appreciated
having it available to me at the time because I was desperately wanting
to hear other stories of how people coped who brought their babies to term
with a fatal condition.”
J., Ontario, Canada
“We found MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY to be tremendously helpful to us once we received
the fatal diagnosis for the baby I was carrying. With the help of MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY we were able to prepare for the birth and death of
our son in almost every way. From the HOPE
IN TURMOIL booklet we were able to be
reassured by other families stories and connect with a family through a
resource group listed in the booklet whose baby had exactly the same fatal
condition as our son. We were, on a practical level, able to make the necessary
arrangements regarding his birth (Baptism, having pictures taken, handprints
& footprints, holding and talking to our son) and death (funeral and
burial arrangements etc.). On a spiritual level we were encouraged to pray
and trust that the Lord did not ‘do this’ to our son, but that the Lord
has a unique plan for all of us.
The ongoing telephone support
and the written resources available to us helped make our baby’s birth
and death the most positive experience possible, in that we were able to
prepare (as much as we were able) for his birth and death, and we are very
much at peace with our decisions with the help of MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY. We are grateful to MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY for being there for us through such a difficult trial.”
P. & M., Ontario, Canada
“Carrying a sick child to term
is not an easy journey, but parents in this situation need to know the
beauty there is in life, no matter how brief, and the joy and peace from
making the decision to continue the pregnancy. The parents can only know
this through the positive experiences of those who have walked this path.
Reading HOPE IN TURMOIL
gives the parents this opportunity. As a Catholic ministry, MORNING
LIGHT MINISTRY offered comfort we could not find anywhere else.
The affirmation and support for our child’s precious life (that we also
received from our priest), the understanding and compassion of a parent
who had survived the loss of a child were together in one ministry. For
us, it was the perfect
support.”
J. & D., Ontario, Canada
The following group is run by bereaved parents who have brought their babies to term with adverse conditions. They will support you in your decision to bring you baby to term with an adverse prenatal diagnosis:
BeNotAfraid.net
Internet Support for BeNotAfraid.net
at: http://www.benotafraid.net
Easy Link: BeNotAfraid.net
is an online outreach to parents
who have received a poor or difficult prenatal diagnosis. The family stories,
articles, and links within this site are presented as a resource for those
who may have been asked to choose between terminating a pregnancy or continuing
on despite the diagnosis. The benotafraid.net families faced the
same decision and chose not to terminate. By sharing our experiences, we
hope to offer encouragement to those who may be afraid to continue on.
The woman who operates this site brought her baby to term with a serious
set of heart defects. Her child has undergone several surgeries since her
birth and she continues to do very well.
l Introduction/Home
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Michele
- Gabriela Lael's Mommy for
Morning Light Ministry
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