This is how I picture Ariel and Catherine in Heaven, together. |
After losing Ariel I was bereft and feeling desolate. I had no contact with my family as I was so angry about their advice to abort Ariel. I missed my precious daughter Ariel desperately. I had just started teaching at a nearby highschool. I became pregnant again, but had a miscarriage at 12 weeks in pregnancy. It came about suddenly; I started bleeding in class and had to leave quickly. By the time I arrived at the hospital, there was no question that this baby would be lost. My little baby was delivered whole with deformity. The physician said this baby had probable anencephaly as her head was not all there. He said, "there is something severely wrong with the head. The top of the head is missing " After losing another daughter to anencephaly, I contacted my family and we resolved our differences. I was so very sad that I cut them out of my life. I did not at that time give my baby a name. I did in time when my dear friend Dawn encouraged me to name her. In 1974 I gave birth to a healthy son, Kaiden, and then in 1980 I gave birth to another son, Lewis. In 1981 I gave birth to Lee, I now have three healthy sons. They know about their little sisters. They are compassionate, loving, kind grown men now. I am now a registered occupational therapist, having undertaken a 2nd degree. My life is stable; I am still Jewish, but I have changed my outlook on the afterlife. I believe that I have two Angel daughters, and three sons who will someday leave this Earth as we all do. I look forward to our reunion in the Heavenly Homeland. Having two babies with anencephaly is uncommon. Folic acid deficiency is one cause, but I had a diet rich in folic acid. Some women are unable to metabolise folic acid, now there are tests for this. There were no such tests back when I had my daughters. Anencephaly is also related to certain ethnic groups, and is more common in those of Irish descent. My father is of Scot Irish descent. And most of the time, anencephaly just occurs out of the blue, no real cause. Its incidence is the same as spina bifida, but as all anencephalic infants die either as miscarriages, stillbirths, or shortly after birth, there are no poster children for anencephaly. |
Music: Laura Nyro - Dedicated to the one I love |
ANGEL BABY 'CATHERINE ANGELICA' Miscarried at twelve weeks on February 2nd 1973 |
