To our family and friends,
Daniel and I would like to ask you to pray for us and our little one in utero. We had some lab screening genetic bloodwork done for the baby shortly before Thanksgiving. We’ve done this test previously with the girls so we could find out the gender and not because we had concern from a genetic standpoint, and we repeated that decision for this baby. However, we received the news yesterday that the baby is high risk (our risk factor is 91 out of 100 according to the lab screening, which makes the probability of occurrence quite high) for a genetic condition called trisomy 18. We will need to have this confirmed with a diagnostic test, which will occur during our next ultrasound on January 2nd that will perform an extensive anatomy scan to include a fetal echocardiogram. If the ultrasound shows indications of this condition being present the outcome is grim and it’s unlikely the baby will live very long. There’s a high chance of miscarriage or stillbirth with this condition and if able to carry to term and deliver the baby might only live for a short time. Depending on the severity of the condition the baby might live up to a year, but it’s not common for babies with trisomy 18 to live past a year old. We do have the option of other diagnostic testing, but at this time we’ve chosen to wait for the anatomy scan ultrasound. So for now we are continuing to trust ourselves and this little one in the hands of our sovereign Lord and will try to wait with not too much trepidation for January 2nd as there is also a possibility that this screening test could be wrong. Ultimately, we desire that this baby will continue to be given life, but whatever God has in store for us our prayer is that we can walk this road with much grace and perseverance. Please pray.
Thank you and with much gratitude for each of you,
The Skaggs Family
