My name is Natalie Stratton. I am from Duluth, Minnesota. My daughter was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 at the end of my pregnancy. I was not offered an explanation of what this is or how it happened. My doctor appointments after the diagnosis were no longer a normal prenatal visit. The doctor no longer seemed interested in how my daughter was doing. My doctor was more concerned about when I would let her induce me.
I sat on the thought for awhile, with Google being my only source of information on trisomy18. I decided to go to the University of Minnesota for a second opinion. There they did a full examination. They also sat me down and answered any possible questions that I had. They talked about trisomy18, my daughter, and my family tree. At this ultra sound I was told there was no reason to believe my daughter wouldnt be born alive. They didnt know how long she could survive, but they couldn’t see any problems keeping her from being alive.
I then found a very compassionate doc in my area and made an appointment with her for that Thursday. Wednesday morning I went into labor. I went to the hospital that my doc did not work at. I chose not to tell the nurse my daughter had T18, in hopes that they would not choose her fate. I started bleeding and knew this was not right. The nurse said that the baby was stressed and the placenta was detaching. I knew I needed a Csection. The nurse called my doc. When she walked back into the room she refused the csection and told me they were not doing it because my baby was not compatible with life.
They forced me to deliver, and my daughter was born with a heart beat but not breathing. My doc would not perform CPR or anything else to help her breathe. My daughter was layed on my chest, and I was forced to watch my daughter die before my eyes. Isabella Vitalina (meaning beautiful little life) was born november 11, 2009. Weighing 3lbs 10oz.
Though Bella was only here for a very short time, she left a large imprint in many hearts and lives.
