Discovering Turners Syndrome- Part 2
October 12, 2022. I asked my Mom to go to the website my doctor provided to see my baby’s gender. I wanted her to plan a gender reveal for me and my boyfriend, Daniel. Although, the website didn’t say our baby’s gender. Why? My Mom called the doctor, and they told us we had to make an appointment and speak to her, and she could not tell us anything over the phone.
The day of the appointment is here. I am filled with worry, why couldn’t they tell us the gender? What could this mean?
“Your baby has Turners' Syndrome. So, she is a baby girl.” My doctor said.
I look towards Daniel. He looks scared, which worries me more. I have never heard of this before, and I doubt he has either.
“The test isn’t always right, so there is a small chance that it is wrong, but I will still be referring you guys to a specialist. I would also like to take a look at her to make sure she is doing alright.”
On the ultrasound screen, I see my baby. Her legs, feet, hands, and a big bump on the back of her neck? I don’t know very much about babies. Maybe this is a normal part of their body that goes away before they’re born.
“I’m not sure what that on her neck is. I would recommend not searching it up. The specialist should be able to tell you. My honest advice to you would be to go out of state and abort as soon as possible.”
What? I’ve never left Texas before and I don’t want my first time to be to abort my baby. I want my baby no matter what differences she has. Turners’ Syndrome can’t be so bad that it will make me abort my baby.
October 15th, 2022. I’m in a high-risk doctor's office with Daniel and my Mom. My name gets called, and we go into a dark room. The ultrasound is being shown on a big TV-like screen. My baby reaches her hand up and runs her finger across the top of the womb, which makes us all laugh.
“Has your doctor told you about Cystic Hygroma and the risks?”
“No,” I said.
“Cystic Hygroma is, in a lot of cases, deadly for the baby. There is a chance that it goes away. This usually goes hand-in-hand with Turners’, as you know your baby probably has. I wouldn’t lose hope yet.”
Daniel and I start to cry. I rarely ever cry, but I can’t stand the thought of losing my baby. She’s only a few weeks old, but I love her. When I got home and started to research Turners’. I joined support groups, read articles, and even video-chatted with a geneticist.
Most women/girls have 2 X chromosomes. People with Turners only have one. Most women end up living happy, successful lives. They sometimes suffer from a variety of medical and developmental problems. The most common being short stature, failure of the ovaries to develop, and heart defects.
They also look a bit different from their peers. They have webbed necks, low hairlines, and broad chests. This, along with their short stature and infertility, make women grow insecure because they look different from everyone else.
Daniel and I were ready to have our baby. We were willing to do whatever it takes to help her live a happy life despite having Turners’. If she is born and the test was wrong and she doesn’t have it, then we learned something new! We were happy no matter what happens. As long as Cystic Hygroma doesn’t take her life, we are happy.
