The pro-abortion group Amplify Legal sent a threatening letter to Live Action, which accused Live Action News of slander against a group of women who went public after being denied abortions for severely ill preborn babies. These women, who put forward their stories to advocate against pro-life laws, all claimed that they were denied abortions despite carrying babies who had no chance of survival.
Live Action News pushed back on some of these claims, and Amplify Legal accused them of lying. They even threatened litigation.
Amplify Legal’s letter referred to the women’s pregnancies as “medically doomed,” and in some cases, it does seem as though, with current technology, there would have been no way to save the babies. But in other cases, there is more to the story. This article (and several more to follow) will discuss one case: Kate Cox from Texas.
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Kate Cox and Trisomy 18
Kate Cox’s preborn baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, and she sued the state of Texas to obtain a legal abortion. Many media outlets covered her story. Cox was over 21 weeks pregnant, and she demanded a Dilation & Evacuation, or D&E abortion.
According to the letter from Amplify Legal:
Kate Cox (Texas) learned at around 20 weeks that her baby had a fatal form of Trisomy 18 and had no chance of survival… Live Action News knew that Ms. Cox’s diagnosis was fatal, yet it still asserted that “Cox’s daughter, Chloe, wasn’t necessarily doomed to die.”
Live Action has in fact maliciously and repeatedly asserted that Ms. Cox’s diagnosis was not fatal in at least twenty five [sic] different articles, videos, and social media posts about her.
Cox was unable to have an abortion in Texas but aborted her daughter in another state.
Ironically, Cox said that part of the reason she was aborting her baby daughter was to save the child from pain. But a D&E abortion, which requires the doctor to dismember the baby, is incredibly brutal and would cause severe pain to any child old enough to feel it.
Here is a video illustrating the procedure.
But the question I want to address in this article is whether Live Action News lied when they claimed that Chloe “wasn’t necessarily doomed to die,” as Amplify Legal says. Who is telling the truth?
It does seem to be the case that Kate Cox was told by her doctor that Chloe’s condition was fatal. In an interview, she said that when she asked her doctor how long the baby could survive in the “best-case scenario,” the doctor said a week at most.
In a future article, I will discuss some of the studies on Trisomy 18 and survival, but for now, I’m going to prove Amplify Legal and Cox’s doctor wrong by highlighting cases of children born with Trisomy 18 who survived.
All these children were alive when their parents shared their stories.
Verity and her Family
Verity was Jacobson’s ninth child, and Jacobson hadn’t planned to have more children. Therefore, she admits, it took her a couple of months to “get used to” the idea of another baby.
But by the time she learned of Verity’s diagnosis, Jacobson says, “once again I had fallen in love with a tiny being growing inside of me.”
Jacobson wrote about how it seemed like “such a contradiction” to hear the doctor tell her Verity would probably be stillborn when she could feel “such strong kicks and somersaults from within.”
Verity was very much alive and active inside her mother, and Jacobson and her husband weren’t willing to end her life.
Jacobson didn’t know anything about Trisomy 18 when she received her baby’s diagnosis. To find out more, she did something that Kate Cox does not seem to have done – she went online and looked for other families who faced the same diagnosis.
What she discovered was entire communities of families and children who were living with Trisomy 18.
Jacobson wrote:
Little by little, we learned more about Trisomy 18–not in terms of suffering, but instead as exhibited by hundreds, maybe thousands, of babies, children, teens, even adults living with the condition.
My perspective shifted as I realized that maybe–just maybe–instead of preparing for our baby to die, I should be preparing for her to live.
It was clear, from Google searches and some digging, that Trisomy 18 was not, indeed, always fatal.
Jacobson remembers that one neonatologist told her Verity would be a drain on her family.
But with the support of other families living with Trisomy 18, who gave her encouragement, Jacobson welcomed her daughter into the world.
She has no regrets. According to her, her daughter is anything but a drain. Verity is “living an amazing life with Trisomy 18,” and her other children “adore their little sister.”
Jacobson argues that Verity has the same value as any other child. She says:
I don’t know how long Verity will live. But I do know she is not in pain. She is not suffering. She is a joyful and happy child. She is not a “drain” on our family. She is our most precious blessing!
I know my children are the kindest, most compassionate siblings Verity could ever ask for. They adore their little sister. Verity has changed us all for the better.
Every day we have with Verity is a blessing. I thank God for her.
Verity inspired Jacobson to set up Verity’s Village, an organization that helps families with children with Trisomy 18.
Faith and her Family
Faith Smith was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. In honor of her twelfth birthday, her parents sent a postcard to all the doctors they’ve seen – both the ones who treated Faith and those who refused.
The postcard said:
Faith is loud, happy, sweet, and well-loved. She gives the tightest hugs, best kisses, and has the craziest dance moves of us all. She loves swimming, horseback riding, balloons, and playing the piano. Faith’s quality of life is the envy of all that know her.
Faith’s sister Grace wrote:
As much time as Faith has spent in a hospital, she’s spent much more than that traveling, laughing, and loving her life… She loves walking around museums and going on Starbucks runs. Her life is full of fun.
Doctors told Faith’s mother that her other children would be harmed unless she aborted Faith. But Grace says, “It is my complete honor and joy to spend every day caring and spending time with her. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”
Grace’s message to Faith, from Facebook:
Faith Victoria – You were a “fatal fetal anomaly” and “incompatible with life.” I’m so grateful that your stubborn little self chose to say suck it to the naysayers… You have taught me compassion, perseverance, kindness, patience, and how to be joyful in the midst of pain. I am forever grateful to God for your life. Happy 12th birthday my sweet girl. I love you.
Disabled people are valuable in and of themselves – our value doesn’t come from whether we enrich the lives of the nondisabled people around us. But it’s also true that, like all human beings, we have the capacity to love and be loved, and to bless others through our presence. Faith is an example of this.
Tabitha and her Family
KTBV News featured the Ensminger family and four-year-old Tabitha, who has Trisomy 18.
Tabitha’s older sister, Esther, mentioned Tabitha in her graduation speech, saying, “My baby sister Tabitha has a superpower. She has Trisomy 18, which means she is the happiest and the most lovable baby ever.” Esther told KTBV News, “[J]ust to see her smile every day, seeing her face – it’s just been awesome.”
Tabitha’s mother Sandy said:
Tabitha is just a ray of sunshine all the time. She’s just so precious and, like, her smile is contagious. As soon as she starts smiling, watch out, everybody’s got a smile.
The Ensmingers regularly give support to other families beginning their Trisomy 18 journey. In response to the family’s activism, Governor Brad Little declared March Trisomy 18 Awareness Month.
The Ensmingers’ goal is to educate people, including medical professionals, about the value of children with Trisomy 18 and the fact that they can survive with proper care. Together, Tabitha and her family are giving hope to others and fighting against the misconceptions about Trisomy 18.
The family is involved in promoting Simon’s Law. Simon’s Law is named after a Kansas child with Trisomy 18 who died after being refused medical care. Simon Law, which has been passed in several states, forbids doctors from refusing medical care to children with disabilities.
Sandy says, “I want people to know that there’s hope and [Trisomy 18 is] not something fatal… Hopelessness is fatal.”
Prenatal Partners for Life
Some stories of children with trisomy 18 can be found on the website Prenatal Partners for Life. This is an older site, and I’m not 100% sure where these children are today or what their status is.
The group matched families who had just received adverse prenatal diagnoses with families who gave birth to children with similar conditions.
These more experienced families acted as mentors and supporters for families just beginning their journeys. The parents raising disabled children were able to provide accurate information, which could be lacking from medical professionals. They also provided support and encouragement through emails, phone calls, and personal visits, “for as long as the other couple needs help.”
Peter Kellett and his Family
Mary Kellett ran the organization. Her son Peter was diagnosed with trisomy 18 while still in the womb.
Kellett’s doctor told her at her 19-week ultrasound that her baby had markers for a chromosomal disorder that was “incompatible with life.” The doctor urged her to get amniocentesis to confirm the diagnosis.
Kellet recalls the conversation:
“You need to have amniocentesis. These markers indicate there could be a chromosomal disorder … one that’s incompatible with life. We need to find out for sure, and soon, so you have more choices.” These were the words of the specialist at my nineteen-week ultrasound.
“Do you mean abortion?” I asked. “We’d never consider that. As for amnio, isn’t there a risk of miscarriage?”
“Yes, there’s a small risk,” the doctor conceded. “But I highly recommend it, so you know what you’re dealing with. These markers indicate trisomy 18. If the baby makes it to birth, it won’t survive beyond two weeks.”
“Well, we won’t take the chance of hurting the baby. We’ll love this little boy no matter what he has,” I said through tears.
Peter’s diagnosis was confirmed after birth.
According to Kellett:
After we learned that Peter had full trisomy 18, some recommended that we wrap him in a blanket and let him die. They said he’d never have any “quality of life” or be able to contribute to society. He’d never recognize us or interact with us.
But Kellett and her family defied such advice and, she said, “Peter is now a giggling, smiling 2 1/2 -year-old who, though physically limited, brings joy to his family every day.”
She further describes Peter as “a sweet, happy little boy who knows and loves his family.”
Kellett has 11 children and, she says, in some ways, Peter is the easiest of all to raise.
Many other children are living with Trisomy 18. Since this article is well over 2000 words already, I’ll save their stories for my next few pieces. There are many examples to give.
Easily Refuted Lies
Rather than being “medically doomed,” babies with Trisomy 18 are valuable members of society, often deeply loved by family and friends. The fact that they are severely disabled does not diminish their worth.
These stories, and many others, show that it isn’t Live Action that’s dishonest, but Amplify Legal.
The stories, and many like them, aren’t that difficult to find with a little time and persistence. The only way to claim that trisomy 18 is always fatal is to ignore the lived experiences of so many families. To literally erase disabled people and dismiss them.
Surely, all these parents, siblings, and children aren’t actors posing for photos and telling made-up stories. These aren’t even pro-life sites. Though some of the parents may be pro-life, none are making arguments against legalized abortion. None of them share whether they feel abortion should be illegal. I didn’t see any of them claim people facing pregnancies with Trisomy 18 should not be allowed to abort. They don’t have a political agenda. So what’s their motive for lying?
Amplify Legal’s lie that Trisomy 18 is always fatal is so easy to refute that it’s hard to understand how they could believe they would get away with it. They obviously have little respect for their followers’ (or adversaries’) ability to do their own research. I guess the people behind Amplify Legal are used to their followers just believing what they are told without question, because the minute you look into their claim, it falls apart.
Even the most negative, outdated studies and websites on Trisomy 18 show that not all babies with it are stillborn or die at birth, even if they give low percentages for survival (and their figures are distorted by including all the babies denied medical care and set aside to die). Amplify Legal’s position is impossible to defend using any sources.
Disabled Children Have Value
By denying the lived reality of these children and their families, Amplify Legal pushes a false narrative. They and other pro-abortion groups deny disabled children the chance to live their lives and deny their families the joy of knowing them. And they tell lies to do it.
Disabled children are robbed of their entire futures, and families are robbed of the enrichment, joy, and love such children bring. Abortion, and the falsehoods that promote it, take not only life but love from the world. When parents reject children who aren’t perfect, they cheat themselves, and the rest of us, out of all the blessings they bring.
Every human being, whether they work or live independently, contributes something to the world. These children may not be productive by society’s standards, but they bring joy, light, and love to their communities. As we all have the potential to do.
Their lives are worth living, and their presence in the world is valuable. They, along with all disabled people, have a right to be here.
LifeNews Note: Sarah Terzo covered the abortion issue for over 13 years as a professional journalist. In this capacity, she has written nearly a thousand articles about abortion and read over 850 books on the topic. She has been researching and writing about abortion since attending The College of New Jersey (class of 1997) where she minored in Women’s Studies. This article originally appeared on Sarah Terzo’s Substack. You can read more of her articles here.
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