08/12/2026
Diagnosis Story: Ellie, Mama Bear to Aliyah
Ellie shares her memories of receiving her little girl’s diagnosis. Aliyah was born in the summer of 2023, and blessed her family with seven precious hours before she went home to Heaven.
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"Just a few months before I found out I was pregnant with Aliyah, I experienced my first miscarriage. The loss was devastating, so when I found out I was pregnant again, I was overjoyed.
I only had the NIPT done because I was eager to find out the gender of our baby. We had done the same testing with our first daughter and fully expected another normal, healthy pregnancy.
Then a doctor from my practice called to discuss the results.
She told me that our baby was high-risk for Trisomy 18. I had never even heard of Trisomy 18 before, so when she said the NIPT showed an elevated risk, I had no idea what that diagnosis could mean.
I asked what it would mean if our daughter did have Trisomy 18. The doctor told me it was a very serious condition and that basically nothing in her body would work correctly. She said the next step would be an ultrasound with Maternal Fetal Medicine so they could get a better picture of exactly what was going on.
I was stunned. Completely shocked.
I couldn’t believe what she was saying could be real.
I immediately began researching Trisomy 18 online, and nearly everything I found was negative. My dread intensified with every search. I couldn’t understand why God would allow this to happen.
When my husband came home from work, I shared the news with him and cried out in tearful desperation,
“Why would God do this to us?!”
While we waited for our appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine, I was in heavy denial. I couldn’t believe the results could be correct.
I was convinced the test was wrong.
At our appointment, the MFM doctor came in after the ultrasound and explained all of the abnormalities he saw. He said they were all consistent with Trisomy 18.
He told us our daughter probably wouldn’t make it to full-term and that most babies with this condition pass in utero. He also said that if she did make it to full-term, she likely wouldn’t live to see her first birthday, would have serious ongoing medical problems, and would have “no quality of life.”
Then he mentioned the option of terminating the pregnancy.
I was disgusted and horrified by the suggestion.
I told him that I would never terminate a pregnancy under any circumstances. On our way out, I told the people at the front desk that I never wanted to see that doctor again.
I knew that regardless of the pain we might face in the future, God had given us this precious little baby to love and protect, even if we were only given a brief time with her.
Our baby was not a mistake.
Psalm 139:13–14 - For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
I also knew that God would be close beside us through every moment of the journey.
Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Those truths became something I could hold onto when everything around me felt uncertain.
Whatever Aliyah’s story would look like, she was our daughter.
She was deeply loved.
And her life was worth fighting for."
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No two diagnosis stories are ever exactly alike, but every mama deserves to hear more than just a dim prognosis.
They deserve hope.
They deserve support.
They deserve the opportunity to love, protect, and fight for their baby - even if it's just one precious day at a time. 💙🐻
At Mama Bear Care, we walk alongside moms facing a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, from diagnosis to delivery and beyond.
And we can’t do this without people like you. Please prayerfully consider joining us as a ministry partner and help us bring hope, resources, and compassionate care to more moms in their time of greatest need.
