Heroic gift

Four months into her fourth pregnancy, Lorraine Allard discovered that she was suffering from an advanced state of cancer. As usual, the medical community ignored the life of the child and suggested abortion and immediate chemo. The determined mother said no.

Instead, she insisted on waiting long enough to give her unborn son a chance to survive, telling her husband, Martyn: "If I am going to die, my baby is going to live."

A Caesarian section was scheduled at 26 weeks but Mrs Allard, 33, went into premature labour a week before and Liam was born on November 18. She then began chemotherapy but passed away on January 18, having left her sickbed a handful of times to cradle her son in her arms beside his incubator.

Yesterday, Mr Allard said: "Lorraine was positive all the way through. She had strength for both of us. I can't begin to describe how brave she was. Towards the end we knew things weren't going well but she was overjoyed that she had given life to Liam."

A lovely testament, a heavy cross for the widower and his children, but a decision that sheds its own peace, because of the integrity on which it was founded. Prayers for this family -- we're grateful for such witness.

[Thankfully, this story ended a little more happily.]

Comments

[mrs jackie parkesm]

Some women are just so brave! i'm not one of them sadly...

[gsk]

None of us feel brave from the outside looking in. But the beauty of the faith is our confidence that the grace arrives at the appropriate time. God provides. Having walked away from a child's burial, I can attest to that fact -- that not only does He get you through it, but He lifts, and consoles, and transforms such events into something previously unimaginable.