Posted on 01/25/2008 5:07:50 PM PST by wagglebee
NORFOLK, UK, January 25, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Lorraine Allard of St. Olaves, near Great Yarmouth, was told she had advanced liver cancer when she was four months pregnant with her first son.
The thirty-three year old mother of three girls was advised to abort her son, who was 23 weeks old, and begin chemotherapy right away. Rather than follow the doctor's advice, however, the courageous woman 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."
Mrs. Allard was scheduled for a caesarian delivery at 26 weeks, but went into premature labour and delivered her son, Liam, on November 18.
"He was so tiny, just 1lb 11oz, so the nurse grabbed him and allowed Lorraine to give him a little kiss before he was taken to an incubator," Mr. Allard said in a report by the Daily Mail.
"She was so emotional. She had been so determined to give him the best chance and was happy that he had been born naturally, which meant she wouldn't have to recover for a couple of weeks after a Caesarian before beginning the chemotherapy."
She began a course of chemotherapy and, although the doctors had said the cancer was no longer curable, they hoped to shrink the tumours, which they thought might give her a few more years of life. A CT scan on January 17, however, revealed the tumours were still growing. She passed away the following day.
Martyn Allard shared the last moments of his wife's earthly life with the Daily Mail reporter: "On the day Lorraine died she hadn't eaten for two weeks and couldn't drink. I laid beside her and she was gripping my hand quite tight. We were like that for about half an hour."
"I could feel against my chest that her heart was slowing down. She just slipped away after that. It was very peaceful."
"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."
"When Liam is old enough, I won't tell him that Lorraine gave her life for him but I will say she made sure he had a good chance of life. She told me she didn't want him to feel bad about it," Mr. Allard added.
Lorraine's funeral will take place on February 4th in the same church where she married Martyn.
Bump to a wonderful woman and mother.
I also immediately thought of the brave St. Gianna when I heard this mother’s loving story. For those who don’t know about Dr. Gianna: http://www.catholicinsight.com/online/saints/stmolla.shtml
Any loving mother would gladly exchange her life for their child. It takes an exceptional woman to give it for her unborn child.
I know that none of us is deserving of God’s grace, yet can’t help but think there are a few who come very close. May the child someday, somehow, understand how great a person his mother was.
I was heartbroken when I read this story. Words don’t do her justice and it is hard to describe such bravery.
In life heroes are never those who are most obvious.
The true heroes are really never noticed or acknowledged.
The silent strength of the most courageous that comes only from the Lord in times when needed.
Sacrifice is not explained in words it is demonstrated
through actions and ways of the heart. And this dying Mother’s love for her unborn child, which she had never yet seen, never yet held, never yet heard cry or laugh proves that she may have lived as one of us mere humans, but she died a hero.
Oh my aching heart. God bless this mother for following through with the birth of her baby son. One day he will grow up and know the heroine his mother was. God speed to the little girls, the boy and their dad. They were all blessed to have loved and known this courageous woman. She took the hard but...the right road.
What a wonderful woman. Rest in peace and God bless the family.
God Bless and Keep Close this wonderful woman.
The left and other abortion supporters take note.
You have got to be joking -- those pigs couldn't care less about a person like this -- I can hear them laughing now about how much of a sucker they think she was to act like that.
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