Oklahoma mother Keri Young was devastated upon hearing the news: her unborn baby has anencephaly—a terrible birth defect in which the fetus has no brain.
In a moment of travesty, sometimes despair is our immediate response. But for Keri, her immediate response to doctors was, “If I carry her full term, can we donate her organs?”
The stunning act of selflessness swept social media, inspiring countless people to like, comment, and share her Facebook/Instagram updates, including this one posted by her husband:
“I remember our doctor putting her hand on Keri’s shoulder and saying, ‘Oh honey, that’s so brave of you to say,’” wrote Royce Young, Keri’s husband, on Facebook, “Like, how nice of you, but come on. Keri meant it. There I was, crestfallen and heartbroken, but I momentarily got lifted out of the moment and just stood in awe of her.”
On Instagram, Keri posted this photo of a sonogram, revealing their unborn daughter’s fragile limbs:
“This is our daughter’s perfect heart,” wrote Keri, “She has perfect feet and perfect hands. She has perfect kidneys, perfect lungs and a perfect liver. Sadly, she doesn’t have a perfect brain.”
Doctors informed the married couple that their daughter would only survive for 24 hours after birth.
Given the inevitability of her baby’s death, Keri decided to make the best of things by donating the organs to someone in need.
“We know she will not live,” wrote Keri, “But someone else is desperately hoping for a miracle. Their kidneys are failing them. Their liver has betrayed them. They deserve life, and they’re probably praying for it.”
Sources:
Global News
Exclusive Newsletter, Video, Deals, Content And Video Updates
