Denali's Story

Denali's Story is still being written- Keep checking back for more updates!
The first time that I heard the word anencephaly was during my second year of medical school. I was horrified that such a condition even existed. During my studies, I came across the blogs of couples who had decided to continue their pregnancies despite their baby's diagnosis of anencephaly. I started following some of the blogs. I don't know what it was about anencephaly that interested me, but I believe my heart was being prepared for the future.
  I found out that I was pregnant shortly before graduating from medical school. After graduation, I planned to visit Alaska for a few weeks to spend time with John before starting my residency program. My mom and brother were coming with me. A few days before we left, I had my first OB appointment and had routine labs drawn, including the quad screen. We arrived in Alaska on Wednesday. On Friday morning, the phone rang at John's house and my heart sank. I knew it was bad news before I even answered. It was my OB back in Virginia calling to say that my quad screen had come back positive. My doctor explained that, based on my test results and positive AFP, my baby had a 1 in 11 chance of having spina bifida. She recommended that I see a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist right away. An appointment was scheduled for the next Tuesday at the local hospital. That weekend was really hard. I tried to be positive, but I knew that something was wrong with my baby. Read about that weekend here.

Here are some useful links to posts about important days in the life of Denali:
Diagnosis Day
Decision to Carry to Term
Denali's Life Part I
Denali's Life Part II
Denali's Memorial Service