STORIES

"Your baby is a boy, and he has been conceived with Trisomy 18. You'll want to schedule an appointment for termination and I wish you better luck on the next one." That was the news and counsel that Kelly &Daniel Crawford received back in July 2015 after some first-trimester blood work. But rather than giving their son an abortion, they gave him a name, and Abel Paul Crawford's life story would continue...

The hard truth is that because conditions like Abel's so commonly result in termination, the Crawford’s were shocked to discover how difficult it was to assemble a team of professionals that could properly equip them emotionally and informationally throughout that season. It felt at times like Abel’s medical diagnosis pegged him as a helpless cause, and there seemed to be a lack of understanding that if a child's life was going to be shorter, the difference between 15 minutes, hours, days or months means everything to the parents who've chosen to carry that child. In the end, Kelly & Daniel got to love and care for their first son for 39 weeks in utero and 15 days after birth, and they see that season as both the hardest and yet the sweetest they’ve ever known. Stewarding and advocating for Abel Paul's earthly life had become the greatest privilege of theirs, and yet somehow they had a feeling that the Lord's plan and purpose in creating him was just starting...

As their stewardship of Abel’s life and legacy continues after his passing, they feel a calling to assist other families in their situation who are navigating those same challenges. And so as Hebrews 11:4 says, “Through faith, though he is dead, Abel still speaks.” Kelly & Daniel believe that just like Abel, every child in and out of the womb matters to God, and their lives can and should be filled with significance and enjoyed by these courageous families.

To see the personal blog that Kelly & Daniel kept through that season with Abel, click here