Disney glurge or touching true story?

[B Hamilton]

My son, Larry, and his wife, Kerry, live in Florida. They have season passes to Walt Disney World and have taken their two children, Michael, 3 and Emily, 1, weekly! They had an addition to their family on Dec. 14, 2006. Another little girl they named, Abigail. They knew from the fourth month of the pregnancy that little Abigail would not survive and perhaps would not even survive her birth.

Much to the surprise of all, little Abigail came into the world weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces. Her little brain did not divide and develop properly plus she had many other defects. However, she was able to breathe on her own and her parents brought her home on the third day. We all visited with her. We held her and loved her. She never opened her eyes. She never cried.

On December 28, Larry came home from work and announced that they were all to get into the car to take their precious Abigail to the Magic Kingdom. At this time, she only weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces as she was unable to receive any nourishment. All her parents could do was wet her tiny lips with water.

They took the 30-minute ride from Apopka to Orlando and entered the park. While watching the parade on Main Street, they were approached by a woman who had become very interested in the tiny package wrapped in a white blanket, held by Kerry. Kerry usually doesn't converse with "strangers" when out with the children but she was quite comfortable talking with this woman.

This woman was wearing a uniform and told them she worked for Disney. Kerry explained to the woman who asked what this tiny baby was doing out of the hospital. Kerry explained that Abigail was terminal and they had brought her for a day at Disney. This woman then left for a few minutes and came back with stuffed animals for the children. She also guided them to the front of the lines at the various rides. And then, she was gone.

Larry, Kerry and the three children left the park after a while, and rode home for baths and dinner. Little Abigail was placed in her little bed and within an hour of returning from the Magic Kingdom, she left this world for a much greater place.

I would like to thank this "stranger" if indeed she was working for Disney (maybe she was an angel). She was kind and loving. My children will never forget the day they took Abigail to the Magic Kingdom for her first and last time.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=cp070726sl

Some things I found a little hard to believe: Would the hospital allow a child to leave the hospital who had a birth weight of 3 lbs.? Can a doctor accurately predict at 4 months gestation that a fetus won't survive?

[Morning]

While I do believe that Disney Cast Members would go out of their way to help the family of a sick child, I doubt the truthfulness of this story. I don't think the hospital would allow an infant that could not be fed to leave the hospital especially at such a low weight.

And then to take the infant on a 30 minute car ride and then have the rest of the family go on rides... that boggles the mind.


Morning
has highest regard for Disney Cast Members.

[snapdragonfly]

In addition to what Morning points out, there's just a bunch of stuff that doesn't really make a lot of sense to this story. But I'm wanting coffee and too lazy to type it all out. Mainly I don't understand why trudging off to Disney with that baby would have any appeal - I know it was part of the routine according to the story (which I doubt - I know it says they had season passes but even Disney gets to be ho hum if you go EVERY week. Man made stuff that is the same thing every week can get boring.) but why the hell go through all the time wasting rigamarole involved in an amusement park, why not spend more quality time at a small park or just at home, especially with a creature as fragile as that baby.

Sounds like glurge to me.

[justusfour]

Originally Posted by B Hamilton

Some things I found a little hard to believe: Would the hospital allow a child to leave the hospital who had a birth weight of 3 lbs.? Can a doctor accurately predict at 4 months gestation that a fetus won't survive?

Yes, if it is a certain type of abnormality or serious deformity, like no brain developing, they can tell by 4 months by level II sonograms and blood tests. At which point a doctor would probably recommend a D&C.

And no, I highly doubt a hospital would let an infant go at 3 lbs, especially when it can't even take a bottle for nourishment, as Morning pointed out.

I vote glurge. And bad glurge at that.

[FullMetal]

I can vouch that hospitals do on occasion allow a terminal child to leave the hospital with a low birthweight. I don't know why they could only wet the lips with water and not formula however. at least with formula on the lips they'd be getting some nourishment. (I've known babies who didn't take to the bottle or breast for a week after birth. and had to be fed with a cloth) But as justusfour said, if the situation was that dire at 4 months... They would recommend a D&C, and I believe that they would have made that an option for the parents. some hospitals are very good at letting the child's last days be comfortable, and I could see them allowing a child like that who has a zero chance of survival go spend time with their family, in the comfort of their own home, (this is more for the parent's comfort, rather than being in the rather sterile environment of the NICU.)

also at 4 months, they can tell a lot, the fetus is already quite developed at that time, There's a who slew of tests taken around that time too, to check on the fetus, make sure everything is going well.

I'm suprised they could only wet the baby's lips with water, I wonder why a feeding tube of some kind was out of the question? Perhaps if the baby's disabilities were totally incompatible with life then feeding would just prolong the inevitable? But that aside, I don't think the tale is that out of the ordinary. I have fostered babies not expected to survive infancy. I make sure that the baby experiences every part of our normal family life; if life is going to be short then it should be rich.

Disney isn't a weekly part of our lives but if it were, then I can see how it would be important to take the baby. That baby is always going to be a part of the family, however short a life she had. If going to Disney weekly is an important part of that family's life then getting the baby there too would be important to the family.

When I went to Disney World last year taking my profoundly disabled daughters I was overwhelmed at how helpful all the staff were. The special treatment the family received doesn't suprise me at all.

Tia

To repeat what others are saying, yes a terminal abnormality can be detected at 16-20 weeks. In fact, from what I've read, many people find out about their fetus's terminal defects during the routine 18 week ultrasound.

And yes, doctors recommend a D&C, but they can't force it. Quite a few families choose to carry their terminal fetuses to term, or go as far as they can naturally. It's not something I would choose, but many people do.

[Spamamander]

Agreed... when there was thought to possibly be a terminal genetic disorder afflicting my son, it was based on my routine 18 week U/s. There were choroid cysts visible on his brain- they can be perfectly harmless and disappear before birth, or be a sign of Trisomy 18. Since I already had a child with a genetic disorder I had an amnio done that day.

The rest of the glurge... doesn't make any sense. They very well might send a terminally ill infant hope to die comfortably, but I don't get why you would drag an infant who has never achieved any kind of consciousness to Disney.

[One-Fang]

Is the infant the focus of going to Disney? One the key pointed out things done is bringing toys for "the children". The existing children of that family may have learnt some kind of lesson from going to Disney anyway, as part of the usual routine, even though Abigail wasn't going to experience any of it in any real sentient sense. Don't ask me what, I'm just wondering if the focus isn't "vegetative state Abigail got a treat" but "my children learnt something about caring for family today".

And as for termination on discovering the problems at four months, some people are just not going to terminate. It conflicts with their religious or moral views on life.

[TrishDaDish]

Noting says "love for your infant who can't drink anything" than taking them for a day long adventure in long lines in stifling heat exposure in Orlando!

Well...it would be nice if they'd specify the nature of the anomaly - if it's something like anencephaly, the baby wouldn't suffer (like thirst) OR experience pleasure, would it? That seems to be the gist of the OP anyway. If it's a true story, it's nice they let the baby go home so the parents could have that last time with it, since nothing could be done regardless. The baby couldn't enjoy the park (really, no newborn could anyway) but at least they enjoyed the baby being part of their pastime.