"A Truly Remarkable and Admirable Couple"... Gave Birth to Baby With Anencephaly, Donated Organs Before Saying Goodbye [Health Talk]

[Financial News] A story has emerged from the United States about a couple who gave birth to a baby with anencephaly and saved another child's life through organ donation.

On the 22nd, Yonhap News TV, citing FOX 13, reported on the story of Andrew Ford and Katherine Morningway, who gave birth to a baby with anencephaly and donated her organs.
The couple learned during a 14-week ultrasound that their unborn daughter had anencephaly.
Anencephaly is a rare congenital disorder in which the fetal brain fails to fully develop. Babies with anencephaly cannot survive, so most mothers choose to terminate the pregnancy.
However, the couple decided to give birth to Haven and donate her organs. After being born, Haven lived for a few days, donated her organs, and then passed away.

Her heart valves were donated to help other infants survive, and her other organs and tissues will also be used to treat critically ill patients.
Her father, Ford, shared, "Haven lay peacefully on my chest as she passed away. Although our time together was very short, I would not trade those moments for anything."
HCA Florida Brandon Hospital expressed its respect, stating, "Carrying a baby to full term with the sole purpose of donating organs to someone in desperate need is not an easy decision. This couple is truly remarkable."
In 2019, a couple in their twenties from the State of Tennessee also learned at 18 weeks of pregnancy that their baby had anencephaly. They decided to proceed with the birth, knowing they could save two other babies. Their daughter, Leila, donated her heart valves and lungs one week after birth before passing away.

Anencephaly is a neurological disorder in which parts of the fetal brain and skull do not form properly. It occurs when the neural tube, which develops into the brain and spinal cord during weeks 3 to 4 of pregnancy, fails to close completely.
Most of the cerebrum does not develop, and the scalp and bones may be insufficiently formed, often leaving the brain tissue exposed at birth.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, anencephaly occurs in about 1 out of every 5,000 to 10,000 pregnancies, and most affected infants do not survive beyond their first year. Due to the absence of major brain functions, vision, hearing, movement, and responsiveness are severely limited, and there is no cure.
Breathing, temperature regulation, and other vital functions are impaired, making survival after birth extremely difficult. Without cerebral function, infants lack consciousness and cannot cry, feed, or respond to sensory stimuli.
Although complete prevention is not possible, folic acid intake is known to significantly reduce the risk. It is recommended to take 400 mg of folic acid daily from three months before conception through the first three months of pregnancy.
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter