One Florida mom is sharing her story about the heartbreaking moment when the adoptive mother of her biological daughter decided not to go through with the adoption because her baby was born with a rare birth defect.
Christina Fisher is a single mother who had an open adoption agreement with a couple that helped her during her pregnancy in 2015. They were even present when she gave birth to her daughter, Abigail Lynn, on January 11, 2016. After seeing Abigail–who was born with undetected facial deformities as a result of Treacher Collins syndrome–the adoptive mother apparently left the hospital immediately. The very next day, the couple terminated their adoption contract.
Fisher was devastated, as you can imagine. Prior to Abigail’s birth, Fisher had an amniocentesis, which is a genetic test to determine if genetic disorders are present in unborn babies, which showed no signs of Treacher Collins syndrome. The syndrome is a rare condition that affects the way a baby’s face develops, which can cause problems with speech, eating and breathing.
Fisher told PEOPLE how she just couldn’t “understand how they could do that to a baby,” stating:
“You want to think better of people, but it’s moments like that that make you lose faith in humanity. Honestly, they missed out because my daughter is the most beautiful and happy baby on the planet. She’s perfect and I’m just sorry they couldn’t see that.”
Fisher who works at a fast food restaurant in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to support herself and her 18-year-old daughter Deborah, has now decided to keep Abigail. She recalls how, prior to Abigail’s birth, the couple had been very supportive–which almost makes their rejection worse:
“The couple was so generous, they sent me robes and soothing body oils and back washes when I was pregnant. They were in the hospital the day I was admitted and they were there with me every step of the way.
But when Abigail wasn’t perfect, they left.
I went through 13 hours of labor and ended up needing a cesarean. When she was born I didn’t see her ears–Abigail just looked like a chubby, swollen baby before they took her away to the NICU.
The woman came out crying and kept saying, ‘She’s deformed.’ The next day I got a call from the adoption agency saying they backed out.”
However, there is a happy ending, as 5-month-old Abigail, is apparently doing just fine–she’s a “really happy baby,” according to Fisher. While it is a shame the adoptive family backed out of the agreement, I’m glad Abigail is being loved just as she deserves to be.
Read More:
This Is What Breastfeeding & Working from Home Made Me Realize
That Time I Accidentally Starved My Baby
14 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘The Ten Commandments’
