Inconceivable: A Medical Mistake, the Baby We Couldn't Keep, and Our Choice to Deliver the Ultimate Gift is a heartbreaking story about a loving couple, Sean and Carolyn Savage, who had struggled with infertility. They choose to use some of their remaining frozen embryos in an attempt to enlarge their family of three, knowing that if this IVF doesn’t work, they will have to let go of their dreams for a larger family. Imagine Sean and Carolyn’s joy when they learn that Carolyn is pregnant. Inconceivably, they learn at the same time that the fertility clinic has made a mistake and implanted embryos belonging to another couple! Carolyn makes the decision to carry the baby to term, knowing that she will have to relinquish the child at birth to the genetic parents.
In an extremely well-written book, Carolyn and Sean, alternating their voices, talk about their struggle to make the best decisions, knowing that the consequences for them will be devastating. Their story is compelling, and I am sure that many readers will find it impossible, as I did, to put the book down. And yes, at times, their story reduced me to tears.
Carolyn and Sean Savage are a wonderful example of people who can step up to a challenge. Fortunately, they have many good resources upon whom to call—family, friends, counselors, health care professionals. They explore and learn techniques to deal with how to break bad news to their family, children, friends, co-workers. They also learn to deal effectively with anger, depression, grief and loss. They work to deal with the often difficult comments and reactions of others, and the Catholic Church’s stance on IVF. They are unflinching as they describe to toll this medical crisis takes upon their marriage. And they strive to manage this crisis with grace, dignity, compassion as they work toward some kind of hope that, in the end, they may be allowed some kind of relationship with the child who quickened in Carolyn’s womb and was delivered shortly thereafter into the arms of other parents. Their courage shines and the reader must admire their sacrifices and their hopes for the future.
You may explore Inconceivable: A Medical Mistake, the Baby We Couldn't Keep, and Our Choice to Deliver the Ultimate Gift on the Amazon.com website.
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