Dinah De Regt, 44, shares her remarkable story with Take 5…
The doctor’s face was grim.
“It’s not good news,” she said.
My husband Adam, 33, gripped my hand as the doctor explained our unborn child had Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia, PCH, a terminal brain condition.
“She might only live a few hours,” the doctor warned.
“And if she lives beyond that, she will need a wheelchair and a feeding tube. We advise you terminate.”
I clutched my pregnant belly protectively.
It was early 2019 and only the year before, we’d lost our baby Noah at 19 weeks in utero.
I was still reeling with grief and now had this terrible news.
Suddenly, a strong maternal instinct took over me.
Just after Brianna was born. (Image: Supplied)
“I’m her mum,” I said firmly. “We’re not terminating. I will love and protect her whatever happens.”
I hired a doula, Selena, to be my advocate.
Selena and Adam spoke to the doctors from then on so I wouldn’t have to.
I focused on staying calm and positive not just for our unborn child but for our other children too, Jordan, 17, Aaron and Alex, 10, and Olivia, two.
I cut out pictures of healthy babies from magazines and stuck them on a cork board in our bedroom.
I did acupuncture and drank green juices.
Every morning I meditated using a heart chakra crystal bowl.
Bob Marley’s Everything’s Going to be Alright, became my anthem.
“Don’t worry ’bout a thing,” I cooed, thinking of the bub I was carrying and channelling all the positivity I could.
In November 2019, Brianna was born and immediately whisked off for testing.
A few hours later, I tearfully held her in my arms for the first time.
She seemed so healthy and strong.
Brianna when she was just days old in the hospital. (Image: Supplied)
The doctors ran endless tests on her and finally when she was five days old they did an MRI.
Adam nervously went to get the results and then burst back into my room in tears.
“They were wrong!” he cried.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He was openly weeping.
“They got it wrong. She doesn’t have PCH,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with her.”
Our relief was incredible. But I was also angry we’d been put through so much anguish.
She’s now a healthy, feisty three-year-old.
Brianna at 8 months old. (Image: Supplied)
It terrifies me to think if we’d listened to the doctors and terminated then she wouldn’t be here today.
I now run my own crystal bowl healing business and tell all my clients Brianna’s miraculous story.
Since Brianna, I fell pregnant with twins but only one, Riley, survived.
People call me a warrior mum, but all I did was fight for my baby.
All mums would do the same.
Brianna on her second birthday. (Image: Supplied)
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