Torch, Spring/Summer 2007

C.S. Lewis has said, “You never know how much you believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” During the past year, this idea became a reality for Kristin, a 2000 Cedarville graduate, and her husband, Mike, as they prepared for the delivery of their third child. Mike and Kristin married in June of 2000. Since Mike had a good job with a construction supply company, Kristin left her fourth grade teaching position when their first son was born in 2002. Another boy arrived in 2004. In the spring of last year, Kristin and Mike learned that another baby was on the way. They were thrilled to have such a growing family. Would Trent and Drew have a baby sister or a baby brother to play with? With great anticipation, Kristin and her husband met with the obstetrician for a routine ultrasound exam. It was early August, and Kristin was 15 weeks into her pregnancy. As the technician ran the probe over Kristin’s abdomen, she checked the baby’s measurements, estimated the fetal age, and said, “By the way, I think it’s a boy.” Kristin looked at Mike and laughed. She rolled her eyes at the prospect of another boy, but the technician was rather silent. She casually said, “I’m just going to ask the doctor to take a look as well.” As the doctor entered the room and continued the exam, Kristin and Mike began to realize that something was wrong. The physician was unusually quiet and spent a long time taking additional pictures and measurements. When he finally finished, he sat down next to them and told them about two problems. A large, fluid-filled sac was growing at the back of the head, just above the neck, and the kidneys were enlarged. Follow-up ultrasound exams and consultations with other specialists would later confirm the diagnosis of Meckel-Gruber syndrome. Meckel-Gruber syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes brain and kidney abnormalities. As a result of these problems, the lungs cannot develop properly. The syndrome is always fatal, either in the womb or shortly after birth. Make the Most of the Opportunity 24 TORCH A Blessing in Disguise By Dennis Sullivan, M.D.