Ivy was formed without forearms or hands, which was discovered halfway through Vanessa’s pregnancy. Because of this, she was pressured by her medical team to terminate the pregnancy. The doctors insisted her daughter would have no quality of life and left Venessa wondering if terminating would be the selfless thing to do. When she refused the termination, zero medical support or resources were offered.
In this episode, we dig into what that was like for her, the ableism that fuels that type of pressure to terminate, as well as the ableism we have to unlearn as parents.
**Note: Ableism is defined as “discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.”
Links:
Check out photos of Venessa’s family on the website.
Follow Vanessa on Instagram.
Follow me on Instagram.
Read Venessa’s blog post “A Letter to the Doctor Who Told Me to Terminate My Pregnancy…”
The War Amps of Canada.
The Lucky Fin Project.
When Charlie Met Emma by Amy Webb.
What Happened to You? By James Catchpole.

Pictures, comments, and more on my website. Ep. 69: Vanessa’s Story | The Rare Life (therarelifepodcast.com)