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A mother was left horrified after doctors booked a termination appointment without her consent after her baby was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome.
Natalie O’Rourke, 47, appeared on This Morning to discuss the challenges she faced from the medical community while pregnant with Woody, now 10, who has the condition.
Presenter Holly Willoughby explained that doctors had ‘repeatedly pressured’ her to have an abortion, while Phillip Schofield said she had been left ‘sickened’ by their response.
Natalie said: ‘In their eyes, he was going to be a drain on society and his life would have no value but actually he is a life enhancer.
‘He enhances anybody’s life that he meets. If you could measure joy it would be off the scale.’
Opening up about the moment she received the diagnosis, Natalie said: ‘They called me. I really wasn’t surprised [by the diagnosis].
‘Then the phone rang again and it was an unknown number and they said, “We’re just confirming your appointment for tomorrow.”
Natalie O’Rourke explained she had to ‘fight’ for her son (Picture: ITV)
Natalie said doctors booked an abortion appointment without warning her (Picture: ITV)
Natalie said she was baffled as she hadn’t booked an appointment; instead doctors, without asking her beforehand, had arranged an abortion.
The mother-of-two continued that she told the medic she would not be attending the appointment.
‘And she said, “No, no, You might change your mind,”‘ Natalie added.
Natalie is the proud mum of 10-year-old Woody (Picture: ITV)
She continued: ‘My worry is that I’m quite strong-minded I’d already had [daughter] Alice and if I had been a first-time mum I might have thought that I’d have to go along with that. I might have not realised there was a choice.
‘I really hope that a decade later things are changing, but I just really like to get a strong message out there today and say, “Don’t be afraid of Down’s syndrome, there’s so much love and support and kindness out there.”‘
According to the NHS, Down’s syndrome is when a person is born with an extra chromosome.
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It adds that people with Down’s syndrome will have some level of learning disability and some will be more independent and do things like get a job, while others will need more regular care.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
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Natalie appeared on This Morning with Holly and Phil.
