I agree that there is no god. And for those of you that are preaching that there is you should quit judging others. That is what christians do best though. It is very sad what happened to this family. They are family members of some of my best friends. It is not God that made it happen though. It is just a part of life, sad... yes, but still a part of life. She made her decision on how to handle the pregnancy and that is her choice. I don't judge her for that. I also do not judge John, Moore for his thoughts. Nor should any of you God people.

John, Moore - I'm praying for you! Todd, Norman - I'm praying for you as well. I hope the both of you find Jesus Christ. John - you are one very lost lost soul. Before you burn in hell for eternity you best check yourself and your "allah"... you know that Allah means God in the farsi language? Heather - GOD BLESS YOU. I admire you for your strength and I'm glad that these lost souls don't phase you one bit. GOD IS GOOD!

I wasn't even aware this was here...thank you to everyone who has sent such compassionate, supportive comments and stories. To those who call us selfish,etc. I simply say you have a right to your opinion and I respect your right to that. May you find peace with yourself and your beliefs. However, please do not try to justify your comments,etc. by using my son's short life as your basis for arguements on religion,etc. Our story was meant to help others who are hurting and nothing more...don't turn it into something it is not. As bad as I really want to argue facts with you, I am not going to degrade myself to that level nor give you the pleasure. I will not ever think of you or your comments again and I take great satisfaction in that. To everyone who has shared a similar loss or story, I am thinking of you and will continue to do so each day of my life. Thank you for sharing in Kade's story and for realizing that to us, his life had much greater meaning. God Bless.

What the hell?

Yes John, there is a God.

TO JOHN IN MOORE: John was writing his eye-witness account of Jesus some thirty years later than the other three accounts, possibly around 95AD. There had been time for growth, reflection and observation. Many thousands of christians had by then lost their lives for their faith in the Lord Jesus, both in Rome and in Jerusalem. John himself had been in prison and was now in exile, the last of Jesus' twelve apostles to remain alive. John's account is therefore characteristically different, spending more time on details of conversations, looking in depth at a few selected encounters of people with the Lord Jesus. John uses these episodes as 'signs': to show Jesus' power as the Son of God and to point people to the truth and reality of His claims, rather than seeking to put forward a theological argument so that everything can be neatly tied together and boxed! For example, John records Jesus saying "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no-one can come to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). The claim is easy to understand. John offers no explanation; he simply records the conversational details of how Philip wrestled with trying to work out what Jesus meant. Because all the terms Jesus uses are easy to understand, a trusting person can easily believe in Him from John's gospel, and millions have done. However, people who are not particularly believing usually find themselves getting tied up in knots far quicker in John's gospel than in the other three gospels. For the believer, John's gospel brings ever deeper appreciation of who Jesus Christ is, and of how we can know and experience Him today. Leon Morris says in his Commentary on John: "John is like a pool, in which a child may wade and an elephant may swim. It is most simple and profound; it is for the beginner in the faith and for the mature christian. Its appeal is immediate and never-failing." Only in the last couple of years have I come to realise that the Tabernacle, the Offerings, the Priesthood and the Feasts in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are alluded to in a non-intellectual, but very real, way throughout John's writings. In John's gospel, Jesus is firstly presented as the Word, Who is God, in Whom is life, Who then became flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us (John 1:1,4,14). Regarding the Tabernacle: 1. Jesus says of Himself: "I am the Door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9) 2. John the Baptist announces Jesus: "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) at the Burnt Offering Altar 3. the Laver is indicated by the "water of purification" at the wedding at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-12) and also when Jesus washes the disciples' feet and tells them to wash one another's feet (John 13:1-17) 4. to guide us through the Tabernacle Sanctuary (from the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies), Jesus said "I am the Way and the Truth (reality) and the Life; no-one comes to (God) the Father, except through Me" (John 14:6) 5. regarding the Holy Place, Jesus says of Himself: 1. "I am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35) on the Showbread Table 2. "I am the Light of the world" and "the Light of Life" (John 8:12) at the Lampstand 3. "I ask concerning them" (John 17:9) as the High Priest at the Golden Incense Altar 6. "I give My flesh for the life of the world" (John 6:51) at the Veil (see also Hebrews 10:20) 7. as to the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies: 1. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God" (John 1:1) as the Stone Tablets of the Law 2. "I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25) as Aaron's Rod that Budded 3. "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent" (John 17:3) and "I am the living bread Who came down from heaven" (John 6:51) as the Golden Pot of 'Hidden' Manna Jesus is the Word, God, who became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:1,14). It sounds so complex, indeed there are many details. But, for example, when Jesus is thirsty, sitting beside a well, He asks a woman (who it turns out is very immoral) simply to give Him a drink. During the course of the conversation, Jesus speaks to her of having her thirst (for men, etc) quenched eternally by drinking 'Living Water'. Her interest is awakened. He asks her to fetch her husband, thereby highlighting the depth of her moral thirst and touching her conscience regarding her wrongdoing. (The woman has had five husbands and the man she is now with is not her husband.) She says He is a prophet and briefly discusses religion. At this point Jesus reveals that God is thirsty too, thirsty for genuine worship from those He made for Himself. The woman says it is the Messiah's job to sort things out. Jesus says "I who speak to you am he" (John 4:26). Jesus is the Messiah. So impressed is the woman that the Messiah would stop to have a word with her, that she goes to all her men-friends and tells them. Eventually, they also declare "We have heard for ourselves and know that Jesus is truly the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). There are several other conversations, with Nicodemus in chapter 3, with the paralyzed man in chapter 5, with a woman caught in an act of adultery in chapter 8 (the man got away, but did not meet Jesus), and with the man born blind whom Jesus healed in chapter 9. In His love for people, Jesus was not soft on the real issues. He said "Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ... If the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34,36). John's account includes not only the conversations and the miracles, but also several discourses where Jesus speaks of His relationship with 'the Father'. God is referred to as 'the Father' more than 100 times in John's account. Similarly, Jesus often refers to Himself as the Son, both the Son of God and the Son of Man (for example, John 3:14-18). John simply states the discourse, without offering any explanation. For example, in John 5:17, Jesus has healed a sick man on the Sabbath and then declares "My Father is working until now, and I am working." This provokes a furious reaction: "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18). Likewise, in chapter 10:30, Jesus says "I and the Father are one". Again, the reaction was to pick up stones to stone Him, but Jesus answers "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of these works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, because You, being a man, make Yourself God" (John 10:31-33). Jesus turns water into wine, He feeds 5,000 from five loaves and two fish, He heals the blind, the sick and the paralyzed, and He raises Lazarus from the dead. All these miracles are called 'signs' in John's gospel. The signs performed by Jesus clearly show He is the Messiah and that He comes from God, for example when Jesus heals the blind man (John 9:3-4,14,30-33 Isaiah 42:1,7). But following the signs, Jesus speaks to reveal His sonship, for example, saying to the blind man He has just healed: "Do you believe in the Son of God? ... He is the One who is speaking with you" (John 9:35,37). The phraseology of the blind man's answer and his instinctive reaction to worship the Lord Jesus both indicate the divine status of Jesus. As declared in Psalm 146:8, it is the Lord God (Jehovah) who opens the eyes of the blind; this is why Jesus says "We must work the works of Him who sent Me" in John 9:4. God the Father sent Jesus the Son to do the works of God the Father. But as the Son and the Father are one (John 10:30; 5:17-19), they both work in co-operation, in oneness, as one; therefore Jesus says "We" must work. Throughout John's record, Jesus displays His Person by saying "I am ...", for example "I am the living bread Who came down from heaven" (John 6:51). This phrase "I am" is a direct reference to the name of the Lord God (Jehovah), used throughout the Old Testament. Indeed, Jesus boldly declares to those who accuse Him of having a demon: "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God in human form. As God, and as the Son of God (BOTH), He receives honour and worship (John 5:23; 9:38; 20:28). Eventually, the signs pointing to Jesus' Person are working so well that the religious leaders plot not only to kill Jesus, but also Lazarus, whom Jesus has raised from the dead (John 12:10-11). Jesus shares the last supper with the disciples and washes their feet, a further sign: that He is both priest and offering in the Passover. He prays, is betrayed, arrested and tried. Peter denies Him. Jesus is sentenced to death by crucifixion, even though Pilate declares "I find no fault in Him (John 19:6). The Passover Lamb has been examined and is found to be without blemish (Exodus 12:5). On the cross, Jesus cries out "It is finished" (John 19:30) as He completes the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Romans pierce His side with a spear, rather than break His legs, so that two further signs are fulfilled: the Passover Lamb should not have a single bone broken (Exodus 12:46 Psalm 34:20) and "They shall gaze on Him whom they pierced" (Zechariah 12:10). He is taken for burial in a new, clean tomb and wrapped in linen cloth, in fulfillment of the Unleavened Bread in the Passover meal. On the third day, He is the Resurrection and the Life, breathing Himself (by the Holy Spirit, John 20:22) into His disciples, coming INTO them that they may have life (John 10:10) and that He and the Father may dwell IN the disciples (John 14:20,23), to become the fulfillment of the Father's house with many dwelling places (John 14:1). Thomas, often called doubting Thomas, was not present when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples. He does not believe: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Eight days later, for Thomas' benefit, Jesus appears to all the disciples, entering the room bodily through locked doors. He beckons Thomas "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answers "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:26-29). "Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) the Son of God, and that believing you may have (eternal) life in His name" (John 20:31). Time and again in John's gospel Jesus says to people "Believe in Me", or more literally, "Believe INTO Me"; this is made clearer by considering the Tabernacle. The writing is simple enough, but there are depths beyond depths in the understanding and experience of Jesus Christ that John portrays in his gospel account. "God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in(to) Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World!

<a href="http://www.example.com/"><img src="http://nynerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/can%20you%20see%20jesus.jpg" alt="Alternate Text"></a>

it looks like my complaints are working, your comments are not showing up. Now go find something else to do and leave these people alone. I admire the Klaassen family, they set a wonderful example for the rest of us.

<body bgcolor="#000000"> HUH?

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John in Moore - I don't agree with any of your comments, but I do want to correct one of them. God has never and will never fail us - He is not the problem, people are the problem. People will fail you over and over, and yes, even people who claim to be Christians. How we must disappoint Him daily! However, He continues to love us and care for us. Never ever think that God fails - with all the garbage that this life can sometimes bring, God is the only constant comfort to be found, and He will never leave us. Heather, Shannon and Kinsley - God bless you for your courage and your willingness to allow Kade to be born. Women abort healthy unborn children every day, while you were brave enough to allow Kade to be born as God intended, knowing he was already gone. Know that you have been a blessing to so many in your faith and your actions.

Back off John. Leave this family alone.

<#FFFFFF>

Heahter, Shannon and Kinsley: all of you are in my thoughts and prayers. I lost a daughter at the age of 10 in a car wreck 10 years ago this October. I know your pain. Turn to God, let him guide you. You done the right thing Heather I would of done the same thing. Be strong. God will not let you down, he will carry you. Kade is waiting for you, he is smiling down on you he is thankful that you gave him a chance. He is thankful for the love all of you gave him

get help

As did I. How can you demand that your morals not be judged when you judge everyone else's? How can you accuse others of playing God when you spew such rhetoric as abort the non-perfect people? Opinions are one thing: profanity is another.

I'm glad your last remarks will not show up on my computer. However, I have filed an official complaint and hopefully your access will be removed. We will see who you ask for when its time to take your last breath, somehow everyone finds Jesus when it's their turn to go.

John can't you find something else to do. Leave this family and everyone else alone.

You had fair warning and you did not heed it. Now feel my wrath.

John and Todd, Psalm 14:1 describes you both, "Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!" Don't take this time to vent your frustrations over a few poor examples of Christianity that you've come across in your life. Like my momma always said, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." To the Klassens and the rest of us who have lost little ones, trust in the fact that our children are with Jesus who is loving them more than we could!

I've known Heather for years. She is a very admirable woman for what she did. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family, Heather! Your story definitely touched my heart.

Don't question my morals. I can get real nasty when I want to be mean. Just ask david, altus or c, pv.

John. You made me think of an old joke. Mama watches her son marching with the band in a parade. Mama turns to her neighbor and says, "look at that band. They are all out of step except Johnny." John, what moral band are you marching in? You seem to be way out of step with the rest of the band.

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John, I'm in the medical profession. I know what the likely outcome is. But I fail to see how merely carrying the child without extraordinary measure is considered solely selfish. She didn't take medications to remain pregnant. She didn't undergo inutero surgeries. She did what she was physically born to do...carry a child. If there were an "easy" way out of the situation, it would surely be the abortion. Can you see how carrying the child, knowing what the outcome would be, the painful (physical and psychological) process of Kade's delivery, is anything BUT selfish? Can you imagine how every kick and jump must have been bittersweet for her? Joyful and agonizing? So how was it best for Kade to be aborted? The time Kade was inside her didn't make the child suffer. "Nature" took its course. And hopefully the family will find closure, knowing that they did what they could to provide him a safe home until he passed. You can bring up all of the medical text you want, but you will never be able to prove to me how carrying Kade was selfish.

John, go grind your axe elsewhere. Everyone has to heal and let go in their own way, and I can't fathom why you're so perturbed that they "selfishly" continued the pregnancy if it wasn't casuing Kade any discomfort or pain - after all, according to you, our resident medical expert, he can't feel pain if he never achieves a conscious state, right? No, what we've got here is a case of an atheist who can't leave well enough alone, and accordingly, is nearly as pushy and offensive as some of the so-called Christians in this world. I hope to "Flying Spaghetti Monster" that you never are expected to "let it go" so quickly and callously over a loved one.

There is no cure or standard treatment for anencephaly and the prognosis for affected individuals is poor. Most anencephalic babies do not survive birth, accounting for 55% of non-aborted cases. If the infant is not stillborn, then he or she will usually die within a few hours or days after birth from cardiorespiratory arrest. In almost all cases anencephalic infants are not aggressively resuscitated since there is no chance of the infant ever achieving a conscious existence. Instead, the usual clinical practice is to offer hydration, nutrition and comfort measures and to "let nature take its course". Artificial ventilation, surgery (to fix any co-existing congenital defects), and drug therapy (such as antibiotics) are usually regarded as futile efforts. Some clinicians and medical ethicists even view the provision of nutrition and hydration as medically futile, arguing that euthanasia is morally and clinically appropriate in such cases.

Heather~ I don't know you, but I want you to know how much I admire you! How completely selfLESS you are! You knew what the end result would probably be, but you still kept your body open to Kade, as a wonderful place of nurturing and love. Kade is so lucky to have such a loving mother, father, and sissy! My heart breaks for your loss......Now if I may respond to John and Todd....why do you say that God doesn't exist to a group of people who obviously believe in God? Why stir things up? If our faith isn't hurting you, and is only helping us, why knock us? For some of us, our faith is the ONLY thing we have. It is the one thing that we can cling to when things go horribly wrong. Why would you try to take that peace from someone? By telling us that, you are serving no one's purpose but your own. And yet you call Heather's unwillingness to end her child's life selfish. How odd... And Todd, obviously you didn't read the whole story because the Klaasens ARE "God-people". I'm sorry that you cannot see that all Christians are not gossipers who attend greedy churches, as you've stated. I am sorry if you've been hurt in the past, but please don't judge us all by the bad experiences that you've had. No one is perfect. But there are some of us that really do try every day to be a better person. And we have our faith to thank for that. John and Todd, even though you don't believe in God, He has a purpose for your life, too. Maybe that purpose right now is to stir up a fire in some of us, to make us realize how much we love our faith. Maybe for some of us, how much we miss our faith. Maybe some of us are compelled by your comments and our visceral reactions to it to return to our faith. And to think that you two non-believers had something to do with that! Thank you!

At first I thought I'd ignore Johns ignorance.. But my love for this family causes me to respond. It's obvious you sir should read your facts more closely before randomly spewing misinformation. Heather and Shannon did nothing selfish. Their son was very much alive and well while inside his mother. Heather nurtured him for as long as possible and insured he knew he was loved. If you understood the happenings of such a late term abortion, maybe you would better understand why they didn't have the heart to do this to their child. What they so courageously did is nothing similar to keeping a child on life support. There were no unnatural extra measures. A mother carried her unborn child with love and devotion. It might have been much simpler to abort and move on with life. Is that what you consider unselfish? Wow! I truely hope your family is never faced with these horrific life circumstances.... I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be man enough to handle it. Thank You Shannon and Heather for giving us, if for only a brief second, an angel. And we are all better people for having known baby Kade. Much love, Kara

My heart is with the Klaassen family. This is a story of HOPE, COURAGE, and FAITH. I believe everyone that reads it will be touched in some way. Thank you for sharing. For those of you that are bringing negativity to this post, I will be praying for you!!!!

I HAVE SHARED YOUR LOSS ALSO AND FEEL YOUR PAIN. IT HASN'T BEEN QUITE A YEAR AGO SINCE I LOST MY LITTLE GIRL. SHE HAD MULTICYSTIC DYSPLASTIC KIDNEYS WHICH MEANS HER KIDNEYS COULD ONLY FUNCTION VERY LITTLE. MY PREGNANCY WAS NORMAL UNTIL MY 24TH WEEK WHEN MY ROUTINE ULTRASOUND WAS DONE. THE TECHNICIAN WOULD NOT LET ME SEE MY BABY OR HEAR THE HEARTBEAT SO I JUST BROKE DOWN BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LET MY HUSBAND COME INTO THE ROOM WITH ME TO WATCH THE ULTRASOUND WHICH I FOUND OUT LATER IS ROUTINE WHEN THEY ARE DOING ULTRASOUNDS BECAUSE THE ROOM IS SMALL AND THEY NEED ALL THE ROOM THEY CAN GET TO TAKE ALL THE PICTURES THAT THEY NEED. AFTER MY ULTRASOUND THEY TOOK TO SEE MY DOCTOR BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION. THIS WAS VERY HARD I HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED A MISSED MISCARRIAGE 9 MONTHS PRIOR TO LEARNING THAT SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT WITH MY BABY. I HAD GOT HIT IN THE BACK HARD AT WALMART WITH AN ELECTRIC SHOPPING CART A FEW DAYS BEFORE MY MISSED MISCARRIAGE BUT AT 3 MONTHS THE DOCTOR COULDN'T EXPLAIN WE HAD A PERFECT HEARTBEAT 5 DAYS BEFORE AND THEN THERE WAS NOTHING. THAT WAS VERY GUT WRENCHING BECAUSE WE WANTED ANOTHER CHILD SO BADLY WE HAD WAITED 3.5 YEARS TO TRY FOR THIS CHILD. MY SON WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO HAVE A LITTLE BROTHER OR SISTER AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN THAT JESUS WAS NOW TAKING CARE OF OUR BABY AND I KNEW THE NEWS OF SOMETHING BEING WRONG WITH OUR THIRD CHILD WOULD JUST BREAK HIS HEART AS IT WOULD OURS. I FINALLY PULLED MY SELF TOGETHER AND THE DOCTOR CAME IN TO TELL US WHAT THE ULTRASOUND TECHNICIAN HAD FOUND. WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR BABY HAD GASTROSCHISIS WHICH MEANS THAT THE ABDOMENAL CAVITY HAD NOT FULLY CLOSED AND MY DOCTOR WANTED ME TO GO FOR A LEVEL II ULTRASOUND AT OU MEDICAL. I DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH ON THE CONDITION THAT MY BABY WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE AND I KNEW THE ODDS BUT THE OUTCOME WAS VERY GOOD CONSIDERING HOW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS TODAY AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DOCTORS THAT WOULD BE TAKING CARE OF MY CHILD. I HAD ALSO LEARNED THAT I HAD VERY LITTLE AMNIOTIC FLUID SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND OUT THE SEX OF OUR BABY. I HAD TO WAIT A WEEK BEFORE I WOULD LEARN THE FATE OF MY CHILD. IT WAS THE LONGEST WEEK OF MY LIFE. OUR FAITH IN GOD IS STRONG AND WE KNEW HE WOULD GET US THROUGH WHAT EVER WE WERE DEALING WITH. MY APPOINTMENT CAME AND OUR WORLD WAS SHATTERED. MY OB DOCTOR HAD GIVEN ME AN INCORRECT DIAGNOSIS. WE FOUND OUT DURING THE 25TH WEEK OF MY PREGNANCY THAT OUR CHILD HAD MULTICYSTIC DYSPLASTIC KIDNEYS AND WOULD NOT SURVIVE OUTSIDE THE WOMB AND IF THE BABY DID SURVIVE OUTSIDE THE WOMB IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR A SHORT WHILE. THE GENETICS COUNSELOR THAT GIVE US THE NEWS WAS ASTONISHED THAT MY OB DOCTOR HAD GIVE US THE DIAGNOSIS THAT HE HAD GIVEN US. WE WERE ALSO ADVISED TO TERMINATE THE PREGNACY AND WE ONLY HAD A FEW DAYS TO TERMINATE BECAUSE I WAS SO FAR ALONG AND THERE WERE LAWS. WE HAD DECIDED THAT I WOULD CARRY THE CHILD TO TERM WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED THAT I COULD GO INTO PRETERM LABOR AT ANYTIME BECAUSE OF LOW AMNIOTIC FLUID. WE KNEW GOD HAD GIVEN US LITTLE MIRACLE AND WE WANTED HIM TO HAVE THIS CHILD WHEN HE SAY THE TIME WAS RIGHT NOT WHEN THE DOCTORS WANTED TO END THE BABY'S LIFE. WE IN THE BACK OF MINDS KNEW THAT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN BECAUSE WE TOTALLY RELYING ON GOD AND HIS STRENGTH. WE THOUGHT JUST MAYBE WE WOULD BE BLESSED WITH ANOTHER MIRACLE BUT IF NOT WE KNEW IT WAS GOD'S WILL. THE BABY BEGAN TO ASTONISH THE DOCTORS AT EACH VISIT THE KIDNEY FUNCTION CHANGED AT EACH VISIT. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THE BABY WAS HEAD DOWN AND READY TO BE BORN AND WOULD NOT CHANGE POSITION BECAUSE OF THERE NOT BEING ENOUGH AMNIOTIC FLUID. SHE SURPRISED THE DOCTOR A MONTH LATER WHEN SHE WAS IN BREECH POSITION. MY DUE DATE WAS GROWING CLOSER AND SHE WAS GROWING RIGHT ON SCHEDULE JUST LIKE EVERYTHING WAS GOING PERFECTLY FINE UNTIL MY NEXT ULTRASOUND. IT REVEALED THAT SIZE WISE SHE WAS ON SCHEDULE WHICH WAS 33 WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS BUT HER ABDOMEN WAS MEASURING TO BE AT 38 WEEKS ALREADY AND THE DOCTORS SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO INDUCE OR I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE HER. ALSO AT THIS APPOINTMENT WE WERE TOLD WE WERE POSSIBLY HAVING A GIRL BUT THEY WEREN'T FOR SURE BECAUSE THE BABY'S LEGS WERE CROSSED. I WAS SCHEDULED TO BE INDUCED THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WE WOULD ALL FINALLY MEET OUR BABY AND FATE. I NEVER MADE IT TO THAT APPOINTMENT THOUGH. AT 34 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS I GIVE BIRTH TO MY DAUGHTER SYDNEY LYNN AT 5:09 PM OCT 10, 2006 SHE WEIGHED 5LBS AND 10 OUNCES AND WAS 18.75 INCHES LONG. SHE WAS NOT EVEN CONSIDERED PREMATURE WEIGHT AND LENGTH WISE BUT HER LUNGS HAD NEVER DEVELOPED AND SHE PASSED AWAY ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE SAVED HER BECAUSE HER LUNGS NEVER WOULD HAVE INFLATED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AMNIOTIC FLUID FOR SO MANY MONTHS. SHE LAID IN MY ARMS HOLDING ON TO MY FINGER TILL SHE WENT PEACEFULLY TO BE WITH THE LORD. THE DOCTORS ALL ALONG TOLD US THIS WAS THE FATE FOR OUR DAUGHTER BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER. WE SPENT LOTS OF TIME WITH HER IN THE HOSPITAL AND AT THE FUNERAL HOME. IT IS SO HARD TO LEAVE HER FOR SHE HAD BEEN THE ONE KICKING ME FOR SO MANY MONTHS. EVERYONE TOLD ME IT WOULD GET EASIER BUT IT GETS A LOT HARDER BEFORE IT STARTS GETTING EASIER AT ALL. I FELT LIKE I HAD NO ONE TO TALK TO. GOD BEGAN TO STRENGHTHEN OUR FAITH MORE AND MORE. HE GIVE US COMFORT WHEN NO ONE ELSE COULD. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO OR WHO TO TURN TO UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO TALK TO THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH THE SAME TYPE SITUATION. THE TRUTH IS IF IT HASN'T HAPPENED RECENTLY TO SOMEONE YOU KNOW IT IS TALKED ABOUT VERY LTTTLE BECAUSE YEARS AGO PEOPLE WEREN'T SO COMPASSIONATE WHEN THE DEATH OF A BABY CAME BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I THINK THAT IS CHANGING SOMEWHAT OVER TIME. WE HAD SO MUCH SUPPORT AND COMPASSION FROM SO MANY OUR TRIAL WAS EASIER TO ENDURE. I AM NOW CURRENTLY PREGNANT AGAIN AND ONLY HAVE 10 WEEKS LEFT. EVERYTHING IS GOING GREAT BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A DOUBT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND THAT I AM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THIS CHILD EITHER BUT THROUGH MY PRAYER AND FAITH I AM SUSTAINED WHEN MY FEARS GET THE BEST OF ME. WE WILL NOT KNOW THE SEX OF THIS CHILD UNTIL IT IS BORN BECAUSE AGAIN THE BABY'S LEGS ARE ALWAYS CROSSED. SO WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SHARED MY STORY ONLINE AND IT IS STILL VERY HARD. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH AND YOU ARE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. IF WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER CONTACT ME FEEL FREE TO DO SO. I WAS TOO EMOTIONAL AND STILL AM TO HAVE PUBLISHED MY STORY. YOU HAVE TOOK A GREAT LEAP AND I FEEL THAT THIS WILL HELP YOU GREATLY DURING YOUR GRIEF PROCESS. THE PAIN DOESN'T EVERY GO AWAY FOR IT CAN'T IN A MOTHERS HEART. YOU WILL HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD BUT YOUR CHILD REMAINS A PIECE OF YOUR HEART THAT WAS BROKEN AND TORN UNTIL ONE DAY YOU ARE REUNITED IN HEAVEN AGAIN. SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

hey people there is no god...mostly idiots. but there are some truley great people like the klaassen's. it takes more than going to the sunday gossip factory to make a ggod person. its in the heart and mind, not the jesus church of give me dollars. if there were more klaassen's and less "god people" this world would be a much better place.

Did Kade suffer while in his mother's womb? I don't think so. I'm sure he felt all the love his family had to give him. God bless you all, because without His love and strength I don't know how you could make it through this. John's comments come from a person who does not believe in God. Just keep strong in your faith in God and He will carry you through this pain.

God has a purpose for all people, and I think one of the blessings of this tragic situation is the testimony that resulted. I believe that little Kade is a tremendous witness to what faith and love in God brings to individuals, and I also think that Shannon and Heather's decision to continue the pregnancy allowed God's will for Kade's life be be carried out in full. And to John, Moore: Abortion is not letting go. Letting go is a non-action. Abortion is the exact opposite of letting go -- it's taking matters into your own hands. There was an alternative to abortion in this case, and that was giving the child a small, but significant fighting chance. Heather would not have terminated a pea-sized fetus. She would have terminated her son who she had felt kicking and moving inside her. Her son was not a fetus. Her son was a person. And killing him would have been no different than purposefully taking the life of a born child. How is allowing the child to be born worse than basically turning him to mush after five full months of pregnancy? I hope that if I am ever in that situation, I will have the strength to not take the easy way out.

Thank you for sharing your heartrenching story. By no means was it selfish in any way. What you and your family chose to do was very courageous. You chose to carry your baby to full term, not because you were being selfish but because you felt it was the right thing to do. I commend you for having the strength and courage to make it through this difficult time. I know that you and your family find peace and comfort in knowing that your perfect little angel is in heaven waiting patiently for you. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. God bless you!! As for John in Moore, you are out of your mind if you think that what they did was selfish. Evidently you don't have a heart at all. Do you have children of your own? If you were put in the position they were in, would you make the decision to kill a poor innocent baby? Somehow, I don't think that you would. One day you will met your maker and you will have to answer to him. So I think that you should shut your mouth while you're ahead. This family is grieving. They don't need your rude, heartless comments.

John, Shame on you for judging this family regardless of your thoughts keep them to yourself. You could never know what it is like shame shame shame on you. Heather and Shannon made the decision THEY thought was right and THAT is all THAT MATTERS!!! God Bless you Shannon, Heather and family...may your son rest in peace.

I stand by my comments. Yes, this was a heartbreaking decision. But sometimes you have to say goodbye and let go. The reason the decision was selfish? The mother put the needs of herself, her husband, her child and her god OVER the needs of Kade. Her selfishness was in not being able to say goodbye sooner. How many of you would let your child linger on life support with no chance of recovery and suffer? I suspect at least several of you would let your child suffer while working to find YOUR own closure or waiting for the miracle that will never come. Shame, shame on you. That's the problem with those who are foolish to believe in god. He fails you over and over but you will always support him even to the detriment of your family or your fetus. I'm sorry the mother had to endure such a heartrending trauma, but selfishness placed her in that difficult situation. It's being able to think of the needs of your child and not yourself that I find are qualities in a great parent. That said, I hope this mother and all mothers faced with decisions like these are able to find solace and peace.

Penny, thanks so much for bringing us this heartbreaking story of true courage and love.

Shannon & Heather, You must know how very proud your family is of your decision to carry Kade to term. If you would have made the unthinkable decision to abort, we would have never gotten to meet our precious Baby Kade. For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. As for you John in Moore, evidently you have never been through anything like this and until you do I suggest you keep your opinions to your self. I fill sorry for you, one of these days you will have to answer to a Higher Power and I'm afraid your rude comments will come back to haunt you. Heather, thank you for the gift you gave us, his name is KADE!!! Aunt Teresa

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God Bless You!

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God Bless You!

Dear Heather, I admire you and your family very much. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was told she could have downsyndrome and was given the option to abort, I quiclky refused. I believe that special babies are given to special people with strong hearts and that put their faith in God. Only he can help us and I know that someday you will have the chance to have another blessing!!! God Bless you and your family.

I admire this family for choosing to carry their baby. My husband and I had a daughter 7 years ago that was diagnosed with CDH during my 5th month of pregnancy. The doctor said there was an 80% chance she would die. Termination was not an option for us. I carried her to term. She died later that night. I, like Heather, would not have done things any differently. It is not being selfish at all. John from Moore has obviously never been through something like this before. He should be ashamed!!! I hope you all find comfort in the lord and your family during this time. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

I work in L&D in the metro area and I must say that all too often our patients forget that pregnancy and childbearing is a gift given to us by God, controlled by God, a miracle that only He has control of. The 9 months he gives us to carry our baby is there for a reason, it is a bonding period that only those who realize the miracle of it all, can fully understand. God made it the woman's duty to care for a fetus from start to finish and by doing His will, the blessings will come. The Klaassens did just this and alothough their hearts have broken, God will richly reward their lives AND their hearts for their obedience. My prayers are with each of you for comfort through these trying days to come. Brandi B.

John from Moore do you not have a heart at all. What that mother did was love for her child. Not to say how much love it show she had for her child while it was still moving an kicking inside of her. Your the selfish one to even make such a rude ignorant statement. This family was bless with a loved one who died inside his mothers womb. She chose not to abort it. That is killing an innocent child while it is breathing. This mother an father were very brave an they have hearts as big as Dallas. I hope you never have to go through what they just had too an eat your words for it.

Dear Heather, Shannon, and Kinsley, What brave children of God you are. What brave parents and sister you are. Heather, I greatly admire your strength and courage to share your story and journal entries. I am truly sorry that each of you is experiencing this enormous pain. I will pray diligently for you to experience God surrounding and indwelling you (as He already has been, which you have made obvious by your words in the journal) with His abundant comfort, peace, love, and strength. You surely had honorable reasons for keeping precious Kade up to the point that he and God chose. Through learning about prenatal life from Stephanie Mines, PhD of the "TARA approach", I believe whole-heartedly that Kade had experiences with the three of you that honored him so beautifully. We realize that our life begins at conception (not at birth), and God's recognition of us begins in the womb from conception on and before (Jeremiah 1:5). Thus, I respect your realization of Kade's journey with you. Embryologically, we are learning how they do perceive so much in the womb. This time is sacred, and you blessed him by honoring his time with you. I am amazed at your wisdom to communicate and truly attune to Kade. He must be so blessed to have you three as family. And Kade has blessed many of us through his story that you shared. Without even knowing you, I am blessed by you all. May our loving Father hold you and mend your hearts gradually until the day you are reunited with Kade. Amy Reid

Heaven is blessed to have one more angel join God. He will be a part of you forever. God bless you and your family.

Thank you for sharing your loss. This was definitely a heartbreaking story to read, and to go through the pregnancy, no it's not selfish, its a labor of love. You literally give up your body and apart of your heart when you carry a child, and what you did was extremely courageous. I wish you well, and I hope you and your family do conceive another child. Kade is looking down and I'm thinking he's happy and very proud of his mommy for showing him what love is.

I will say a prayer today for you and your family. You are truly a mother. I can only imagine your bravery. I too would have carried my gift from God we should all cherrish our gifts and know that they to could go be with God at anytime. Hopefully you will feel the strength of all prayers and enjoy the knowledge that your angel is in heaven waiting for mommy and daddy when your time comes. May both of you find peace and joy.

Hi, Heather and Shannon, I experienced losing a son, 36 years ago, this Friday. He was Anencephaly too. Back then I had no idea, nor the doctor, that anything was wrong, until he was born, he gasped for breath, and died. The one thing I regret, I didnt ask or was asked if I wanted to hold him. I wish I had held him. I am so glad you did. You are both so great. At the time, we had an older daughter, since then, we lost another one, I was 6 months pregnant, in an auto accident, and I miscarried. But we now have 2 beautiful daughters.

Hi...I think the mother is VERY brave and I would have carried my baby to full