WHEN I WAS 4 MO.PREGNANT I HAD A ROUTINE ULTRA SOUND, I WAS TOLD THAT MY BABY'S BRAIN WASN'T FORMING CORRECTLY,THE DOCTOR ORDERED A LEVEL 2 ULTRA SOUND AND THEY FOUND THAT MY BABY HAD SEMI-LOBAR HOLOPROSENCEPHALY,AND THEY RECOMENDED THAT WE GET AN ABORTION, I TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT THIS BABY WAS IN GOD'S HANDS AND ONLY HE HAD THE RIGHT TO TAKE IT'S LIFE.THEY TOLD ME THAT MY BABY WOULD BE HOPELESSLY RETARDED AND COULD POSSIBLY HAVE GROSS FACIAL DEFORMITIES . ON MARCH 20 1999 MISTY HOPE WAS BORN, A MORE BEAUTIFUL BABY YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN. SHE WEIGHED 4LB 10 OZ. 16 1/2 INS. BLACK HAIR BLUE EYES AND OLIVE SKIN. OUR DOCTOR WAS PREPARED FOR THE WORST HE HAD A RESPIRATORY THEARPIST ON STAND BY. AFTER ABOUT 45 MIN. HE TOLD US HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR BABY, SHE ATE ALMOST AT ONCE WHEN OFFERED A BOTTLE.WE BROUGHT HER HOME AND LIFE BEGAN WITH OUR NEW BABY SHE HAD HER SIX WEEKS CHECK UP AND STILL THEY FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY BUT OUR DOCTOR WANTED US TO TAKE MISTY TO A NEUROLOGIST AT THE SCOTTISH RITE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN ATLANTA, THEY DID A CAT SCAN AND CONFIRMED THAT INDEED MISTY HAS HPE, SHE ALSO HAS HYDROCEPHALOUS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SHUNT. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT MISTY HAD A HIP OUT OF PLACE AND PUT HER IN A SPICA CAST FOR 12 WEEKS, SHE DID NOT LIKE THIS AT ALL. TODAY MISTY IS 14 MOS. OLD AND ALL IN ALL SHE IS DOING FINE, WE RECENTLY HAD TROUBLE WITH HER SODIUM LEVEL THAT IS NOW UNDER CONTROL WE USE NASAL DROPS (DEMPRESSION) TODAY MISTY IS A LOVING, HAPPY BABY SHE IS CURRENTLY HAVING PHYSCIAL THEARPY ONCE A WEEK,SHE IS ALSO CUTTING MORE TEETH AND IS A LITTLE GRIPY, MISTY HAS TROUBLE WITH HER HEAD CONTROL AND TRUNK CONTROL AND SHE HAS TROUBLE REACHING FOR THINGS, SHE REACHES BACKWARD INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT FOR WHATEVER HAS CAUGHT HER EYE HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOTICED A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THIS SHE IS LEARNING TO REACH AND GRASP AND PUT THINGS IN HER MOUTH, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS BUT WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL TO OUR DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR MISTY AND WE WILL TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME.