The ones we almost didn’t get to see

Gianna Jessen survived abortion. She has cerebral palsy, and has grown into a beautiful and talented woman who exudes joy. Her cause: changing hearts and minds for life.

Emma Watson is a survivor, too, though her mother backed out of a planned abortion at the last minute. She has an amazing story, too. 

The Watsons adopted Emma after her 16-year-old birth mother backed out of a scheduled abortion at the last minute.

Emma’s trip to see the Pope, arranged by the Make a Wish Foundation,  was postponed when she was too ill to go in February.

The Associated Press reports that Emma was born with a life-threatening, hypoplastic left heart syndrome and Turner’s Syndrome, a chromosomal defect. It says she has undergone five open-heart surgeries and may need a heart transplant in the future.

Patti Watson in Craigmont, Idaho, remembers the reason the birth mother gave for not aborting her girl: “Something told me not to go through with it because God has a special plan for this little girl,” Watson remembers her saying. She adds, “We are eternally grateful to the birth mom. She is an amazing woman and had a lot of courage.”

The Watsons knew the baby had severe heart problems when they agreed to adopt her.

“We were the only parents on the list that had said we’d take a special-needs child,” Watson told AP. “When they called, we said Yes. It was an easy decision. We’d been praying about it, and God has granted us the grace to deal with everything’s that come along.”

“It was an easy decision.” What a witness to ‘caring for the least of these’.

The report says Emma was 3 the first time she mentioned the Pope. She saw him on TV in the hospital and sat up in bed. “That’s my new pope,” she told her mother. “That’s my new pope. Do you think I can ever meet him?”

Watson didn’t pay much attention to the request. But over time she saw how serious her daughter was.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation doubted a child would request to see the Pope, Watson said. So several people wrote letters on her behalf.

“Ever since Emma began talking, she has spoken about prayer and wanting to become a nun,” wrote Dr. Hrair Garabedian, a Spokane, Wash., cardiologist. “Again, I am surprised by her complete devotion to God, but it does not surprise me at all she has requested a visit with the Pope.”

“Emma is a very special child and in some spiritual way, old beyond her years,” said another letter to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Watson said Emma is joyful, never complains, and has a deep faith.

Mrs. Watson told The Associated Press:

“Some small part of us thought we were doing something good by saving this sick little girl, not realizing it was God’s plan all along to save us — from selfishness, from not getting caught up in the little things of life. One of the biggest things we’ve learned is to take things one day at a time and try not to worry about tomorrow.”