NFL Player Torrey Smith Calls on Prayer Warriors for Wife in Midst of Pregnancy Complications
Christian NFL player Torrey Smith opens up about his wife's pregnancy complications in a blog post titled Prayers Up that he wrote on Monday.
Smith, a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, detailed his family's health scare, explaining that the recent experience and the strength of his wife encouraged him to share his news with the public.
The professional athlete shares that following routine testing for his wife's second pregnancy, doctors discovered that she had a 1 in 25 chance of giving birth to a child with Trisomy 18, a genetic abnormality caused by an extra 18th chromosome.
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As Smith explains on his blog, the condition can result in developmental delays and death for the infant, as well as endangering the health of the mother.
After receiving a phone call from his wife's doctor, Smith says that he and his family were faced with an extremely difficult decision: to carry a child with Trisomy 18 and risk the infant's death before or during birth.
"It was easily the hardest conversation I've ever been a part of. What do you do? Do you go forward knowing the outcome will be a miscarriage or death shortly after birth all while putting your life in danger? Or do you terminate the pregnancy?" Smith asks. "Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about abortions. I think that it should only happen in extreme situations ... not because a couple was negligent in practicing safe sex."
Although the circumstance is proving to be a very trying time for Smith and his wife, Chanel, the professional athlete explains that it also shows him the strength and courage of his "queen."
"My wife is fearless waiting for the final test results. I never knew my admiration for her could grow any more than it did the day she gave birth to Torrey. My queen is the ____! She has been working hard trying to manage our charity basketball game, foundation, teaching little Torrey and working on her master's degree. She is special!" Smith exclaims, referencing the couple's first child, Torrey.
Ultimately, the couple received happy news, learning after subsequent testing that their baby did not in fact have Trisomy 18.
Smith clarifies that he and his family are not out of the woods yet, as there could still be another, unidentified issue with the pregnancy given the abnormal testing results.
"Truth be told, we have no clue what's going on with our child. It could be absolutely nothing. I do know that we are ready for whatever may come and my wife is leading the way. The prayer warriors have been working for us and we appreciate it," Smith adds.
"God wouldn't put us in a situation that we couldn't handle. We have been drawing strength from him and those around us. Now we are praying that our little fighter continues to grow and we can meet him. I'm praying for life, not for his health. A disability doesn't make you unhealthy; it just means you may have different challenges. We all have challenges, and we are ready for ours that will soon come. Prayers Up for Kameron!"
