Waiting with Gabriel: A Story of Cherishing a Baby’s Brief Life

This memoir is the true story of parents who were told that their unborn baby had an incurable heart condition, confronting them with an impossible to attempt risky surgeries to give their baby a chance at a longer life, or to continue the pregnancy and embrace their baby’s life as it would unfold, from conception to natural death. The unforgettable journey that ensued would change not only their lives, but also the lives of everyone who came in contact with them. The book also addresses larger issues including questions about heroic medicine; attitudes and practices regarding pregnancy and infant loss; and new dilemmas created by advances in prenatal testing, including what to do if a test reveals a fatal problem. Waiting with Gabriel has become a premier resource for families in this situation as well as families who have lost a baby under other circumstances, and it is now being used by hospitals and clinics across the U.S. and Canada.