It’s a parent’s worst nightmare — hearing the words, “You have a very sick child.” For a dad, it’s particularly difficult because his job, besides providing materially for his family, is to protect his loved ones from harm. But when illness strikes a child, a dad often stands helpless to “fix it.” Decisions about dealing with a critical illness in an already born child are difficult enough, but when that illness occurs in utero, parents are faced with another issue. The question is inevitable – “Will you keep it?” Since Roe v. Wade made abortion-on-demand legal in all 50 states at any time during pregnancy, vulnerable families faced with a sick little one are often given the bad news and immediately invited to consider abortion. How will they respond to the challenge? Anthony Horvath, in his book “We Chose Life: Why You Should Too,” shares his story, his faith, and the reasons he believes others should “choose life” as he and his wife did. Those who find themselves in similar circumstances with a seriously ill unborn child would do well to put their panic on hold and read his story.
In December 2006, after two normal pregnancies that filled their home with three boys including a set of twins, the Horvath’s were thrilled to learn during a routine ultrasound that they were expecting a little girl. Then the shoe dropped. The ultrasound showed something else. “The doctor came in. She wasn’t smiling. Her expression was grim … she went right to the point. Our new baby girl had a lot of fluid in her skull, a condition called hydrocephalus. The doctor told us that it could be just hydrocephalus, or, worst case scenario, it could mean that she had spina bifida (SB)” [spina bifida is a general term for a group of a neural tube defects where a segment of the spinal column fails to close resulting in a buildup of fluid in the brain.]
A second ultrasound showed that the baby had the most severe form of the disease, myelomenigocele spina bifida. While there was no way to know the severity of the outcome, the baby could end up mentally and physically handicapped, catheterized, and permanently unable to walk – or not. “Here was the brutal reality,” Horvath says, “There was no way of knowing the future.”
Like other families faced with similar bad news, the Horvath’s went into mourning. “I descended into the depths of self-pity,” Horvath says, “I had thoughts, some of which I will not dare to share here. … Together my wife and I entered the grieving process although no one had actually died. But that isn’t really true. Someone did die.” He goes on to describe all the normal events of childhood and laments, “We mourned the daughter we would not have.”
About four years ago my wife and I were informed at the 20 week ultrasound that our daughter had spina bifida. We were given the ‘choice’ to ‘terminate.’ We emphatically declined.
My wife and I were already pro-life. However, with our daughter nearly three years old now, the joy she brings into our family is set against the sorrow we feel when we realize that 70, 80, and maybe 90% of all children diagnosed with a birth defect are aborted. It has become part of my mission to help defend life by persuading people that Life is still worth protecting even when the child is disabled.
My wife and I understand very well the grief one experiences when learning the awful truth that one’s child has a birth defect. We know how this can transform one’s life, with doctor’s appointments, surgeries, and uncertainties. But the Joy surpasses all this.
You are here because I wanted to make myself more widely available to the pro-life community as a speaker and author. I have already been speaking around the country and in fact have been asked to speak at the national Lutherans for Life conference this summer.
I would invite you to learn more about me and my ministry and my family and hope to hear from you soon. I would love to speak at your church, school, college, or organization. You may contact me at author@wechoselife.com. I would also be most appreciative if you could donate to my non-profit (but not tax exempt) ministry to help defray the costs of the ad that brought you to me.
Here are some more links about me…
Start at the beginning by going to the We Chose Life home page.
Below are three videos that I have. I have lots of tape of my presentations but it takes time to get them ready for the Internet! The first is just 5 minutes and gives an overview of my views and some sampling of me speaking. The second is from a high school I presented at in 2009. The third is a bit off the subject… it’s a graduation speech I gave in 2005.
Anthony Horvath and his wife were given the option to ‘terminate’ their daughter after learning that she had spina bifida. They rejected this ‘choice’ emphatically. Their beautiful daughter proves every day that joy transcends circumstances. Though as a Christian apologist and author Anthony has always been pro-life, the situation has added new fire to his position and credibility to his arguments. Elected in July of 2010 to be the Vice President of Wisconsin Lutherans for Life, Anthony is actively living out his principles and passions.
He has spoken at numerous high schools, colleges, and churches, having presented on one topic or another over fifty times. He is a former junior and senior high school religion teacher and taught at a small Bible college while in Rockford, Illinois. He was a Director for Parish Ministries at a Lutheran church in Wisconsin for about three years.
His current activities, besides his pro-life speaking and discussing his We Chose Life book, are related to his apologetics ministry. His columns have been published at Worldnetdaily.com and he has been interviewed on close to 30 Christian radio programs and heard by millions of people. He is a blogger for the ChristianPost.com and a columnist for TheCypressTimes. This page has links to his articles, columns, and some radio interviews.
Anthony Horvath is an author and speaker. He is married and the father of four. He is the stay-at-home caretaker for his daughter, 'Renny', who was born with spina bifida (myelomeningocele). He is available to speak and present on pro-life issues, as well as his other books and ministry activities. He is a member of the Lutherans for Life speaker's bureau and the vice president of Wisconsin Lutherans for Life
