Commercial Break: Inconceivable

Savage, Carolyn and Sean. Inconceivable. New York: Harper-Collins, 2010.

The subtitle of this book sums up the story nicely: "A medical mistake, the baby we couldn't keep, and our choice to deliver the ultimate gift."  Wow.  The title first attracted me to this book, then I got caught up in the story, and I just had to check it out.

Believing God wanted them to "be fruitful and multiply," the Savages chose to use IVF (in vitro fertilization) to conceive their children when other infertility treatments did not work.  Tragically, there was a mix-up at the clinic.  The wrong baby was placed in Carolyn, and she became pregnant with someone else's child.  There were few options open to the Savages.  They could abort the baby, or they could choose to give the child to his biological parents upon his birth.  They couldn't imagine aborting the baby, so they chose to continue the pregnancy to full term and give the baby to his genetic mother and father, all the while knowing that this was going to be Carolyn's last pregnancy; there would be no more little Savages in the house.

I cannot imagine being in this couple's place.  Absolutely I believe they did the right thing.  Absolutely I believe it was incredibly hard for them.  I applaud their moral integrity and commitment to life, and I am glad they chose to tell their story, too.  This book was well worth the read.