A Guernsey woman said she was “completely shocked” when her doctors at the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) scheduled an abortion appointment for her without her knowledge or consent.
Soozy Jenner told BBC News that after her preborn child Grace was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition while still in the womb, doctors went ahead and scheduled her an abortion appointment as the next logical step.
“I was completely shocked,” Jenner said. “I couldn’t believe someone would think it would be all right to have a termination because his view was that baby isn’t going to live and he automatically assumed I would take a termination.”
Jenner refused the abortion and says it changed the relationship she had with her medical team. “I refused it and after that, nobody got in touch with me,” she explained. “I had to seek out that second opinion.”
She also had trouble finding a practitioner willing to do an MRI scan to confirm her preborn child’s diagnosis.
“I was expecting an MRI scan, as an MRI scan could tell me what was wrong with my daughter,” she said. “I didn’t get that and I wasn’t happy with that. Ultimately, I wasn’t given an MRI as I’d chosen to go against their wishes [of abortion].”
@soozy2002 The day my life changed forever 💔#babyloss #beautifuldaughter #fypシ #mybabygirl #firstborndaughter #fyp #heartbroken #lifewillneverbethesame ♬ Dancing In The Sky – Dani and Lizzy
Jenner did complete the pregnancy, and her daughter Grace reportedly died during labor. “The way I was treated was lacking in any bedside manner,” Jenner said.
In 2021, Guernsey expanded its laws to allow children with disabilities to be aborted all the way up until birth. Jenner’s tale underscores what can happen when abortion is allowed simply because of a disability – it quickly becomes not just an option, but an expectation.
For its part, the MSG has denied Jenner’s claim, telling the BBC, “No patient can be booked in for a procedure without their consent.”
It added: “Without commenting on an individual case as that would breach the patient’s confidentiality we can say in general terms that we would never and indeed could never book a patient for a procedure without consent.”
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know has a preborn child that has received a life-limiting diagnosis, visit BeNotAfraid.net.
