When I was 5 months pregnant with my first child, I was diagnosed with polyhydramnios. And I was told that my baby would be born dead because they could not find his stomach in the ultrasound. 

They suspected a diaphragmatic hernia, and his stomach lodged in the lung cavity.  My boy had a cleft lip and palate, multiple holes in his heart, and an absent right eye, right ear and underdeveloped right jaw.  The best advice the perinatologist could give me was to terminate the pregnancy and have other children.  We were told to see the pediatric cardiologist and discuss with my regular OB, then return to clinic in two to three weeks for the final decision/abortion/ultrasound.  

We did all the appointments, and also had prayer partners around the globe interceding in prayer for our baby.  At the time of our follow-up I was six months pregnant, but the perinatologist said he could still do an abortion since it was risky to the mother's life.  I told him I decided not to do an abortion.  So, he proceeded to do another ultrasound.  And that was when he said, "I don't know where it came from, but I see your baby's stomach right where it is supposed to be.  All the other problems are there, but can be surgically corrected.  He has a chance for life"     Philip Mathews was born alive on July 27, 2000.  

My boy lived for 19 years on this earth, he now is with Jesus.  But because of the journey with him, and watching him go through 25 craniofacial surgeries, my husband and I started the nonprofit Love Without Reason, which would help children around the world with free craniofacial surgeries.  

I never would have cared about cleft children and their vulnerability to human trafficking and I never would have discovered my purpose if it was not for my own children and the journey I went through with Philip.  His life was worth everything to me.  

-Susan Mathews