Kirk and Chass Barker were overjoyed when Chass became pregnant. But their joy quickly turned into despair when a doctor told them Chass must have an abortion; otherwise, she might risk death.
Chass had lost more than 40 pounds during her first month of pregnancy, prompting them to consult a doctor, according to Life Site News. The doctor told them Chass must abort the baby or else she would likely die.
"We trusted him. We took the doctor for his word," said Kirk. "We made an [abortion] appointment that day."
When they went to the abortion clinic in Tennessee, they saw many people praying. "They pleaded with us to not go through the procedure," Kirk recalled. "We explained to them what was happening; they just apologised and said 'We'll pray for you.' And they did, but we continued on in."
But when they got inside and Chass was filling out the paperwork, she realised she couldn't do it. "Right before we signed what we call 'the death certificate to our son,' God intervened," said Kirk. "My wife looked at me, and said, 'I don't care if I die, I'm not going to kill our son.'"
The Barkers got up and walked out of the clinic, and they were very happy not to go through with the procedure. However, they knew their decision posed a risk.
"I didn't want to lose my wife, but I didn't want to lose my son either," said Kirk.
To solve their dilemma, they sought a new doctor. Within a few weeks, Chass weight stabilised. After eight months, the Barkers' new son Cameron was born healthy and without any complications.
Cameron just turned 14 in September, and the Barkers could not imagine life without him. "He's a great kid," said Kirk. "He works very hard and he's very intelligent. He wants to go into the computer science field, and he may graduate when he's 16 or 17. He's a compassionate, loving guy. I couldn't be more proud of him."
The Barkers were not given an official diagnosis for Chass' shocking weight loss, but they suspect it could be Hyperemesis Gravidarum — an extreme form of morning sickness that affects about one in 100 expectant mothers.
They said the kindness and understanding shown by the pro-life prayer warriors outside the abortion clinic really changed their lives. Not only did they keep them from aborting their baby, but they also opened up their faith in God.
"I was a non-believer most of life," said Kirk. "God showed me I was wrong — He turned me into a believer. I didn't know I was lost until I was saved. But, I had to do much more than believe: I had to be obedient to our Lord. God wants us to thank Him in the good times and the bad times. God uses our story."
