Mr. Gerry Edwards:

We were told pretty much nothing. Our son had anencephaly so that most of his skull and brain were absent. There was no need for further tests. The scan was as conclusive as it needed to be. We were told that they could continue to bring us in and check for a heartbeat, but that was all that they could do in this jurisdiction and that was it. We ourselves had to pick up that the term "in this jurisdiction" was like a breadcrumb and we had to follow it ourselves. Otherwise, my wife would just have to go back into Holles Street every couple of weeks and confirm that our son was still alive inside her which, with that particular condition, would have been likely. He would continue to grow because he was being supported by the umbilical cord but, because he did not have a brain, once that separation occurred, he would die. This was at 20 weeks and the pregnancy could very easily have gone on for another 20, but it is just a case of, "Keep coming back and if your baby's dead, we will deliver you." That is what happens, I am afraid.