Madysen Wilcox has chosen to walk a difficult path, and she is sharing what helps her remain strong in the face of adversity: her faith in God.
The 29-year-old homeschooling mom is currently in her third trimester of pregnancy (thirty-two weeks along at the time of writing). She’s carrying her third baby—a boy whom she and her 34-year-old husband, Darin Wilcox, have named Charlie.
Having received a fatal diagnosis for their unborn son, Madysen and Darin bravely decided not to terminate the pregnancy. Instead, the heartbreaking diagnosis has made the couple see life through fresh eyes.
“I look at my [two] kids like they’re walking miracles because they’re so perfect and healthy,” she told The Epoch Times. “My faith is the only way I’ve been able to cope with this entire process.”
Madysen says the experience has also been “so helpful” in teaching their children about God and His loving compassion.
The Wilcoxes have chosen to lead their family by example, showing 6-year-old Havyn and 3-year-old Harvey how hardship can be endured through faith.
“Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand in our lives, and how He nudged us along to make the best decision for our family,” Madysen said. “I do believe that God gives us trials to strengthen us and transform us. I believe God trusted me to carry this angel, so I’m trusting Him to get me through it.
The Diagnosis
It was February, and the Wilcoxes were thrilled when they learned they would soon welcome a baby boy into their happy family.However, about six weeks into the first trimester, Madysen began having complications. After an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with a small sub-chorionic hematoma (a blood clot formed due to a ruptured blood vessel) and was put on pelvic rest for two weeks. The hematoma soon disappeared, and all seemed well.
After hitting the second-trimester mark, however, Madysen began to have more spotting. A second ultrasound revealed that she had another hematoma and that her baby’s brain was not developing correctly. The ultrasound technician also had a difficult time locating the baby’s nasal bone.
At 18 weeks, Madysen’s worst fears surfaced during a maternal-fetal medicine scan when the ultrasound technician was quiet for an unusual amount of time.
“After what felt like an eternity of silence, Darin finally asked her how things were looking. I’ll never forget the words that came out of her mouth. All she said was, ‘I’m concerned,’” Madysen said.
Madysen’s heart began to race as she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t long before the doctor came into the room and gave the anxious parents a diagnosis: Alobar Holoprosencephaly (HPE)—a congenital disorder in which a baby’s brain fails to divide into left and right hemispheres.
The couple learned that baby Charlie also had multiple heart defects. A diagnosis of Alobar HPE, the doctor said, was fatal.
“As soon as I heard it, it was at that moment, my soul left my body,” she said. “He then told us that most patients with this diagnosis choose to terminate, then left the room to give us a moment alone.”
The heartbroken mother felt like she was going to vomit, so she ran to the sink. But before she could make it there, her legs buckled underneath her. She began sobbing and saying, “How do we tell the kids?”
“My whole world felt like it was crashing down, and I was suffocating,” she said. “It was all hitting me that we had just been told our baby will not survive.
‘A Very Prayerful Decision’
The fatal diagnosis forced Madysen to reconsider her strong pro-life views. Although she remained opposed to abortion, she was unsure of what was the “morally right thing to do.”“Once it was a decision we were forced to make, we had to re-evaluate everything we had ever thought or believed,” she said. “It’s an impossible decision to make when you are faced with choosing when and how your baby will pass away.
“Making the decision to carry Charlie to term was a very prayerful decision. We prayed every night to make the best decision for our family and asked God to help us make the right one.”
After much thought, the couple initially decided to get an abortion for medical reasons. They believed that inducing labor early would save Charlie from suffering and would “humanely” let him pass away—rather than waiting for him to take his last breath after birth. They also thought it would save their family from additional trauma.
“Looking back now, I can see that I was wrong in thinking that,” she said. “Carrying him has been the best thing that could have happened for our family.”
Madysen recalls that when they first decided to get an abortion, they faced multiple roadblocks. Planned Parenthood was booked out for weeks, so Madysen wouldn’t be able to get an appointment until she was 26 weeks along, which would be too late. She also learned that her insurance would not cover the procedure.
“After all of these roadblocks, we did have several other options [for getting an abortion]. However, we felt in our hearts that this was the answer we had been asking God for. He had made it clear that we were supposed to carry Charlie and that terminating the pregnancy was not the right decision for our family,” she said.
“[W]e believe that our time here on earth is a small blip in eternity, so that helps me to know that I will see Charlie again—and we will all be reunited.”
Armed With Faith to Face the Unknown
Charlie is due in October, and the preparation period for his birth has been full of unknowns.“We really have no idea how long he will live,” Madysen said. “We have had to prepare ourselves for every outcome basically.”
She and her husband have grown closer through their shared trials as they go through their ninth year of marriage.
Madysen says if she could speak to herself in those tragic early days following the diagnosis, she’d remind herself to stay present in the moment and rely on faith. She’s also grateful for the support of her family, friends, and even followers of her TikTok account, @mamafitmadz.
The brave mom wishes to thank those who have shown her love and compassion and prayed for her through her ordeals.
“It means so much,” she said, “and I will never forget anyone who has shown me kindness, love, and compassion through this journey.”
There is no denying that the past few months have been unbelievably difficult, but the family continues to rely on strength and faith. Ultimately, the couple has found peace in leaving their trials in God’s hands.
“I am so glad that we left our decision up to God and that we listened to Him because looking back now, I realize the decision of how and when Charlie is called home to heaven really isn’t up to me—it’s up to God. And I have so much peace knowing that,” she said.
“He will always be our son, he will always be our third baby, and my two kids will always know they have a baby brother watching over them.”
