Mother sacrificed her life for her baby - Operation Rescue/Operation Save America

A mother made the ultimate sacrfice by refusing cancer treatment to give birth to a healthy baby boy. Lorraine Allard was told four months into the pregnancy the devastating news that she was in the advanced stages of cancer. A further blow came when doctors advised her to terminate the foetus, which was 23 weeks old, and start chemotherapy straight away. Instead, she insisted on waiting long enough to give her unborn son a chance to survive, telling her husband, Martyn: "If I am going to die, my baby is going to live."

Lorraine Allard, 33, and Liam two weeks after he was born. She started a course of chemotherapy almost straight away and was able to cradle him just a handful of times before she died last Friday

A Caesarian section was scheduled at 26 weeks but Mrs Allard, 33, went into premature labour a week before and Liam was born on November 18. She then began chemotherapy but passed away on January 18, having left her sickbed a handful of times to cradle her son in her arms beside his incubator.

Yesterday, Mr Allard said: "Lorraine was positive all the way through. She had strength for both of us. I can't begin to describe how brave she was. Towards the end we knew things weren't going well but she was overjoyed that she had given life to Liam." Mr Allard, 34, an oil field technician from St Olaves, near near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and his wife already had three daughters, Leah, ten, Amy, eight, and Courtney, 20 months, when they learned they were expecting their first boy.

"We were going to have the full set and didn't plan to have any more children after that," Mr Allard said. But in October last year, Mrs Allard started getting stomach cramps and tests at James Paget Hospital in Gorleston revealed her liver was riddled with malignant tumours. It is believed the disease spread from bowel cancer that had been growing unnoticed for years. Mr Allard said: "The doctors said they couldn't do anything because she was pregnant. She told them straight away they were not going to get rid of it. She'd have lost the will to fight."

Grieving: Lorraine's husband Martyn with his two daughters, Amy, 8, and Courtney, 20 months

His wife went into labour just a couple of weeks after the diagnosis and gave birth at the Norfolk and Norwich University NHS Hospital in Norwich. "He was so tiny, just 1lb 11oz, so the nurse grabbed him and allowed Lorraine to give him a little kiss before he was taken to an incubator," Mr Allard said. "She was so emotional. She had been so determined to give him the best chance and was happy that he had been born naturally, which meant she wouldn't have to recover for a couple of weeks after a Caesarian before beginning the chemotherapy."

The course began almost straight away and Mrs Allard spent her time recuperating at home, apart from four visits to her newborn son. The first time was when he was two weeks old, during which a treasured photo of her cuddling him was taken. Liam has responded well to his care and it is hoped he will be released from hospital in early March. But his mother's health began to deteriorate just before Christmas and a CT scan on January 17 revealed the tumours were still growing. She died the following day.

Fighting for life: Liam in hospital just after his birth. He is still in hospital but it is hoped he could fit enough to go home in March

Mr Allard said: "The doctors had said the cancer was no longer curable, although they were trying to shrink the tumours which they thought might give her a couple of years.

"On the day Lorraine died she hadn't eaten for two weeks and couldn't drink. I laid beside her and she was gripping my hand quite tight. We were like that for about half an hour.

"I could feel against my chest that her heart was slowing down. She just slipped away after that. It was very peaceful."

He added: "When Liam is old enough, I won't tell him that Lorraine gave her life for him but I will say she made sure he had a good chance of life. She told me she didn't want him to feel bad about it."

Mrs Allard's father, Tom Berry, said: "I was overwhelmed by the way Lorraine took it. She lived for her husband and children. She was a big personality with a heart of gold."

Dozens of friends and family will say a final emotional goodbye to Lorraine at her funeral on February 4th in the same Hopton church where she married Martyn, her partner since she was 16.

Treasured photo: Lorraine and Martyn with Liam. Her father said 'She was a big personality with a heart of gold'

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Woman’s Death Exemplifies How We Should Live and Love!

by Rev. John Reyes

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Rom 5:7-8

In the context of this passage, the Apostle Paul is writing of how Christ came to die for the ungodly. Because of His obedience to His Father and His unconditional love for us, He willingly laid His life down so that we could live.

The word that Paul uses to describe “rarely” is the greek word molis, which according to Thayer’s, is something that one does with much difficulty, or is scarcely done. Paul is saying that this type of act does not happen too often, actually, it is probable that the action of dying for someone else (whether righteous or good) hardly ever happens!

Just this week, we read the news of Lorraine Allard, a 33 year old wife and mother of 4. When Mrs. Allard was only four months pregnant, she received the news that she was dying of bowel cancer that had spread to her liver. After constant pressure by the medical profession to abort her baby so that she could save herself, she adamantly refused. She is quoted as saying, “If I am going to die, my baby is going to live!”. In November she gave birth to a healthy little boy named Liam. Two months later, Mrs. Allard died. Now, I do not know what the spiritual condition of Mrs. Allard’s heart was prior to her death, but I do know that she displayed exceptional character by willing to die for another.

One of the greatest commandments given to us is found in Matthew 22:37-39: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The type of love that Jesus is speaking of is a self-giving, unconditional love – a love that would lay its life down so that someone else might live. Jesus says that we should love our neighbor. Who exactly is our neighbor? Jesus made it clear when He spoke of the Good Samaritan. One’s neighbors are more than those who are acquaintances or of the same nationality, but all men are neighbors. Therefore, if all men are considered by God to be our neighbors, then the unborn apply as well, and are due the same respect, dignity and unconditional love that we are commanded by Jesus Christ to give. Mrs. Allard demonstrated this type of love toward her unborn baby (neighbor).

There is an argument in the pro-abortion movement that abortion should be permitted even when the life of the mother is at risk. This argument (even championed by some who would consider themselves pro-life) is not biblical. It contradicts everything Jesus said about loving our neighbor as we would love ourselves. Having a baby’s limbs torn off while in his mother’s womb is far from loving! Actually, it is hatred, no matter what the motives might be.

I am sure that it was very difficult for Mrs. Allard to set herself aside and think more highly of her neighbor than she did herself, but she did what was right in the eyes of God, no matter how difficult it was. She could have taken the easy way out by killing her son, receiving her treatment, and saving her life, but she chose the righteous way. Whether she realized it or not, she chose God’s way which is usually very difficult, but by His grace, can be done!

One day, I pray that Liam will call his mom his hero! I hope that he will tell the world of her courageous and selfless act. Let’s pray that we as Christians can follow this mother’s example of heroism in a time when we have become very self-centered and self-indulgent. Perhaps when we are faced in a similar situation as Mrs. Allard, God will give us the grace and courage to do what is right in His eyes as we remember His words, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13-14