She felt the pain and trauma when she was pressured to get an abortion at 17 after getting pregnant from rape. So she chose life when she faced two other unplanned pregnancies, one of which put her life on the line.

In 2019, 41-year-old Melissa Brusoe hemorrhaged at work, just a few days before her 20th wedding anniversary. She thought she was bleeding as a result of an endometrial ablation she had undergone 12 years prior, which removed scarred tissue from her uterus.

Instead of preparing for her anniversary, Melissa found herself at the emergency room due to the huge amount of blood loss she incurred. The medical diagnosis she received was far from what she had expected to hear.

“I was informed I was having a miscarriage,” Melissa recalls. “My husband and I didn’t even know we were pregnant, so that was quite the shock.”

UNPLANNED HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY

Melissa’s baby bump.

The news of the pregnancy and the miscarriage left Melissa and her husband, Billy, speechless. They already had three daughters, who were aged 24, 20 and 14 at the time, and felt that their family was complete. They also knew the risks involved if Melissa got pregnant.

Melissa’s endometrial ablation was meant to treat the scarring in her uterus — a complication that resulted from an abortion she had in her teens. Because of the ablation, Melissa and her husband were urged by their doctors to not have another pregnancy. There was a high risk that the baby would be lost through a miscarriage, due to the uterine lining being damaged. 

Not only would the baby’s life be in danger, but Melissa’s life as well. Pregnancy after an ablation poses many complications such as an ectopic pregnancy or a life-threatening condition called placenta accreta, where the placenta grows and attaches abnormally.

“Anyone who has had an endometrial ablation would know that you’re not recommended to get pregnant after an ablation. It is extremely high risk. What I was told is that it was 100 percent fatal to the child and very likely could be fatal to the mother,” Melissa says.

Melissa and Billy with their three daughters and son-in-law.

Melissa and Billy started to prepare themselves emotionally for their follow-up appointment. They were told by their doctor that the ultrasound would confirm if Melissa was indeed having a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.

But to everyone’s surprise, their baby was alive and well. Melissa and Billy got to hear their baby’s strong heartbeat that day, and they had faith that God would perform a miracle to protect Melissa and the baby.

“Knowing full well, after being told that my child could die and there was a good chance I would die as well‚ I just felt 100 percent if I can get pregnant after no cycle [due to the endometrial ablation] for 12 years at 41 years old, God had a plan, and I was willing to trust it,” Melissa says.

MIRACLES IN THE UNPLANNED

Melissa’s doctor was pro-life but didn’t think the baby would survive for long. Her doctor said that if the baby were to survive as far as 26 weeks, she would have to go in for an emergency c-section to prevent further complications.

“Although my doctor didn’t suggest abortion, he was very surprised that I was still pregnant during every visit. He was like, ‘You’re a walking miracle,’” Melissa recalls.

Melissa and Billy witnessed God’s faithfulness to their family week by week as their baby continued to grow in the womb. Their baby beat the odds of survival and continued to live past 26 weeks.

Melissa’s pregnancy bump and ultrasound at 26 weeks.

During her 26-week appointment, Melissa’s doctor noticed an abnormality in her uterus. Her placenta had attached itself to her bladder and cervix, the most dangerous type of placenta accreta. When Melissa hemorrhaged again at 28 weeks, doctors performed an emergency c-section to save her life and her baby’s life.

“My daughter, Eliyannah, is a miracle,” Melissa says. “At 28 weeks, she was born crying with her arms in the air. We say she was praising God because it’s unusual for her at 28 weeks to have her arms up, fully alert and crying.”

After delivering her baby, Melissa felt very weak from the amount of blood loss she sustained. Her heart stopped beating. Doctors and nurses filled the room to resuscitate her. Melissa received 33 pints of blood, which saved her life. 

Baby Eliyannah spent 49 days in the NICU and is now a happy and healthy 4-year-old girl. Her name, which was picked out by her three sisters, means “God answered” in Hebrew — a fitting name for how God miraculously brought her safely into the world.

“My girl is healthy. She’s strong. She was 100 percent worth it. She has a gift, and I have no doubt she has a purpose,” Melissa says. “I know God used both of us in the hospital room that day … The number of doctors and nurses that came in that room after she was born shaking their heads and crying — that tells me God did big things.”

CHOOSING LIFE AFTER AN ABORTION

Melissa does not regret choosing life for Eliyannah, even though she put her own life at risk. She didn’t want to go through another painful and traumatic abortion, especially after what she had experienced at 17 years old. Melissa got pregnant from rape during her senior year in high school and was pressured to have an abortion — a choice that she regrets and grieves to this day.

“In the case of rape or the mom’s life is in danger — I’ve been on both sides of the story, and I didn’t care that my life was on the line. I would never face that choice [of abortion] again. I regret to this day that my children will never know their brother on this side of heaven,” Melissa says.

Melissa dropped out of high school after the abortion and has had to deal with depression, PTSD and the physical side effects from the procedure, which scarred her uterus.

“It was a vacuum extraction, and it was extremely traumatic. I felt I didn’t have control in the conception, and I felt like I didn’t have control in whether I had the abortion or not,” Melissa says. “It took me many years to even admit that it hurt. I tried to shove it down for so long, but I got to a point where I couldn’t do that anymore. It just got too hard. The depression was too deep.”

Melissa’s oldest daughter, Cassandra, holding baby Eliyannah.

Melissa’s abortion also impacted her ability to connect with her oldest daughter, Cassandra, who was conceived a year after the abortion. Eighteen-year-old Melissa had just started dating Billy when the unplanned pregnancy happened.

“I didn’t know what it was going to look like, what we were going to do, how it was going to work out during the pregnancy. I was terrified,” Melissa recalls.

Even though Melissa was afraid of how the pregnancy would affect her future, she chose life for her daughter, Cassandra. She had made the wrong choice of choosing abortion during her first unplanned pregnancy and didn’t want to lose another baby to abortion. 

Melissa and Billy with their four daughters and son-in-law.

Today, Melissa and Billy are parents to four beautiful daughters and are proud grandparents to one granddaughter. They got married when Cassandra was 3 years old and have now been married for over 25 years. 

Melissa’s encouragement to those facing an unplanned pregnancy:

“There are options out there. Abortion is not worth it. The pain is not a quick fix. The doctors will tell you that no one has to know. You don’t have to tell anybody. But what that does tell you is to hold on to the fears. Not telling anybody is worse for your mental health. You might think it’s convenient … but you will regret it for the rest of your life. It will affect you. It can affect your body and your health for years to come.”

Written by Loren Ward.