katelyshelton.substack.com
2026-03-07
Elizabeth Condra is a young wife and new mother. Her son, who is now sixteen months old, was born with a rare multi-gene deletion disorder. After undergoing genetic testing with her husband to determine whether they were carriers for the genetic disorder, genetic counselors "continuously referenced" IVF, even after Elizabeth and her husband said they weren't interested in pursuing it, no matter the results.
"Though it wasn't stated, I believe the obvious implication was that we could pick the embryos that were unaffected and discard the rest, which makes me sick to think about," Elizabeth told me. "My husband and I mutually agreed that whatever the results, we would not let fear rule our decision to grow our family. Our son is the biggest blessing to us and though having a disabled child is difficult, it would not be the end of the world to have another one. I know that will sound incomprehensible to some, but we believe children are a gift and we want to continue to grow our family."
If either Elizabeth or her husband were carriers of the gene, there would be a 50% chance it could affect a future pregnancy. Thankfully, Elizabeth and her husband tested negative, meaning their son's disorder was spontaneous, and any future children would have little risk of developing it.