You will not survive this childbirth, please agree to have an abortion
– these words Emilia Wojtyła heard from her doctor, when it turned out that she was expecting a child. If she had listened, there would be no John Paul II.
This happened in the autumn of 1919. Emilia, her husband Karol and their 13-year-old son Edmund lived in Wadowice in a rented apartment on Kościelna Street. Three years earlier, she had lost her daughter Olga, who died 16 hours after her birth. Emilia was over 35 years old and feared she would not be able to have any more children. Therefore, she was in the seventh heaven when she learned that they were expecting another child.
However, a well-known gynecologist and obstetrician from Wadowice determined that pregnancy is at risk, the mother will not be able to carry it to the full term and there is no chance of giving birth to a live child. And, if she gives birth, it will be at the expense of her own life. “You will not survive this childbirth, please agree to have an abortion,” he declared. The woman refused. Then, Karol was born, the future John Paul II. Emilia Wojtyła lived for another 9 years.
Prepared based on the Milena Kindziuk’s text. Milena Kindziuk is the author of the book “Matka Papieża” (“Mother of the Pope”). Gość.pl
