A mother has revealed how she struggled to keep her unborn son after tests showed he had Down syndrome before he was born – and hospital staff assumed she wanted to terminate the pregnancy.
Natalie O’Rourke, from Teddington, joined Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on ITV’s This Morning to raise awareness for World Down Syndrome Day and said there was nothing to fear, with an extra one chromosome to be born .
O’Rourke, who runs a west London riding school to help disabled people ride, spoke of her son Woody, 10, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome during a routine pregnancy scan.
She said: “I didn’t know how far along I was because it was an unplanned pregnancy so I went for an appointment scan and you can tell straight away something is wrong. The nurse said: ‘I need the room left and fetched my colleague but he didn’t tell me what was going on.
“I just really knew, I knew there was a problem, and the colleague came back and just said, ‘We think there’s something wrong with the baby.’
Natalie O’Rourke, from Teddington, revealed she had to fight to keep her son, now 10, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome before he was born, after hospital staff accepted she did not want her pregnancy to be terminated. continued.
Natalie explained that she was told to go straight to Queen’s Charlotte Hospital in central London but was not told why.
She said: “It was very scary and it was like we were put down a path with no choice, I mean it happened 10 years ago so we really hope it’s different for people now.
“They called me to say the baby had Down syndrome and I wasn’t really surprised at the time and then the phone rang again, it was an unknown number and they said: ‘We’re just confirming your appointment for tomorrow. ‘ and I said, ‘I don’t have an appointment tomorrow, I think you have the wrong person,’ and I realized they fired me for the next day.”
She continued, “And I said I won’t come, you can cancel that appointment, but she said, ‘No, we’ll keep the appointment if you change your mind.’
O’Rourke said if she hadn’t had a baby yet, she might have felt she should have attended the appointment, saying: “My concern is that I’m really strong-willed and I already have Alice.” [her older daughter] I have complete confidence in that.
“If I was a first-time mother, I might have thought I had to do it and not realized I had a choice.
“I really hope things change ten years later, but I want to send a strong message: don’t be afraid of Down syndrome, there is so much love and kindness out there.
Brentford fan Woody joined Natalie on the This Morning bench to explain how important football is to him
Natalie told TV presenters during the day that if she hadn’t been “strong minded” she would have felt compelled to terminate the pregnancy
“I remember the first time I held him in my arms and he was crying and I was so happy that he was healthy and I was like, ‘I fought for you and now you’re here.’
She admitted what the doctor said made her “sick” and made her feel that what she considered would be “an attack on society”.
“It’s as if his life has no value, when in fact Woody is a life-changer who improves the lives of everyone he meets.”
Woody joined Natalie on the This Morning bench to explain how important football is to him.
She said after he was rejected by a local football club, there was outrage online after she shared the story and Brentford Football Club invited him to train with them weekly.
Natalie explained: “We love going to the football and we have a whole routine of things we do, it’s like we have a whole second family there.
“We have a very supportive network of people who are very nice to us and embrace him and Woody can just be Woody.
Natalie runs Park Lane Stables in Teddington, where people with disabilities can ride
The London stable launched a campaign to protect its center in 2021 after learning its landlord was selling the land (photo: Woody with a horse in the stable).
“He can be himself and people accept him and embrace him. I started blogging about soccer to spread the message that soccer is for everyone. Come as a family or someone with special needs and they can enjoy.’
Natalie has been the owner of Park Lane Stables in Teddington for 15 years and in 2021 she began a dogged fight to save the small stables from closure which had captured the heart of the nation.
The Riding for the Disabled Center provides a lifeline and nurturing safe space for over 350 children and adults with disabilities and additional needs.
She previously appeared on This Morning with mum Helen Clarke and son Christian, who has ADHD, to share their delight at reaching the stable’s target of raising a further £225,000.
The stables provide the children with 3,000 horse-riding lessons a year, teach them how to care for and care for the animals, provide a wheelchair-accessible carriage and offer special equine-assisted therapy.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
