Now, I know that there are times in every person’s life when they wonder whether the world (or their parents or their siblings or friends) would have been better off if they hadn’t been born. Likewise, we’ve all likely reminded our parents on one occasion or another that we didn’t ask to be born, but listen…no one can ask a sperm and an egg’s permission before they get together, it just happens.
Most of us do our best, but for U.K. woman Evie Toombes, that answer just wasn’t good enough – and so she sued her mother’s doctors for allowing her to be born.
Evie was born with Spina Bifida, a defect in which a person’s spinal cord is left partially exposed by a gap in their backbone. It causes Evie to spend most of her day hooked up to tubes, and for her quality of life to never be “normal” as far as what an average person can expect.
The risks for having a baby with Spina Bifida can be mitigated by taking folic acid supplements while trying to conceive and while pregnant – they’re contained in many prenatal vitamins – but Evie argued that her mother’s doctors never informed her of this simple truth.
If they had, she said, her mother would have taken the vitamins for a few months before even trying to get pregnant, meaning Evie wouldn’t be here today – at least, not in her current form.
And on December 1, 2021, judge Rosalind Coe actually ruled in her favor.
“Provided with the correct recommended advice, she would have delayed attempts to conceive. In the circumstances, there would have been a later conception, which would have resulted in a normal healthy child.”
Though owed a massive payout, Evie will likely use most of the money to cover her current and future medical expenses, which are substantial.
If you want to follow Evie and her story, she has kept a personal blog since the age of 12, which she uses to bring awareness and support others like herself.
She’s also created the E.N.D. Campaign (Educate, Not Discriminate).
“I don’t want any person (child or adult) to go through the same struggle if something can be done to help them on their way. My personal experiences fuel the commitment and passion I have about educating as many people as possible about invisible illness.”
I commend her activism and perseverance, but man, the outcome of this lawsuit definitely surprises me.
What about you? Let’s discuss in the comments!
