‘Mamma Called the Doctor: A Mother and Child’s Final Journey’

TORONTO — Sometimes what had been a black-and-white issue suddenly can become gray when it hits home. That is what Antoinette Romana discovered when an amniocentesis revealed that she was pregnant with a Down syndrome baby. Antoinette and her husband, already parents of three small children, had to face one of their most difficult situations while making a choice that stirred both criticism and support. What Antoinette soon discovered was that it was no one’s decision but her and her husband’s. She wrote about it in her moving memoir, “Mamma Called the Doctor: A Mother and Child’s Final Journey” (published by iUniverse).

The topic of abortion is an incendiary one, but the author discovered that it is also a personal one and that there are no easy answers. During a time in her life when she didn’t think she could be any happier, Antoinette, a suburban stay-at-home mom, was suddenly confronted with a decision that would cause her grief, no matter what she decided. Instead of hiding what she was considering, she discussed it with family, friends, doctors and counselors, all who had a variety of opinions. Yet, the final choice was up to Antoinette and her husband — one that would ultimately forever change their lives. The author had to ask herself if she was being selfish and was she really putting the child’s interests first.

Written with truth and honesty, the author shares how her difficult decision put her into a deep depression, and yet, the one who pulled her out of it, the one she believed she most disappointed, was God. “Mamma Called the Doctor” is a journey of both heartache and faith, but one the author believes happened for a reason. What she learned along the way was to find forgiveness in herself. Antoinette’s memoir is her story, but one that she is prepared to discuss with anyone willing to listen.

About the Author

Antoinette Romana is a housewife and mother of three children. She lives in the Toronto suburbs of Canada with her husband. She is available for interviews.