'The only thing we could do was pray' - Doctors insist on abortion but loving mother gives life a chance

'There was little to no hope for my baby.'

Expecting mother Johanna Morton went to her doctor's office for a routine ultrasound. She left much later, heartbroken at the devastating news.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Johanna Morton's Facebook post, she was seen December 23rd last year for what she believed would be a routine ultrasound that would result in "happy tears and laughter."

Unfortunately for the Mortons, the tears she shed had nothing to do with joy.

"I was 12 weeks gestation when we were told something was wrong with my baby's heart," Morton wrote. "I was told she would not survive. 'You will miscarry.'

"I left the office in tears and heartbroken. My baby fought her way to 18 weeks as her heart beat slower and slower. With each new appointment seemed to come another diagnosis, another heartbreak and a waterfall of tears.

"I was told 'She's going to be stillborn, Save [sic] yourself the pain.'

"'I wouldn't be surprised if you come back next week, and have her stillborn.' There was little to no hope for my baby.

"Even the number #1 [sic] children's hospital, had not seen a heart like hers. They have seen it separate, but not all together. It was up to her to fight. The only thing we could to...was pray."

The Morton's left their child in God's hands and continued to live as normally as they could. They had a reveal party, a baby shower and built a nursery together - all while their unborn child went in and out of heart failure.

At 37 weeks gestation, June 14th, Johanna delivered a beautiful baby girl via C-section. They named her Clara.

Following her birth, Clara was immediately relocated to Boston's Children's Hospital.

Five days later, she had her first open heart surgery.

Clara recovered, and on July 21st, her parents got to take her home for the first time.

Morton explained little Clara has since been sent to the hospital five more times and received "a couple more" diagnoses but claimed "she is a fighter! ... She is a Miracle."

Pictures of Clara, with an oxygen tube taped to her face, reveal the little girl's excitement and joy at the scene outside the window: Snow.

She is seen staring, mouth agape in awe, laughing and smiling.

"This is her seeing her first snowfall," Morton wrote. "She absolutely loved it. I can't explain the emotions we felt, as we watched that smile come across her face. Pure. Joy."

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