Deborah Dorbert, a mother from Lakeland, bravely recounts the emotional turmoil she endured during the birth of her son, Milo, in March 2023, fully aware that his life would be brief. Almost a year later, the pain still lingers for her and her family.
“Grief washes over me in waves,” she admits.
Milo, born with a condition known as Potter Syndrome, arrived into the world with a blue hue, silent and struggling for breath. Deborah vividly recalls the haunting sound of his gasps, a moment etched in her memory forever.
“It’s a sound that will haunt me always,” she confides. “Feeling utterly helpless as a mother, cradling your child while they suffer, is an indescribable agony.”
Milo passed away a mere 94 minutes after his birth, leaving Deborah and her husband, Lee Dorbert, grappling with overwhelming grief. They oscillate between numbness and despair, battling depression and intrusive thoughts of suicide in the wake of their trauma.
Lee reflects, “As I held him, all I could focus on was showering him with as much love as we could muster in that fleeting time.”
Deborah’s pregnancy took a harrowing turn around 23 weeks when medical professionals detected abnormalities. Subsequent diagnosis of Potter Syndrome, a condition affecting vital organ development due to insufficient amniotic fluid, shattered their hopes. Infants with this syndrome typically face a short life expectancy, adding to the family’s anguish.
The Dorberts, believing termination was the kindest choice, faced insurmountable barriers due to Florida’s stringent abortion laws. Only after enduring 37 weeks of anguish did Deborah receive clearance for induction, a decision she believes spared them some heartache.
Deborah, still grappling with physical and emotional scars, emphasizes, “The trauma from November [2022] to Milo’s birth inflicted immense pain, both mentally and physically, from which I’m still on the path to healing.”
Aligned with their primary care doctor, Dr. David Berger, the Dorberts advocate for reproductive rights, supporting an upcoming abortion referendum in November. This amendment, backed by Floridians Protecting Freedom, seeks to safeguard abortion rights until fetal viability, typically around 24 weeks.
Dr. Berger laments Deborah’s ordeal, highlighting her excruciating physical suffering and underscoring the necessity of expanded reproductive rights.
Amidst their grief, the Dorberts confront the challenge of supporting their surviving son, who mourns the loss of his brother. Deborah’s recent testimony before the U.S. House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee shed light on their family’s ongoing struggle with trauma.
“Our mental health has been profoundly impacted,” Deborah reveals. “Even our young son required therapy to comprehend his brother’s passing. Recovery has been slow and arduous, both physically and mentally.”
Despite suggestions to seek care in another state, logistical constraints such as finances, medical expenses, and childcare responsibilities thwarted their options. The family, burdened by mounting bills, has sought financial aid to alleviate their ongoing medical expenses.
With Florida’s six-week abortion ban exacerbating their concerns, Deborah fears for other families enduring similar trials without adequate support.
“I dread the thought of others enduring what I have,” she shares, highlighting the arduous journey she hopes no one else will have to tread.
