The Woman Doctors Expected to Die Three Minutes After Birth

According to Saed News, citing Young Journalists Club, when God wishes to show favor upon one of His servants, no one can prevent the will of the Almighty—even if it appears illogical to scholars and experts.

Theresa Smith was born on October 12, 1960. Due to the drug thalidomide that her mother had taken during pregnancy, she was born with short arms and without legs. This drug, developed by a German company in the 1950s, caused severe birth defects including shortened limbs, blindness, hearing impairment, heart problems, and brain damage. Its use was banned in 1961.

Theresa had severe disabilities from birth. She was the second child of her Irish mother and father Joseph. She had an older sister named Anne, who was about one and a half years older than her. Because of the side effects of this harmful drug for pregnant women, they were often advised to go for morning walks.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Theresa said: “My mother was eagerly waiting for her second child and had decided to stay at home to take care of my older sister. However, the pregnancy did not go as planned.”

She added: “In the 1960s, there were no ultrasound or X-ray machines, so my birth came as a huge shock to my mother and the doctor. Later, I learned from my mother that she had suspected something was wrong because she could not feel my legs when touching her abdomen.”

Doctors had predicted that Theresa would only survive for three minutes after birth. However, she was quickly taken to the hospital and was fortunate to survive. It is estimated that around 10,000 people were affected by thalidomide during pregnancy, and about 40% of them died shortly after birth.

Due to discriminatory policies against children with disabilities at the time, Theresa suffered greatly in school. However, she managed to overcome all the challenges she faced and later worked as a teacher. She also worked in a bank and later became a social worker for the Liverpool City Council.

According to the British newspaper The Mirror, after facing health problems, she was forced to leave her job. However, she later managed to establish a successful hypnotherapy training project. She now aims to create a memorial for all thalidomide children, many of whom reportedly have no surviving records, in order to share her experiences and honor them.