Millions of Americans who embrace the pro-life cause are familiar with the graphic photograph of the unborn infant who extended his hand to clasp the finger of the surgeon performing in-utero surgery. That was the hand of now three-year-old Samuel Armas, son of Alex and Julie Armas of Douglasville, who recently testified before a United States subcommittee. The hearing regarded exploring advances in intra-uterine medical procedures from the pro-life perspective of being an alternate to abortion. Senator Brownback (R-Kansas) believes the hearing will be used to help build a case for future pro-life and fetal-surgery legislation.

Julie Armas grew up in Lithia Springs in a devout Christian home, the youngest of three daughters. She came to know Christ at age twelve and attended only Christian schools until her sophomore year in college. She lived a protected, happy life.

When Julie was 19 she met Alex who was a fellow employee at an athletic shoe store. That which started as a friendship became a dating relationship, resulted in an engagement and ultimately a marriage on June 19, 1993. During their courtship Alex accepted Christ and became a zealous, committed Christian.

Julie declares, "Our marriage began just as my life had always been ... pretty much perfect." In 1996 the Armas couple decided to try to start their family. After a year Julie became pregnant and had a miscarriage ten weeks into the pregnancy. Julie lamented, "We were devastated. This was the first trial of any real significance in my life, and I had to determine if the faith I professed was of my own or just something I had inherited from family and tradition."

The next year Julie miscarried again. She said, "We began to seek medical help but bitterness began to set in. I knew that the Bible is full of women for whom God opened the womb, yet He wouldn't for me. I worked as an OB nurse and saw many 'undeserving' women have children who they seemed to take for granted."

Finally after many medical procedures and thousands of dollars Julie became pregnant for the third time. The Armas's were excited, but only cautiously hopeful.

Fourteen weeks into the pregnancy Julie began to experience some symptoms of miscarriage again, and went to see her doctor who ordered an ultrasound. Julie exclaimed, "We could see our little baby moving and his heart beating. I was happy to know that he was alive, but didn't notice that the technician wasn't sharing our enthusiasm."

Subsequently, the Armas's were called into the doctor's office and told that there was an abnormality in the shape of their son's head that could signify spina bifida. Days later a higher resolution ultrasound indicated an opening in the baby's spine. The doctor described the possible consequences of this kind of birth defect: brain damage, inability to walk, and inability to use the bathroom normally.

Julie cried out, "I felt like I was trapped in some sick dream, that my womb was cursed, and God was very, very angry at me."

Alex comforted his wife and said, "Julie, we wanted a baby and this is the one God wants us to have."

In spit of Alex's encouragement, the doctor said that fetal surgery would probably not be an option and that such surgery would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Julie remembers that he stopped just short of suggesting abortion.

"Abortion is not an option for us," Julie declared. She added, "I discovered and clung to Psalm 139 which literally discusses the Father's awareness and protectiveness of the embryo. And in Job's words I also found great help: 'Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord (basically my whole life up to that point) and not bad?'" (Job 2:10).

Julie recalls, "Somewhere along the way I decided that my faith was in the Lord and that I would, through the power of the Holy Spirit, show the world how a Christian deals with such a nightmare. It became easier when God began to give us signs that fetal surgery was His will for our precious child."

"Our insurance company was the only provider at the time to cover fetal surgery for spina bifida. We never received a bill of any kind, and furthermore, they reimbursed our travel expenses to Nashville where the surgery was performed at Vanderbilt University Hospital."

The week before Julie's surgery she was contacted by Vanderbilt and asked if she and Alex would be willing to be interviewed by USA Today. The newspaper wanted to do a feature article on the surgery. At first she thought about declining the interview because of the stress she was already experiencing and because she had no interest in becoming "famous". She commented, "But the Lord touched my heart and seemed to say, 'what an opportunity to show the world that you value your unborn imperfect baby. What a way to let others know there are options other than abortion for those in your situation. Trust me. I am in control.'"

Julie and little Samuel underwent surgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital on August 19, 1999. She was 21 weeks pregnant. Samuel weighed less than one pound. Free-lance photographer Michael Clancy was in the operating room for the newspaper and took the photo of Samuel's hand as he grasped the finger of the surgeon. Clancy now claims that the famous photo has had a dramatic impact upon his own life. Once pro-choice, he claims that the picture he took that day has made him a champion of pro-life causes.

It was Clancy who sent the photo to his Congressman Daniel Manzullo (R-Illinois) who circulated the picture to his colleagues during this year's debate on partial-birth abortion. Senator Brownback saw the photo and invited the Armas family to testify before the Senate subcommittee he chairs.

Little Samuel was asked if he had seen the photo of his hand, to which he replied, "The doctor fixed the boo-boo on my back."

The Armas's were asked about their response to seeing the photo for the first time. Alex said, "All I could think of was, 'that's my boy'."

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the partial-birth abortion bill and the Senate is due to take it up again soon and are expected to pass the bill. If the Senate passes the bill President Bush will sign it shortly thereafter. The Armas family has been invited to attend the actual signing ceremony at the White House.

Samuel was born 15 weeks after the fetal surgery on December 2, 1999, by C-section at 36 1/2 weeks gestation. He never went to the NICU and was discharged home with his mother four days later. He is paralyzed below the knee, but has avoided many of the more serious problems of spina bifida, namely hydrocephalus (excessive fluid on the brain).

Samuel has hit all of the developmental milestones on time, with the exception of walking independently, which he did at 22 months in leg braces. He still faces some significant surgery, but Julie exclaims, "Samuel is a sweet-tempered, sensitive, happy little boy who has brought joy to all who know him. He loves looking for and catching bugs, construction equipment, and Thomas, the Train. We cannot fathom our lives without our precious son."

Julie is expecting their second child any day now. The Armas family is a vital part of Ephesus Baptist Church in Douglasville where Billy Godwin is pastor. Pray for Samuel as he faces additional surgery and as his parents prepare him for the inevitable realization of his disability.