Pregnant Mom With Tumors Told to Abort Her Baby. She Refused

Brionna Johnson sat in a doctor’s office hearing words no pregnant mother expects. She was told that if she wanted to treat the massive tumors growing inside her body, she would need to kill her preborn baby.

Brionna was expecting her second child when doctors said it was time to remove multiple large fibroids, noncancerous tumors pressing against her uterus and organs. Together, they weighed a staggering 27 pounds. The recommendation she received was direct: abortion, followed by a hysterectomy.

Johnson was first diagnosed with fibroids, a condition that can cause severe pain, pressure, and other complications, in October 2024. For over a year, she searched for answers, visiting different doctors and trying natural approaches to manage her symptoms. Then in December 2025, she found out she was pregnant.

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As her baby grew, so did the physical toll. The fibroids caused intense pain and made it difficult for her to walk. Concerned for her health and the safety of her child, she went back to the doctor looking for help that would protect both of them.

Instead, she was told her baby’s life would have to end. Brionna refused.

She did not see her child as a problem to be eliminated. She saw a life worth protecting.

“Hysterectomy would be my best option, and I was like, ‘absolutely not,’” the mother, from Chicago, told ABC7 in a story published on Friday, April 17.

Rather than accept that answer, she looked for another. Brionna sought a second opinion and found a physician willing to consider a different approach, one that did not begin with killing her child. She came under the care of Dr. Pierre Johnson, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Loretto Hospital in Chicago.

At 17 weeks pregnant, Brionna underwent a complex surgery to remove the fibroids. In a case later described as one of the most remarkable of his career, Dr. Johnson successfully removed the entire 27-pound mass through a small incision without harming her baby.

What she had been told was not possible happened.

Her story highlights a reality many women face. When serious medical complications arise during pregnancy, abortion is often presented as the only solution. That framing leaves little room for alternatives and can make an already difficult situation feel hopeless.

Brionna’s experience shows that it is not always the only path.

After the surgery, she was met with a sweet surprise.

“I’m starting to feel the flutters and the movement; it’s just all surreal that I woke up and got a new lease on life and opportunity at motherhood,” Johnson said.

Her baby is now due in August. Her fertility has been preserved, and her pregnancy is progressing well.

Brionna chose to keep searching when she was told to give up. She chose to protect her child when she was told it could not be done. Her story is a reminder that women deserve care that treats both patients, not just one.

LifeNews Note: Ashlynn Lemos is the communications intern for Texas Right to Life.

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