“I am glad you

were born,
STEFANO.”
Carla Levati
Ardenghi
was
diagnosed
with
cancer.
Second-opinion results
were glaring and
conclusive: she has to
undergo aggressive
chemotherapy if she
hoped to live long.
She was supposed
to be depressed
and angry for her
ill fate, but her
heart’s attention
was elsewhere.
When asked if she
was willing to
undergo
chemotherapy, she
only had one
question: “Will this
harm the baby in
my womb?”
When the doctors
straightforwardly
admitted that she had to
have her baby aborted
because the baby would
die from the
chemotherapy treatment
anyway,
Carla had in her
heart the issue
settled: “I love my
child, and I will not
do anything to
harm him.”
She refused
chemotherapy.
Her relatives and
friends, and almost all
the people in the
Bergamo area,
couldn’t contain in
their brains the insanity
of her decision.
Not from a pretty
and young, 28-
year-old mother
that she was,
who had a
bright future
ahead of her.
Not in a country
and city where
abortion is legal,
most especially for
someone who
had valid reasons.
Besides, she had
her legitimate
woman’s right to
a decent life.
The cancer
fed daily on
her body.
The only painkiller that
worked was the thought
that her boy was healthy
and would be seeing
light and breathing air in
a matter of weeks.
Amidst the
unrelenting
pain, she was
excited.
She even dreamt of
how he would look like
and had already given
him the most
wonderful name:
Stefano.
On January
26, 1993,
Carla gave
birth.
She must have been
very thankful that
she lived long
enough to
complete the task
that she fought to
live for.
It must have
been music to
her ears when
she finally
heard him cry
as air filled his
lungs for the
first time.
“It is
complete.”
She was filled
with joy as she
waited for the
inevitable.
Eight hours
later, she
died.
She had a letter
prepared, entrusted
to someone and to
be handed to the
boy when he was old
enough to read it.
It was a mother’s
message of
extreme joy and
profound love.
She explained why
she wouldn’t be
there for him, but
she would always
be with him in spirit.
She ended the
letter with
these words:
“I’m glad
that you
were born,
Stefano.
Carla Levati Ardenghi,

plenary assembly of the

Pontifical Council for the Family
January 30, 1993
 Did you ever
pause to think that
Someone died for
you in order that
you may live?
He tells us, “I’m glad that
you were born, My child. I
created you. I know
everything about you. I
would die for you even if
you were the only person
there is.”
 Like Stefano, each
one of us must
answer Him from our
hearts.