Susan, a deaf pregnant woman who communicates using ISL (Irish Sign Language), encountered challenges during her 20-week fetal anomaly scan appointment. Despite typically texting her midwife to ensure ISL interpretation services were arranged, Susan arrived to find no interpreter present. Given the distance she had traveled to the appointment and the limited availability of rescheduling, Susan proceeded with the scan despite the communication barrier.

During the scan, Susan sensed the sonographer`s growing concern, evident as she hastily searched for pen and paper. The sonographer eventually conveyed through written message that she suspected a fetal anomaly, necessitating further immediate tests and consultation with an obstetrician. Susan, distressed by the news and lacking the means to ask questions due to the absence of ISL interpretation, returned to the hospital two days later for test results.

Utilizing her ISL interpreter to communicate with the obstetrician, Susan received the diagnosis of a potential case of Edwards syndrome, a severe disability resulting from trisomy 18, with uncertain outcomes. While some babies with Edwards syndrome may survive beyond birth, the prognosis varies greatly, with only a small percentage living beyond the first year. The obstetrician also informed Susan that termination of pregnancy beyond 12 weeks was not an option in Ireland.