Pope Paul VI Institute Extends Hope and Faith to Bora Family

It was in 2001, after their second miscarriage, when Terri and Bipin Bora knew there was something wrong. The couple had a daughter at the time, but they had lost each of their successive pregnancies — at 18 weeks and 10 weeks respectively.

It was around that time when the couple saw a news segment featuring Dr. Alan Beer, renowned expert in the areas of fertility and pregnancy loss. “The segment really struck a chord with us given our situation,” Terri recounts.

On a whim, the Terri emailed Dr. Beer, who suggested the Boras contact Dr. Hilgers and the Pope Paul VI Institute.

In 2002, the Boras met with Dr. Hilgers, who was “extremely supportive.” This support would soon become apparent when the Boras found themselves pregnant, a pregnancy which went 22 weeks without incident — until Terri began dilating.

“This all began happening on a Friday, and we were extremely worried,” says Terri, recalling the experience. “Dr. Hilgers was out of town, and I was 80% dilated, on the verge of rupturing, and was given a battery of medications in preparation for a premature baby, which we were expecting.”

The situation was so dire, in fact, that the attending medical staff had given Bipin a tour of the NICU, the intensive care unit for premature babies.

But Terri adds, “Then we spoke to Dr. Hilgers, who said the NICU is nice, but not for your baby. And I’ll never forget as long as I live what he said next: ‘We’re going to go in and save your baby.’”

A cervical cerclage is a procedure where stitches are placed within the cervix to close a rupture and prevent an early delivery. Using this procedure — coupled with bedrest, progesterone, and antibiotics — Dr. Hilgers was 99% confident that he could help the Boras take their pregnancy full-term.

It was in the moments leading up to her surgery when Terri would find additional comfort, as a minister who knew that Dr. Hilgers would be performing the surgery stopped by her bed.

“He said ‘you are in good hands … he is a man of God,’” she recounts.

The surgery was success, and it was 17 weeks later — at 39 weeks — when the Boras would have the cerclage stitches removed, paving the way for the birth of their son, who is now 10 years old.

“Dr. Hilgers performed a miracle,” says Terri. “Without Dr. Hilgers, I know my son would not be here today.”

Today, the Boras have four children — the three youngest (all boys) through the Pope Paul VI Institute.

“Growing up in a Christian background, I was accustomed to prayer. That is why it was so comforting to me when the nurses put their hands on my shoulder and began to pray before my surgery,” Bora says. “When you go through the tragedy of losing a child, you get shaken, but the witness of the staff and doctors at the Pope Paul VI Institute was so strong and reassuring; it strengthened our belief in God.”