I remember as clear as if it were only yesterday. I was due to have my first sonogram; I was about 22 weeks pregnant with our first child. It was an easy task to figure out we were having a little boy. I heard his tiny little heartbeat, saw his tiny fingers and toes. It is truly amazing how God created us, and plans each and every detail of our being. I was so caught up in the moment, so filled with happiness, when the sonogram tech got a very concerned look. She found something very puzzling, took several pictures, and then excused herself to consult with a doctor.
A doctor and the sonogram tech came back into the room and showed me the pictures of my precious baby – then they pointed out a mass on his brain. It was a sizable cyst. They said they wanted to schedule a follow up appointment immediately after the weekend.
This was the first, and only appointment my husband was unable to attend. He could not get off from work. I had to leave the hospital that day, muster up everything I had, and call my husband. All I knew for sure was that something was wrong with our precious baby. We didn’t know what it meant. But, a cyst on the brain sounded pretty serious.
I called my husband, and he came right home. We shared a lot of tears, and a lot of prayers that weekend. It seemed a lifetime the few days that had to pass for our next doctors’ appointment. We just kept praying that everything would be okay. We attended our Sunday School Class and Church Service – shared with our friends the serious medical issues that were facing our unborn child, and received a lot of comforting words and prayers.
Monday morning could not have come soon enough. We arrived at the same hospital I had just been in a few days ago. A doctor greeted us at the door, and directed us to a boardroom with several other doctors already seated. We sat down, holding each others hands, and just praying quietly that all would be okay. The doctor began to explain what was found on the original sonogram pictures. They explained that our baby boy had a large cyst on his brain. They went on to tell us that our little boy would not be able to live a normal life. He would have physical and mental disabilities. They were encouraging us to have an abortion. They said it would only be fair to our child, because he would never live a normal life. This news was chilling. Without hesitating, my husband and I were certain that an abortion was not the answer. Whatever the outcome, we would take whatever God gave us.
The doctors shifted gears a little, and began talking about the sonogram pictures that were taken a few days earlier, and discussed many of the side effects that would surely face our baby. They explained that there are many babies with this condition, and a great number of them do not live past a few years old. We assured them again that we were going to continue with the pregnancy regardless.
They performed another sonogram to compare pictures. They were shocked at what they found. Two and then three doctors came into the room, all of them taking turns with the sonogram machine, printed pictures, and asked us to meet them in the board room again.
We sat anxiously waiting. The doctors began explaining that the size of the cyst could change over time, but never disappear. And even when shrinking over time would occur, the same side effects would be certain. But, they continued to go on, stumbling over their words; when one of the doctors asked if we believed in God. We assured them that we did, and they attributed what they saw on that sonogram as a miracle! The cyst had completely disappeared. Even though they witnessed this miracle – they went on to say that the same side effects were still possible at birth or after. We chose to believe that God brought us this far – he would completely heal our child!
By the way, our little boy, Hunter, is now 14 years old, and is and has been a perfectly healthy, active kid. We just can’t bear to think what our lives would have been like if we had listened to those doctors so many years ago.
Faith is hard to maintain in difficult times, but, God often rewards faithful servants with joy that is like none other.
"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." Matthew 17:20 (The Message)
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