A Year Ago, Part 2

Lest you think that I have only remembered the bad news and not the good...

Three days after we received that devastating news that our baby girl would not live, we went to the specalist in Pittsburgh. This is my recollection of that day.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2008
We got up early in the morning to make the trip to Pittsburgh. It was the longest trip of our lives.
Up to this point, we had not named the baby yet. It was just too hard. So we decided on her name: Rachel. (I will write about chosing her name at another time.)
As we drove down, so many thoughts went through my head. We were under the impression that there was little to no brain activity, so I prayed that when we got to Pittsburgh, that she would already be gone...no heartbeat. I didn't want her to suffer and I didn't want to have to assess her viability.
John and I were very aware that God could and does work miracles and we were certainly praying for that, but I didn't let myself think that. We were prepared to deal with the reality of the situation.
There was one point in the trip that I though , "What would it be like to get to Pittsburgh and have the doctor tell us that she would live. How would I react?" Then I censured myself.
I thought, two days ago we were given the worst news of our lives, our hope was lost. And, here on the third day, we don't know what's around the corner, but HOPE certainly isn't it. I wondered if that might be how the followers of Jesus felt after they watched him die and they buried him in a tomb. They had NO IDEA what was just around the corner....and little did we know!
We got to Dr. Giles office in Pittsburgh and got signed in. The receptionist asked why we were there and I thought, "Please don't make me say it...because my daughter is going to die."
The sonogram technician didn't know our situation either and kept pointing out her hands and face and HEARTBEAT. My thought at the time was, "Please stop, you're killing us here."
After her exam, she conferred with the doctor who then showed us into his office. The tension in John and I was so thick...waiting for him to confirm the worst.
He proceeded to tell us that it wasn't what we thought it was initially and that she will have some complications. After about five minutes I stopped him and said,"Wait a minute...do you mean she might live?" (I couldn't bring myself to say the words "die" and "my daughter" in the same sentence.) He said of course she will live, and I broke down and sobbed. If the news we got on Monday was the worst imaginable, this news on Wednesday was the most incredible!
A lot of people have asked me if it was a misdiagnosis or what. I don't know exactly what happened between Monday in Erie and Wednesday in Pittsburgh, but I KNOW that God intervened on our behalf.
When John and I got married, he had a verse he really wanted to be part of our ceremony, to convey our belief about our marriage:
"I know that whatever God does endures forever. Nothing can be added to it, nothing can be taken from it. God has done this so that all would stand in awe before him." (Ecc. 3:14)
This has become our declaration with Rachel: God has done this. I want you to stand with open mouthed AWE at what God has done.

And this is the email I sent out:

OK folks I hope you're sitting down....GOD HAS PERFORMED A MIRACLE!!! There is no other explanation for it.

We got to Pitts this morning thinking the WORST. The sonographer did her work, pointing out Rachel's (that's what we've named her) hands and face. We're thinking to ourselves "You're killing us." When she was done she left the room to get the dr. He took us to his office and started to explain that it's not what we thought it was. Rachel has Spinal Biffida (failure of the spine to close during the first few weeks). That was causing the swelling on her brain (which is not outside of the "normal" parameters). The opening is so low (the lower the better), the only problems she may face are with walking or bowel functions....and she may not. As the dr is telling me this, I stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, does this mean that she'll live??". He said, "oh yes, oh yes!" The condition is not life threatening.

I will carry her to about term (36-37 weeks instead of 40), having regular appointments in Pittsburgh. I will need to be delivered in Pitts where she'll go immediately to Children's Hospital where they may need to insert shunts in her brain (if the fluid is still on there) and there will be surgery needed to correct the opening.. We still have some concerns. Her ability to walk may be affected and there may be fluid on the brain. But the God who can bring back the dead can certainly handle those issues.

I am amazed at the way God has intervened on our behalf. I am telling you the truth - each time the Dr looked at her, the opening got smaller and lower on the sonogram!! We are confident that God alone has done this work. On the way down this morning, we were planning her funeral and talking about burial, now, we have our daughter back, and I want everyone to know that it is God who has done this.

We are also overwhelmed by the various displays of love and support we have received. We know that so many of you were praying for us...it's so powerful. THANK YOU!!!! Again, mere words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude for what you have done. We couldn't have gone it alone.

Now, we are exhausted. OK, do the offers of food and childcare from so many of you still stand? Sleeping peacefully tonight, Melanie and John