Translate This Page
It's truly heartbreaking to see anyone that you love hooked up to machines....wires sticking into and coming out of the body......but, to see it happening to such an innocent little one!!! O' my!!!! It gives me such renewed respect for those who answer the call to make this their life's ambition!! I applaude those caring, knowledgeagle professionals!!!
Here we are ...Frye Regional Hospital... our precious little girl..weighing only four pounds...sooo close to death's door. We were blessed with such a wonderful, kind and compassionate neonatologist, neurologist and nursing staff!! Jimma was confined to an isolation room...a lone isolet in a big sterile room. We were allowed to stay with her except for when the shift changes came around...they even provided us with a room to stay in..I just could not leave!!.. It felt like my heart was tearing from my chest every time I had to walk away from her!! This is where I learned about 'restorative sleep'.. Did you know that the body can heal better when you sleep? We had to talk softly in this room.....I began to notice that whenever our voices rose, Jimma's monitor would show increased heart rate, causing her little body not to be able to use all its strength to heal....it's very interesting to me that Jimma's responses, even at this tender age, varied greatly from an unfamiliar voice to one of her family members!! I guess it must be true that a baby inside the mom,s womb can hear. I used to think so, but this experience brought it into focus for me........ The medical staff explained to us .. ever so gently .. that it was better for our baby to dwell in peace and quiet. hummmmmmmmmm....can't you see how that could translate to everyday life?!! How important it is to find time to be quiet ........
I had never seen a baby as sick as Jimma. Her neurologist did some tests and found that the entire right hemisphere of her brain was lesioned! When I asked exactly what this meant for her....with sad expressions they gently explained that it meant little or no brain function...as far as her abilities went. ..the expectations were extremely low....soooo.... What else was there to do but pray? ...prayers were going up from everyone we knew ...different churches had prayer lines going. It was such a good thing to know others were praying...to know others cared enough about what we were going through to stop and pray...somehow this really helps decrease anxiety levels....it helps faith to grow..
Well....two days after the tests that found the lesions, the dr. sent in more equipment for further testing....and....the lesions were completely gone!!!!! What an awesome miracle!! Many times during Jimma's amazing life I remembered this miracle...it helped my faith the be built up during other circumstances to come..hard, scary times when Jimma faced seemingly overwhelming obstacles....
Jimma spent just a little over two weeks in that little room! I remember her doctor talking to me, taking time to answer my every question...they didn't know what her underlying diagnosis was...they were performing test after test....Finally, he narrowed it down to a catagory of four...each one with the outcome looking very dim...But....she wa improving enough to be moved to pediatric floor...everyone was amazed!! I think I was even more amazed than anybody!! ...o yes, I believed!! ...but I was there...watching...cuddling...hoping...praying...and Jesus helped my unbelief!!
After all....The only thing to do was grab a strong hold to faith and just simply hang on!!!! What was truly established in me was this: Jesus never fails!!!!.............NEVER!!!!!! ....He is always on time!!!!....This knowledge allows you to be able to breathe.....and go on.....and stay tough.....
