Our Biggest Miracle, So Far

One year ago, this past weekend, our lives were forever changed. Our little 25 week preemie, Roo, had only been in the NICU for 5 weeks. He had experienced his fair share of trials during that short time, but nothing could have prepared us for what was to come.

On the morning of February 19, 2015, I walked into the NICU and found that my baby’s health had severely deteriorated overnight. He was diagnosed with chronic lung disease, one lung had collapsed and his other lung was partially collapsed. The decision was made to put him on “the jet”, a last resort high frequency ventilation (breathing) machine that delivers hundreds of breaths per minute. They had to sedate him and give him a paralytic drug in order for the machine to do its work. At the same time, the doctor who was on came over to me and said, “Your baby is very sick…he probably won’t make it.”

As the doctor walked away, I crumpled into a sobbing mess, feeling shattered and helpless. Roo’s nurse did her best to try to pick up my broken pieces, but I could tell that she struggling to stay positive too.

My husband, who was a five hour drive away, found out the news through a text message. I would have called, but I couldn’t bring myself to echo the doctor’s devastating words aloud. Upon receiving my message, he found childcare for our other two children and came as quickly as he could.

Soon after my husband arrived at the NICU, Roo was also diagnosed with a severe case of NEC–a serious disease that affects babies’ intestines. NEC is detected and monitored with x-rays. Subsequent x-rays are done in order to examine the progression of the disease. Unfortunately for Roo, his follow-up x-rays indicated that his case was progressing rapidly, despite having been started on multiple broad spectrum antibiotics.

A surgeon was consulted and everyone on the medical team agreed that Roo desperately needed a life-saving surgery. Yet, he was too sick to be transported to the surgical unit at the children’s hospital across the river. He was then started on a series of drugs as all of the medical staff put their best efforts into stabilizing his vitals, hoping that he would soon be well enough to travel to the other hospital. And yet, nothing worked to improve his condition. If anything, all of the medication he was on only worsened his health; his kidneys suffered severe damage and he became unable to expel liquid waste from his body, even with the use of a catheter. (His intestines also appeared to have stopped working during this time.)

My husband and I stayed up all night with Roo, taking turns keeping watch over him, not wanting to leave him alone. In the morning we were physically and emotionally exhausted. He had only just barely made it through the night; his vital signs were still deteriorating despite all of the medical support. During morning rounds the medical team requested that we attend a meeting with them, to be held just after noon.

We called our parents in to join us for the meeting and we all sat down with the medical team to discuss Roo’s dire situation. Our family was presented with 3 options:

1. We could keep doing what we were doing and see what happens. However, we were warned that waiting for him to stabilize wasn’t really the best option as the antibiotics that he was on would only serve to make the situation worse. The doctor said that as the bacteria in his bowels died off, they would give off gas, which would only further bloat his intestines and increase the chances of them being perforated.
2. We could seek compassionate care. In doing this, we would have to admit that Roo was too sick to be saved. All life support would be removed and we would hold our baby as he left this world and entered the arms of Jesus.
3. We could send him for the surgery that he so desperately needed. And yet, this wasn’t really an option because he was too sick for transport; he couldn’t be transported with the breathing machine that he was on and, even if he could be, he might not survive the journey or the surgery.

Basically they told us that they believed that whatever choices we made about Roo’s health didn’t matter–ultimately he wouldn’t survive.

We looked at the medical team and said, “These options aren’t really options; they all lead to the same outcome.” However, we went with option one because it offered the most hope. We were not going to give up on Roo, not after we had fought so hard for him already.

After the medical team left, my mom looked over at me and said, “They didn’t give us option four; we’re choosing option four. We have a mighty God who can heal Roo.”

In that moment we came together as a family, parents and grandparents, and prayed for Roo. We fervently prayed for his healing and that he would be saved. (At the same time, we also had many others praying for him.)

Two hours after our family’s prayer, his vital signs began to improve and they were able to begin weaning some of his medication.

The following afternoon, just 24 hours after our prayer, Roo completely stabilized: he was moved back onto a conventional breathing machine, his heart rate entered back into the “normal” range, his blood pressure continued to level out and the swelling in his abdomen was drastically reduced. At that time he was declared well enough to be transported to the children’s hospital. They loaded him into a “Stork” (a portable incubator complete with a breathing machine and monitor) and wheeled him into a waiting ambulance.

We met the surgeon soon after we arrived at the new hospital. Upon seeing Roo, the surgeon declared, “This isn’t the same baby I heard about yesterday…Roo is healing and is not a surgical patient at this time.” Hearing the surgeon’s words was like balm to our wounded souls; they brought us more hope and joy than we had felt in a long time.

Those who had witnessed how sick Roo had been could offer no explanation as to why he improved so quickly, but we knew…

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14 NIV)

The rest of his NICU stay wasn’t without trials, but God brought us through the worst of it that weekend.

On May 16, 2015, after 123 days in the NICU, Roo came home!

Everything thing we experienced that weekend, along with just having our baby in the NICU, really tested our faith; we seem to have this innate desire to be in control of everything. And yet, the Bible tells us to trust in the Lord:

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:4 NIV)

Roo’s time home hasn’t been free of “bumps” or worries, but we’ve continued to trust that he and his brothers are in God’s hands; we’re doing our best to remember to cast our cares upon Him.

We serve an awesome God! What are you trusting Him with today?

Blessings,

Elise

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