Reece, my precious little boy, was born in March of 2006 with severe complications, which we were not aware nor prepared for. I saw my little boy, after nine months of normal, routine pregnancy whisked away bundled up in a blanket not making any sound. I knew something was wrong, for I never heard anything from the doctors nor my newborn baby. I was to find out later that things were worse that I could have ever imagined.
Reece was born with a malformed arm, that only had an index finger and a thumb. But that wasn’t the worst of it. His heart was enlarged with fluid encasing it. One of his lungs would not inflate due to the enlargement of the heart. He was not breathing on his own and for sometime the doctor’s were not even sure if he had an esophagus. They told my family and I to be prepared, that he might not make it.
My little boy I carried for nine months with no sign of the complications he was brought into this world to overcome might be lost to me forever. I didn’t get to hold him after his birth; I barely caught a glimpse of him. After the doctor’s told me of the problems he was facing they brought him to me in an incubator with little ear muffs on prepared for his helicopter ride to Ochsner’s in New Orleans. I remember I only was able to touch his foot.
He was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome immediately at the hospital in New Orleans. He was hooked up to a breathing machine along with an IV drip. The doctors told me to pray.
When Reece turned three days old I was released from the hospital (he was delivered by C-Section) and was able to go and visit him the hour drive away. I was the last to get to see him. When I walked in to the NICU, I saw the smallest babies I would ever see in my life. As I passed each little life, I said a small prayer for each of them, because I knew first hand how these parents were feeling. My little boy was at then end of the room, the only baby in the NICU not in an incubator but in a warming bed. He was so small and frail looking to me. So handsome. So still. Although he was awake, he just didn’t seem like a normal baby. Something seemed wrong.
At three days old, I held Reece for the first time. Hundreds of wires and tubes were connected and I remember my biggest fear was ripping them out. Reece is my first and only child as of right now. My fear should have been, am I holding him right? But I was terrified that I would do something wrong and rip a tube out and kill my baby. I sat in a rocking chair for three hours holding my little boy in the most awkward position so as not to interfere with his machinery. I remember the joy I felt when he pooted in my hand! It was such a great feeling to at least know that my son was able to have normal body functions at the time although everything else was still unknown.
A few days later, Reece was taken off of all his machinery. His doctor has prescribed him heart medication to aid his heart in the reparation process. He was starting to nurse a bottle. I pumped milk and would freeze it so that he could at least get some aid from what I had to offer him, even though I was unable to be there for him like I should have been. Reece was in the NICU for three weeks.
Reece is now a healthy, happy little three year old boy. Although he is severely developmentally delayed (around a 10 month old level) he is my pride and joy. He is so sweet and funny. His laugh will make even the hardest hearts melt with love. He attracts people from everywhere. Walking through the store, people flock to him to touch him, talk to him, even to give him money.
He is unable to talk and walk at this time, but is well on his way to learning these things. He is my little boy and will always be the love of my life. I thank God everyday for such a special little man !
A prayer for the greatest gift:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you every day for the greatest gift. A beautiful little boy with a heart of gold. Someone to bring a smile to my face and teach me the patience I never was able to learn. I thank you for his kindness and unconditional love. His health and happiness which in turn gives me so much love and joy. I thank you for protecting him and giving him the strength to survive when he needed it the most. I thank you for my little man, who is so awesomely precious in my eyes, and I cannot think of anything in life that would have been so amazing of a gift. Please watch over him and protect him from the evils of our world. From the evils of man and the darkness that befalls the weak. Keep him strong, healthy and always full of life. For I believe that is how you would want him to be. He this sweetest little boy and I will teach him of you and your word. For he will always know that God has sent me an angel with a broken wing. I am eternally grateful.
Reece was born with a malformed arm, that only had an index finger and a thumb. But that wasn’t the worst of it. His heart was enlarged with fluid encasing it. One of his lungs would not inflate due to the enlargement of the heart. He was not breathing on his own and for sometime the doctor’s were not even sure if he had an esophagus. They told my family and I to be prepared, that he might not make it.
My little boy I carried for nine months with no sign of the complications he was brought into this world to overcome might be lost to me forever. I didn’t get to hold him after his birth; I barely caught a glimpse of him. After the doctor’s told me of the problems he was facing they brought him to me in an incubator with little ear muffs on prepared for his helicopter ride to Ochsner’s in New Orleans. I remember I only was able to touch his foot.
He was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome immediately at the hospital in New Orleans. He was hooked up to a breathing machine along with an IV drip. The doctors told me to pray.
When Reece turned three days old I was released from the hospital (he was delivered by C-Section) and was able to go and visit him the hour drive away. I was the last to get to see him. When I walked in to the NICU, I saw the smallest babies I would ever see in my life. As I passed each little life, I said a small prayer for each of them, because I knew first hand how these parents were feeling. My little boy was at then end of the room, the only baby in the NICU not in an incubator but in a warming bed. He was so small and frail looking to me. So handsome. So still. Although he was awake, he just didn’t seem like a normal baby. Something seemed wrong.
At three days old, I held Reece for the first time. Hundreds of wires and tubes were connected and I remember my biggest fear was ripping them out. Reece is my first and only child as of right now. My fear should have been, am I holding him right? But I was terrified that I would do something wrong and rip a tube out and kill my baby. I sat in a rocking chair for three hours holding my little boy in the most awkward position so as not to interfere with his machinery. I remember the joy I felt when he pooted in my hand! It was such a great feeling to at least know that my son was able to have normal body functions at the time although everything else was still unknown.
A few days later, Reece was taken off of all his machinery. His doctor has prescribed him heart medication to aid his heart in the reparation process. He was starting to nurse a bottle. I pumped milk and would freeze it so that he could at least get some aid from what I had to offer him, even though I was unable to be there for him like I should have been. Reece was in the NICU for three weeks.
Reece is now a healthy, happy little three year old boy. Although he is severely developmentally delayed (around a 10 month old level) he is my pride and joy. He is so sweet and funny. His laugh will make even the hardest hearts melt with love. He attracts people from everywhere. Walking through the store, people flock to him to touch him, talk to him, even to give him money.
He is unable to talk and walk at this time, but is well on his way to learning these things. He is my little boy and will always be the love of my life. I thank God everyday for such a special little man !
A prayer for the greatest gift:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you every day for the greatest gift. A beautiful little boy with a heart of gold. Someone to bring a smile to my face and teach me the patience I never was able to learn. I thank you for his kindness and unconditional love. His health and happiness which in turn gives me so much love and joy. I thank you for protecting him and giving him the strength to survive when he needed it the most. I thank you for my little man, who is so awesomely precious in my eyes, and I cannot think of anything in life that would have been so amazing of a gift. Please watch over him and protect him from the evils of our world. From the evils of man and the darkness that befalls the weak. Keep him strong, healthy and always full of life. For I believe that is how you would want him to be. He this sweetest little boy and I will teach him of you and your word. For he will always know that God has sent me an angel with a broken wing. I am eternally grateful.
* Above picture is Copyrighted to Christine Pope Photography.
No comments:
Post a Comment