Baby Nathaniel was born one trimester earlier at only 27 weeks of gestation. He weighed only 1 kg which dropped to 800 gm later. His head was only slightly larger than the fist of his mother, Cindy Chen, and his foot was about the size of her thumb. As Nathaniel's major organs were barely formed, his doctor had to battle to keep him alive in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Nathaniel had many life-threatening problems: -
· There was bleeding in his brain. If it did not resolve, it could have led to mental retardation and even death.
· He had a heart valve that should have been closed but was not. Surgery was necessary if it did not close with medication.
· His lungs were so weak he had to constantly depend on CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and a ventilator to breathe. There were even times, while in sleep, he stopped breathing. Nurses in the ICU had to rush in to revive him. As Cindy went through confinement, she read the 5 Miracle Steps booklet and prayed regularly. When she could attend the Miracle Service, she attended weekly to intercede for Nathaniel. The bleeding in his brain was resolved. After just one dosage of medication, the heart valve closed. His lungs also grew stronger. He was weaned from the CPAP and could breathe on his own when he became 2 months old. The other 2 serious problems were: -
· Blood vessels to his retina were not properly developed - a common symptom of babies born prematurely.
· He was also diagnosed to have hernia just before he was discharged from his 3-month stay in the ICU. Cindy continued to pray for him in proxy at the Miracle Service. Both conditions were miraculously resolved without any medication or treatment. Hallelujah!
|
