Monday, July 16, 2007

Part One

The following story is true - or at least it is as far as we know and believe. It happened eighteen years ago, and Lynetta and I were not there for part one.


Part One:
Her name was Laura. She was seventeen years old, soon to be eighteen. She was tall with a slender build. She was a very beautiful girl. She had done some modeling. She loved sports and music. She was very talented and very popular.

Perhaps she grew up to fast or not fast enough. She made a mistake – a terrible mistake – one that would change her life forever.

The advice she received was overwhelming. She was too young, too pretty, too talented. She had too much promise to be side tracked by a simple mistake. An abortion was the only solution. Everyone thought so, that is everyone but Laura. Call it conscious, call it guilt, or better yet call it a “still small voice” that said “no Laura,” “trust me,” “have the baby.” Everyone thought she was making an even bigger mistake, but she was determined this time to try to do what was right.

She contacted Christian Family Service, a Church of Christ group out of Gainesville Florida that takes in unwed mothers. They take them into their homes, take them to their doctor visits, pay their medical expenses, and teach them about the love of Jesus. All in exchange for allowing them to place the babies into Christian homes for adoption.

They welcomed Laura, and everything was fine - fine that is until the fourth month doctor visit.
The ultra sound showed a serious birth defect. The doctors detected a hole in the abdominal wall that allowed the small intestine to herniate or protrude and develop outside the abdomen. They called this congenital defect gastroschisis and the prognosis was very poor.

Again the advice was overwhelming. An abortion was the only answer. Laura was scared and uncertain, but she remained determined. But this time Laura was not alone. The Christian family that had taken her into their home assured her that God was listening, and if anyone had the power to make it right, it was him. So they prayed.

Perhaps it was because she was so young, perhaps it was because the baby was too sick, and didn’t have a chance anyway, but the doctors choose to allow the baby to be born naturally. A vaginal delivery for this baby was to say the least devastating.

Most of us are born with at least 12 feet of small intestines. The trauma of the delivery destroyed the unprotected intestines. The baby was rushed to the OR and after extensive surgery only 18 cm were salvaged. Not enough to sustain him nutritionally. He would never leave the hospital. He would be condemned to live out his painful short existence hooked to wires, tubes and IV’s lying in a hospital bed.

She named him William. She stayed for a while. But the tubes and wires and the pain finally got to be too much. She wondered if she had done the right thing. She prayed, she wept, and then she left him in the hands of God.