Page 18 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 4
P. 18
FAITH STORIES "Jean, you need to re- FAITH STORIES
lease her." I remember
looking at him and I
doctor checked me, she told me asked her to come back in and
I was now nine centimeters di- didn't know what 're- as soon as she walked in, I saw
lated and she told me, "Jean, I the thing again. Then I told her,
can't touch you anymore, if I do lease' meant. He said, "please could we go discuss
I could even trigger labor." She "You need to let go, this outside", and I noted Zoey
said, "Jean, if this baby comes she's fighting because calmed down again. I remember
out when you're in the ambu- of you. Release her." Mark and I just looked at each
lance, the hospital we're going other and we knew this thing is
to are asking for KES 600,000/- not happening. I told them, "you
($6,000) to take mommy and know the procedure cannot hap-
baby, but if you go with the baby diagnosis and medication that pen." "Of course it cannot hap-
inside, it will be normal delivery, caused her lungs to be satu- pen, the baby is not calm!" She
KES 50,000/- ($500)." I was car- rated with fluid and one lung to exclaimed, and in my head I was
ried like an egg and held so that collapse, but before they discov- thinking, 'Yeah, it's you.'
I would not shake. The one cen- ered the lung had collapsed they A second procedure was sug-
timeter remaining, I told God, had tried so many things and gested and involving just the
"Father, hold that one, I know procedures that failed. But we lung doctor and we liked him.
you can!" And He did. When we saw God’s hand at work. Once He said they would try an en-
got to the hospital, the lift wasn't we were called and were told, doscopy to try see the cause of
working, so everybody got a "If we perform this procedure, the blockage in the collapsed
hold of the bed and pushed me she can die. If we don't perform lung. We gave him permission,
up the ramp. When I was placed this procedure, she can die. Go, but even that one was risky, be-
on the bed I reached 10 centi- sleep on it, you have to sign to cause in Kenya we didn't have
meters, so we only had to part authorize it." We were up by six the smallest apparatus to do it
with 50,000/-, to start. and in the hospital before seven. and they were saying that we
When the baby came out, they I couldn't think, so I asked Mark, would have to get it from South
wrapped her in cling film in order what do we do? I remember him Africa. It was frustrating for me
to trap the heat next to her body saying, "This is what we're going dealing with them sometimes
and placed her in a warmer, fol- to do, we're going to sign these because we were paying them a
lowed by an incubator, so I didn't papers and Father God, we lot of money per day but I didn't
get to hold her. After birthing the don't know what to do but we're feel they handled everything the
placenta, I was taken to a room going to give them permission way they ought to. They did the
and I suddenly felt lost and because we don't know what procedure. I had such hope and
empty, because I didn't have other avenue to use. If it is Your when the doctor came out from
the tummy and I didn't have will for the procedure to be done, the procedure, he just shook
the baby and I couldn't see the You will let it go ahead. If it is not his head. I crashed. That was
baby. The room had piped music Your will for the procedure to go the last point of hope, or so I
and the song playing was, "I will ahead, You will block it in Your thought.
be still and know You Are God." I own way." And we said Amen Three Tuesdays stood out for
didn't think that song was for me, and we gave the go ahead. They me. The first one we were told
but it was and it started our 63 started prepping her. When I to come and wait for our baby to
day journey in the NICU. That's was sitting in the visitors' lounge die and they literally put chairs
when our faith really grew. I heard the monitors which were out beside the incubator. That's
attached to her sounding alarms, the first time I saw Mark break,
Be still and know so I ran in. Zoey was panting our mothers were on the floor,
In those 63 days, we prayer hard, I didn't notice anything at but I didn't break for some rea-
walked, we fasted, we lay pros- first but there was a certain doc- son, I think I was in shock. When
trate, we prayed, sang. We did tor who, when she walked out, we went to sit with her and were
everything we were told to do. It Zoey's stats calmed down. As asking her if it was ok if we gave
almost makes you doubt wheth- soon as she walked in, Zoey's another child her name, it was
er there really is God. Zoey went numbers started misbehaving, like she was protesting and she
through so much in those two but when she walked out again, woke up. She was ok.
months. She endured wrong the numbers went down again. I The second Tuesday I was alone
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