Her caring, tender hands;
Know where her children need her,
They seem to understand."
"Who, me?!?" you ask.
If you are the mother of a child with special needs... yes, you! It takes a very special person to love and care for a child with mental and/or physical disabilities.
We did not try out for this role or apply for this position; yet, with the Lord�s help, we give our all to help our special children. Our hearts ache for "what might have been," but the tremendous love we have for our precious little ones keeps us going day after day. And eventually, if we allow Him, our Heavenly Father will gently rub His healing balm into our open wounds and heal our broken hearts.
Every story is different. With today�s technology, you may have learned about your baby�s problems before he was even born. Or, like me, you found out immediately after your newborn came into the world that he would never have a "normal" life. Perhaps, your baby appeared healthy at birth, but as time passed, you began to sense that something was wrong. Still others of you, may have been blessed with a perfectly healthy child, but a sudden injury or illness stole that away.
Wherever you are coming from as a special mom, one thing is certain: It helps to know that you are not alone! We can all learn from and be encouraged by one another�s experiences. For that reason, I want to share with you my family�s story.
It all started early one Sunday morning on June 14, 1981. After five years of marriage, a previous miscarriage, and much prayer, it was time for our only child to be born. Upon examination, the doctor determined that my baby was in a breech position and an emergency C-section would be necessary. I was rushed upstairs to the surgery suite where I was immediately given general anesthesia. When I awoke, my world would be changed forever.
I was told that something was wrong with my newborn son. He had a "knot" on his head, they said. As I held my baby for the first time, I gazed at his sweet, precious face. Then, the nurse pulled back the blanket, and I saw the soft, round, ugly sac of tissue sticking out of the back of his head; but I was so groggy from the anesthesia that I did not realize that his head was unusually large and misshapen, as well. When my son began to cry, the nurse immediately took him back to the nursery.
With the permission of my husband and me, the doctor made arrangements to have our newborn transported from our small-town hospital to a major facility over an hour away. That afternoon, a special neonatal team came by ambulance to pick up my baby and take him away from me. Briefly, I was allowed to see him in the incubator and reach in through the "porthole" to touch him. His bare skin was so soft! It would be the last time I would see my little one for over a week.
That first night, my mother stayed with me at the hospital, and my father stayed with my husband at our house. As I prayed in the dark, I went to sleep hoping that a simple operation could remove the growth on the back of my baby�s head and everything would be all right. What I didn�t know is that the doctor had told my husband, Wesley, that our firstborn son would probably not live through the night.
Later, I would learn that my husband had gone home agonizing over the gravity of the situation. His wife was recovering from surgery in one hospital and his newborn son was not likely to survive the night at another hospital in the next state. Late that night, Wesley went out in the backyard to be alone with God. He cried out to his Heavenly Father until he received "the peace that passes all understanding." Then, he went inside, got in bed, and slept like a baby!
Only the peace of God can do that! I am so thankful that my husband and I had the Lord to see us through such a difficult, traumatic time in our lives! How can people make it through a crisis without knowing Jesus? Of course, that was only the first day. The next day would prove to be one of the hardest days we would ever have to face. But through that first day and continuing through all these years, God has given us help, hope, strength, comfort, and peace... "Peace in the midst of the storm."
Just remember, special mom, Jesus is with you in the midst of your storm!
In His Loving Hands,
Hannah
P.S. In the future, please look for Part 2 of the miraculous true story of my very special son!
