Against All Odds: A Miracle Story

When I was 41, my youngest child was born with spina bifida. I was told early on in my pregnancy something was wrong, that I could be carrying a child with a birth defect. I had genetic test, amniocentisis, and many other tests. Still doctors didn't know what was wrong with my baby. Her spina bifida didn't show on the results and they speculated that she would either have Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 13 or 18, and a severe heart defect that would most likely kill her within 5 minutes of her birth.

Thousands of dollars in tests, yet, nothing could be found. When my baby was taken by c-section at 8 months, her pediatrician thought she was fine and even though we were charged for a complete exam, he didn't give one. I know this because she had an obvious deformity on her back that was not hard to see, because I found it in seconds. Of course, this was 3 weeks later, I had complications following surgery and I was under doctors care and couldn't take care of my newborn. Once I was cleared by my doctors I wanted to give her a bath! As I was bathing her I turned my little Andrea over and gasped at the deformity on her back. She looked fine on one side, but on the other side not so fine. I don't know how this went undiagnosed. All of the nurses giving her baths, changing her diapers, and a doctor who supposedly gave her a full physical didn't see what I saw in seconds.

Needless to say, there was a whole lot of butt kissing and phone calls made to "check on us" for a very long time. The hospital had mesed up big time with both of us. No, I didn't sue. I should have but didn't. I was too busy thanking God for my miracles, trying to get better, getting on with the busyness of life, and finishing college.

My daughter has the worst form of spina bifida, people can't tell, because she does things that she shouldn't in her condition. She appears normal enough so most don't believe the severity of her disability. My baby girl walks, talks, and does things that makes the doctors scratch their heads. Miss Andrea has health problems, she has lipomyelomeningocele, a duplicated kidney, neurogenic bladder and neurogenic bowel problems.

I remember one day her dad and I went to one of our regular visits to the spina bifida clinic. Andrea had a substitute filling in for her regular specialist, and, of course, Andrea is the only child in the clinic room with us and he looked around the room for the patient. When we pointed out Andrea was the patient he didn't believe it. He looked at her chart, her diagnosis, then the chart again. He checked for the scar on her back and he left the room for a second opinion or perhaps to check the calendar for the date, I'm sure he thought it was a prank, because the look on his face was priceless. He was in complete and utter disbelief that this was a child with lipomyelomeningocele, the worst form of spina bifida.

Doc told us that children like her do not walk, they don't talk well, if at all, and they do not do things she does. (We had heard this time and again.) We know we have a miracle daughter and smile as he tells us how she "bit the bullet" and came THIS close to being...different. All I could say is God works in mysterious ways.

I have to tell the rest of the story, it is equally important. When I found out my baby was going to have a birth defect, I went to my church and had a prayer cloth annointed and prayers went up from our little country church for God to heal her. I kept the faith and I let God take over. For those who don't believe in such things, no, I didn't know exactly how it was going to turn out, I didn't know if I was going to have a baby that was going to live, I didn't know what God had planned, but I am glad I trusted Him to know my heart and give me His blessing.

On the other hand, if I had listened to my heartless OB/GYN my precious baby would have been aborted and in Dr. P's eyes...problem solved. Now look at that picture and see what I would be missing, what all the people who know her would miss, and to enjoy one of the best times in my life watching her grow.

Each time I went for a prenatal visit, I listened to one doctor preach to me how much I need to listen to her and terminate my pregnancy...for the best interest of everyone. She made it clear, that I had other children, so this one was expendable in her view. One particular visit was so grueling that dad and I were in tears. She was harsh and even got angry because I refused to consider an abortion. She acted as if I was having an alien and the world would come to an end if I let this thing come into the world. Dad was seriously upset too, so I know it wasn't just my emotions coming into play. We both were in tears and my own anger surfaced and I told her I never want her following me on any my visits again.

If doctors were paid based on the health and well-being of a patient after care, things would be so different in the medical field. Here is a picture of my daughter, meet Miss Andrea. I love this kid with all my heart, through all her sickness, through all her funny stories, and through all her crazy loving ways. I seriously dont ever want to imagine life without her, but if that ever happens, I know I got more than five minutes the OB/GYN swore I would get.