Jackie suffers from an incompetent cervix which means that her uterus cannot hold the weigh of a baby. Her doctor put a cerclage (stitch) in her uterus to keep it secure. On Thanksgiving Day (Nov 27, 1996) Jackie’s water broken…120 days too early!!!!
17 years ago today we were encouraged to remove Jackie cerclage from her cervix to allow nature to take its course & induce labor for a very premature (24 weeks) baby. We felt a nudge from the Spirit to wait until Jackie's OB/GYN (#DrKoller) returned from his 5 day vacation. Doctors gave Jackie steroids for Lexi's lungs for 5 days, which saved her lungs & life.
As the docs prepared Jackie for her emergency delivery procedure I looked at Jackie’s eyes and saw that she was on the brink of despair as she faced the third loss of a baby. I looked her in the eyes and said “We’re bringing this baby home, Jackie!” She nodded cordially but I could tell that she was about to give up. I then insisted “This isn’t your pastor speaking…this is your baby’s father speaking and we’re taking this baby home!!”
I am amazed at Jackie's courage to agree to delivery process that would basically end all future chances for carrying a baby. She endured a small surgical procedure with anestesia (not enough time to numb her up!)!!! She and Lexi are my heroines!!!
Dec 2nd was both one of the scariest and happiest days of my life! I saw more blood and scalpels and monitors than I'd ever seen in my life. Lexi had abrupted (pulled away from the uterine wall); she had a knot in her umbilical cord; it was uncertain how long she was without oxygen and didn’t move for the first 3 minutes of her life.
God is so faithful to us. His miracle didn’t just end on December 2nd, 1996. I get to witness His purpose for that li’l miracle unfold before my very eyes everyday.
