Last night I received an unexpected but most welcome surprise. It came in the form of a Facebook post and I will treasure this forever! Of course, I bawled for an hour, but it brought back so many memories and it also reminded me of some of Kendra's best qualities. It was from a special nurse that took care of Kendra while she was flat on her back for a solid month awaiting her daughter's birth.
Kendra did not even know she was pregnant until she was 6 months along. The doctor said that's not unusual when a baby has birth defects. After her first ultrasound, she was sent immediately to a pediatric heart specialist. Not knowing exactly what was wrong this was very frightening. Then that doctor said the baby had a very rare heart tumor. She had never seen one in all her years of practice and told us that Kendra would have to go to Kansas City to Childrens Mercy hospital for the delivery. As the baby would have to undergo open heart surgery soon after being born. Then they proceeded to tell us that this was so rare that there were only 22 prior cases ever at Childrens Mercy. They also added that most of the babies never make it and it's because the tumor causes fluid buildup on all the organs.
Our family then proceeded to add Kendra and baby Gia to every prayer chain in the country! We prayed so fervently for both of them daily. The only other time I have literally cried and pleaded with God is the hour we were waiting for news of Kendra after the car accident.
When Kendra went to see the heart specialist though, she called me in tears and said you are not going to believe this but this doctor looks exactly like Nana! Nana was my mother who had been gone for over 18 years and sure enough, she sent me a picture and they could have been identical twins! This was like a sign from God to us! I told her then that if God and Nana were both watching over Gia, she was going to be fine!!
Kendra and Lance went to meet the 60 person team that would assist with the delivery and surgery the first of December. Gia was not due till middle of February but they said there was no way she would carry her till then. Well Lance called us that day and said they immediately put Kendra in the hospital where she would remain until Gia was born because the fluids were already building up on her organs. She would have to stay flat on her back and could not even get up! This was devastating news but my husband reminded me that it was all in Gods hands and this was the time to pray not cry.
We took movies, books, food, any treat we could to make her stay more pleasant. But this is where Kendra's true personality and her resiliency shone. She still joked, she still laughed and most of all, her faith was shown to all. No matter the news, she had faith that God was in charge.
Kendra's water broke two days after Christmas and Gianna Faith, only 31 weeks along was delivered by cesarean after first having fluid taken off her heart through Kendra's stomach. We were told by many nurses and even two different doctors that she truly was a miracle, there was really no medical explanation for her surviving. After two and a half months in the NICU, she went home. She is now 4 years old. This is where my faith has to kick in, God spared her, gave us a miracle, but then took Kendra home before her Gia's 4th birthday.
We never know whose lives we are going to touch, especially when we are going through ordeals and tragedies, but if others can see that our faith is real, that God can be seen through us, then we are living as we should. I am so proud that during that scary time, Kendra's life was a testimony and in turn blessed others, that she was living her faith! In the words of her nurse, Kendra you rock on in Heaven!!
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| Gianna following surgery |
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| Gianna today |
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