A Miracle From Heaven For "Baby M"Jan 06 '01 Write an essay on this topic.I have moved this Epinion from "Five Gifts I'd Like" to "Coping With Death" I feel that this category may be more fitting because when I help someone who is going through the same things that we went through with Amanda that it helps me to cope with both Amanda and Dean's death. I apologize for my mistake and hope that this corrects it. As many of you who have already read my other reviews know; I lost my granddaughter Amanda to a disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy when she was only eighteen months old. Only one year and four months later I lost my husband suddenly of a heart attack. It was only a couple of months after my husband, Dean died that Sue, (Amanda's mother) and I got a call from my sister. She told us of an article in the newspaper about a baby in our area who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy. We were shocked to learn that this family lived only ten miles from us. When Amanda was living, we had searched for families with SMA babies in hopes that they could perhaps help us and we could offer support to each other; but this is a very rare disease and we found no one who was familiar with SMA. My daughter in law immediately called the number given in the local paper. It was the number of a neighbor of the family with the SMA baby. She told us how bad things were for this family and how alone they were, not knowing anything about the disease and their doctors didn't know much about it either. Sue told her about Amanda and asked if the family would be willing to see us or talk to us. The neighbor said she would talk to the family and get back with us. Shortly we got a phone call and it was from the Mother. She was so excited to talk to us and was anxious to meet us. We set up a date to go over and meet them and see the baby. Sue asked questions to learn of things that perhaps baby M would need and we gathered up some of Amanda's little special toys, equipment and clothing to take to baby M. On the way over we stopped and picked up KFC for the Mother and Father, already knowing just how much time is involved in taking care of a SMA baby, we knew this would be appreciated. It was a fearful trip for both of us. We didn't know how this was going to affect us; seeing a baby with SMA again, but we knew that we must do whatever we could to help this family. When we pulled into the driveway, the mother was waiting for us at the door. No one will ever know how hard it was for us to even get out of the car that night and go into the house. When we walked in, there was baby M. lying on the couch. Our hearts stopped as we looked at her; so much like Amanda was in her last days. She was only eight months old but we knew that she was already in the last stages of SMA. Our hearts were breaking. She was on a feeding tube and oxygen and was on some kind of medication that dried up her saliva. Her little lips were so parched and dry. You see, with this disease they sometimes lose the ability to swallow and can get choked on their own saliva. She was also on a suction machine, just as Amanda was and had to be suctioned several times while we were there. I sat there for what seemed to be ages, choking on my held back tears, unable to speak. I kept seeing Amanda. Sue was having the same problem, but the mother was talking nonstop. She was so excited to find someone who was familiar with this disease. Finally Sue and I composed ourselves enough to talk and we started asking questions and very gently offering advice and any help we could think of to make things easier for baby M and parents. We told her of a State run organization that would help her with special equipment and many of Baby M's needs. When the father came in, he really opened up and we learned that he had been fired from his job for several months because he had missed so much work from baby M being in the hospital so much. We learned that they were broke, he was picking up odd jobs but only making enough money to buy groceries. The utility company was threatening to shut off their electricity and had only given them a few days to come up with the money. We were appalled. They couldn't do without electricity. This baby was on oxygen and the suction machine was an absolute necessity. They were a very young couple and had no one to help them except the neighbor who had put the article in the paper. Her mother was disabled and his father had cancer so there wasn't much help there. When we left that night, I couldn't get them off my mind and I was praying hard for God to let me know of some way; any way that I could help. Then this idea came to me. Sue and I talked about it all the way home. We were both so excited and couldn't wait to get started on it. We decided to give them a "Card Shower." We got home and started sending e-mails to anyone and everyone that we knew. We asked them to send a Christmas Card to this family and include a little something in the card. We told them it didn't matter how much, that every little bit would help. We called the people we knew that didn't have email. My son's posted it on the bulletin board where they worked. Several of my family members are Sunday school teachers and they told their class about this baby. The class members were thrilled to be a part of helping baby M. A few days later, I got a call from the mother. She was crying so hard that she could hardly talk. She told me that when she went to the mail box that day that she had fifty Christmas Cards. Each card had money in it and each one said "In Memory of Amanda." She said she would now be able to pay her utility bill and buy baby M something for Christmas. Baby M. would have a Christmas after all. This was only the beginning of the cards she would receive in her "Card Shower." I thanked God for giving us the idea and I thanked all the generous people who took part in this shower and made this miracle possible for a grieving Mother and Father. Little baby M. only lived three short months after that. She went to heaven when she was only eleven months old. Sue and I visited her often and became more and more attached to her. When she died, it was like we were losing Amanda all over again. I'm glad we did get involved with this family though. I feel that Amanda was guiding us from Heaven; telling us just what to do to help this family who was in need so badly. I like to think that maybe she's taking care of Baby M. now, somewhere up there in Heaven. If you know of someone who is in desperate need of financial help; perhaps you may want to consider giving them a "Card Shower." It turned out to be the most wonderful gift we had ever given to anyone.  |
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