Oliver's Story- Part One

"Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan. I always want to be with my own family, and the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can."

Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints



Happy third birthday to my firstborn! My dear sweet son, Oliver, would be three years old today. Let me tell you his story.

Oliver, one week old

 



I got pregnant with Oliver right out of high school, less than a month after graduation, and shortly moved in with my then-boyfriend (now husband). I thought things were going fine until my 20 week appointment. Mr. M and I found out that our unborn baby had a fatal heart condition. As I was reeling from the shock of this information, I immediately knew I needed God's help. And I needed to be where I could receive his help.

So, as a pregnant and unmarried eighteen year-old, I began attending church. I was raised in a very religious household and had fallen away from the faith as a teenager. I am forever grateful for the lack of judgment I experienced as I returned to church. I had a seriously great bishop who had lost his son to the same condition several years prior. I don't believe in coincidences. I believe God put him in my path to help me, as only a person who has been there can.

Mr. M and I talked about marriage and he proposed to be shortly after. About the same time, Mr. M started getting interested in my faith. He began coming to church with me and meeting with missionaries. He decided to be baptized. We were married on New Year's morning 2011, and he was baptized a couple hours later. It was a wonderful day.

My pregnancy progressed, Oliver's due date approached, and then it passed. My body didn't to want to let him go. His condition, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, was a condition that would not be fatal until after birth. I remember being in so much pain at the end of my pregnancy, but I couldn't bear to complain. While I was pregnant, he was safe.

I was induced a couple of days after his due date. I remember feeling so much anxiety. His birth would start his dying process. Our doctor was so great, but he hadn't given us a clear idea of how long Oliver would live, probably because he didn't know what to expect either. I felt like we would be lucky if he stayed for a couple of hours.

This is me holding him for the very first time. All my fears left me as I met my dear child. I was overjoyed to have him with me. I remember being with him in the hospital and looking at he clock, thinking, "Wow! He's been here a whole hour!"

Then, "Wow, he's been here for three hours!"

And, "He's been with us for 24 hours now!"



(Look for part two, coming soon!)