There are experiences that we go through in life wherein joy is suddenly turned to sorrow. Our desire to know the reason why these things happen is not always satisfied but they go on to become part of those experiences we want to share with others hence my story.
Such was the occasion of the birth of my only son. My wife and I eagerly waited for the passage of those long nine months at which time our child would be born and many questions would be answered. "Is it a boy or girl? Who will the baby look like - Mom or Dad? Which side of the family will the newborn take after? Did we pick the right name?"
Our son was born in a hospital in Discovery, South Africa, a suburb of sprawling Johannesburg. When he was born, he was grunting and it was decided to place him in an incubator overnight to facilitate his breathing. Unbeknowst to the hospital staff, that incubator had been used by another baby ill with gastroenteritis and had not been properly disinfected. As a result, our little boy became seriously ill to the point of death. All the healthy babies in the hospital were sent home and the entire maternity ward of the hospital had to be shut down for cleaning. Our joy had turned quickly into sorrow.
He only weighed in at five and a half pounds at birth and his weight quickly dropped to below five pounds and heading for four. Each passing day saw more weight loss and the doctor warned us that if he did not gain weight soon, nothing being done for him could save him.
One of our friends waiting with us in the hospital was a nurse whose name was Ruth. She suggested that we pray specifically that our son would gain an ounce of weight overnight. We all had faith in God but we had never had our faith challenged like that before. Could such a prayer be answered? The doctor, while sympathetic, cautioned us that, under the circumstances, a weight gain could not possibly happen. "It's in God's hands now," was the attitude taken as there was nothing more that the doctor could do. Ruth prayed - we prayed - others prayed and we all waited anxiously for the doctor's report the next morning. The news was good - our son had gained an ounce overnight! It marked the turning point in his recovery.
It was a long recovery! Although he was gaining weight, feeding him proved difficult sometimes taking two hours to get an ounce of milk into him. He cried all night and the only way we could get any sleep was to bring him into bed with us. Then a doctor discovered that it was an umbilical hernia that was causing the problem. He advised an operation to correct it and from the night of the operation, our baby slept through. Soon he was a healthy and happy little boy for whom we are thankful not only to God but also to the doctors that ministered to him.
one year old
