Growing Stronger

As I (Judy) look back on the last few weeks and months there are definitely moments that I don’t think will ever fade in my memory. I remember that Wednesday after Thanksgiving when Bryan and I first heard the terrible news that Jillian had CDH. We were absolutely devastated. We didn’t know how she would survive with her organs being so misplaced. I remember being told that it wasn’t too late to terminate the pregnancy. I didn’t even consider that as an option. But Bryan and I did feel like we were stuck in a bad dream and couldn’t wake ourselves up from it.



As the weeks and months passed by we prayed and were glad that others were praying for us. I’ve always believed in miracles, but I’ve always thought that they only happen to other people. When Jill made it through birth and I heard her first cry, I knew that it was because so many were praying for her survival. That moment will be forever cherished. Six days later, after waiting and waiting for hours, we saw the surgeon walking down the hall toward us. He quickly told us that she was okay before going into the details of the surgery. I felt like hugging the surgeon. Somehow that didn’t seem appropriate, but a mere “thank you” hardly felt adequate for the man who just saved our daughter’s life.


Each day Jill seems to be getting a little better. Every time we visit, there are a few less wires attached to her. She has been requiring less medicine and less oxygen. We definitely feel blessed and know that her survival and recovery are nothing short of miraculous due to so many lifting her up in prayer.


Jill still has a long road ahead of her. Her lungs still need to grow. She needs to learn how to breathe without the ventilator. She is going to need to learn how to eat and digest food.

But at least now that surgery is passed, we can unpack our hospital bags. (Thankfully, it looks like we won’t need to go to Portland). The last few days, we have been trying to adjust to our new life of having a baby in the NICU. That Thursday before Easter when I first went to the hospital, I knew that it would be a long time before our family would be altogether again. That was the first night that I was away from Katelyn and I knew that once I left the hospital I would have to leave Jill behind. I think as she is more and more alert it is going to be harder and harder to leave the hospital after visiting with her each day.


When I visited her today, I was a little uneasy to see her shaking from morphine (and possibly other sedatives) withdrawal. Hopefully, this too will quickly pass and she will grow stronger each day as she recovers from the surgery.