10yrs ago today marks the most terrifying day of my life. It also marks the witness of an unbelievable miracle and the receipt of extreme grace. Reposting this today in honor and celebration of 10yrs, every moment a gift and the absolute glory of God. Happy birthday, Ezra. 💕
Ezra = God Helps
July 31, 2010
This would be a day like no other…
Aside from having company in the house, it was an ordinary Saturday. Clay was in the Kitchen cooking breakfast and I was standing at the counter when our 26 week pregnant daughter, Krista emerged from her room. She leaned heavily against the bar, heaving breath as though she couldn’t catch it.
“Mom, I can’t breathe. I’m going to the ER.”
I had noticed how badly her feet had begun swelling, although she’d called her doctor who said it was normal, I insisted she call again and again. each time, she was told it was normal and they refused to see her until her appointment the following month.
I instructed her husband to call immediately when they got there.
Lisa, our daughter in law, had gotten up and was busy dressing baby Phoenix and Clay had just handed me a plate when his phone rang. The fork clutched in my hand, hovered above the plate, came crashing down as I shot to my feet at the distress in his voice….His eyes wide with panic as he turned to me, “THEY’RE TAKING THE BABY!”
How we all got together, dressed, loaded and to the hospital so quickly defies explanation but we did. I vaguely recall the silence of the ride. No one knew what to say. In the midst of my own great sadness were the prayers, prayers for my daughter’s life, prayers for the words to comfort her in her loss and grief.
I remember walking into the hospital, offended at the beauty of a day that felt like it should be gloomy. Her husband met us in the foyer. Her liver and kidneys were failing and she wanted to see me.
As I stepped into the room where they were prepping her for surgery, she could see my every emotion playing out on my face. I have no guile at all. My every thought and emotion plays out for all to see. “DON’T! Don’t Mom! If you break down, I’m going to lose it too!” I nodded, smiling weakly, kissed her and told her I love her before they whisked her away.
We passed the time contacting family members and fielding calls. Our son grabbed an emergency flight and was on his way.
Finally a nurse came out. She said that as soon as they were able to get Krista stabilized they’d be transporting her to Baptist Hospital…AND the baby was about to transport there now!!!! We were all in shock, all of us saying the same thing, “the baby????”
She smiled, “Yes. Do you want to see him before they leave?”
I couldn’t believe my ears! The fragile dam of my reserve finally burst and tears poured down my face as I looked upon my grandson, the tiniest of things, unbelievably tiny, 1 lb 10 oz, all wrapped in plastic to retain his body heat. As they wheeled him away, the nurse ran to me, “I have his armband, would you like it?” The thing in my palm so small it’d barely fit over the tip of my finger!
Though his mom wouldn’t be stable enough to see him for 4 days, we would scrub with brush, clean nails with a pick, scrub again, glove up, don face masks and go in to pray for Ezra, then go to her floor so she could see at least a picture. From day one and every day thereafter, one of us would be in charge of whispering the 91st psalm to him. Each day I prayed the Lord be with him so he would never feel alone inside that incubator.
It was on the 7th day that the real ride began. I woke up early that morning. As I crept down the hall trying not to disturb any sleepers. I heard an odd sound, growing as I neared my daughter’s room…faint words swallowed by huge wracking sobs. I barely rapped on before throwing open the door. My daughter standing in the center of the room with phone in her hand. There’s nothing else in the world so recognizable on a primal level as the gut wrenching, heart breaking sound of a mother’s grief.
The hospital… Ezra’s bowels had perforated. They needed to get him into surgery right away however, they said he could not survive it.
Again we rushed to the hospital and made it in time to pray over him as a family and for his doctors. Again, against all odds, he survived.
Word of Ezra seemed to spread like wildfire, throughout our family near and far, through their friends, churches to all of those friends to more until we were receiving word, prayer blankets, cards… from across the country to foreign countries, from every denomination, age, gender, race, all coming together as one body to pray for this one small life.
He would have a long road ahead, would have to have surgery on his heart, 3rd stage brain bleed, etc. 5 months in the NICU. One side of his vocal cords were paralyzed from being intubated for so long. They said he’d never talk but he does. How precious are the words, “I love you, Mimi!” , eye surgeries, picc lines, feeding tubes. He has seizures. He has Cerebral palsy… foot surgeries and they basically cut off his legs at the hip, rotated and reattached with screws, a femoral spike and now had to have the metal removed.
At 7 yrs old and only after all of this was the first time he was able to walk at all. He’s been through more in his small life than most will in a lifetime, yet, he is the sweetest, kindest soul you’ll ever meet, always smiling, loves hugs and kisses and always telling everyone that he loves them. His little life having been placed in the hand of the Lord, and marinated in prayer from before his first breath, has carried him all this way.
COPYRIGHT ALERT
©Laura M. Bailey, All the shoes I wear & writing down the Bones, 1990–Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Laura M. Bailey with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Absolutely awesome. Praise God!
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Thank you so much! So blessed💕
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Happy Birthday Ezra! He’s truly a miracle!
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Thank you so much💕
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You’re welcome! He’s so precious!
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HaPpY BIRTHDAY TO EZRA!! What a miracle & testimony of God’s persevering grace. Lots to celebrate, life is a Gift! 🎉🎂💐🙏💐🤗🎉
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Thank you Virginia! He is to me a constant reminder of that very thing💕
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What a precious miracle! And what a wonderful family of love.
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Thank you so much, Dorothy! It was a long difficult road for him and I’ve lost count of all the “he can’t survive this”, “He’ll be blind”, He’ll never speak”, “he can’t and wont’s”. For everyone of those things predicted by well meaning men, G-d issued a different answer and plan. 10 yrs blessed with what should not have been. Remarkable reminder of where our help comes from, unspeakable love to issue such grace and testament of His attention and loving kindness to even the smallest of things. 💕
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Such an inspiring story! Bless you all!
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Tears… tears… more tears… then copious joyful tears
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😭🙏💕 He is a moment to moment reminder of the awe-some magnitude of Love that bestows such undeserved grace, mercy and miraculous blessing and depth of the mindfulness of His loving kindness that considers even the smallest of things
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I was 3 months premature @2lbs 11 1/2 ozs almost 59 years ago. Technically, I should not be here.
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Wow!!!!!! You are a miracle and living testament! Especially from back then when they didnt have the technologies and advancements of today.
That too is a reminder that despite the predictions of well meaning men, G-d alone has the power and is able to enact His plan. 💕 I thank G-d for you.
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My eyes are leaking… thank you! 💕
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Happy Birthday to Ezra! He’s a champ! How good is the Lord.
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Dora, He is an awesome G-d!!!!💕
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What a joyful little face he has. And what a story behind that face.
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Thank you so much! He really is our miracle boy indeed! Such a loving, sweet, kind spirit in the world. 😊
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Getting acquainted with your stories here and it is so inspiring!
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Oh thank you, Sa! 💕
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[…] Ezra, called me and asked me if I would write him a letter! You may recall him from my posts, Prayers For Ezra and 8 years blessed. Ezra is autistic and more than anything, he loves books and reading. […]
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[…] Prayers For Ezra […]
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[…] Prayers For Ezra […]
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children are precious, we need to protect them and love them at all stages of life.
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Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story!! It reminds me when I was Born with my Sternum Bone Fused too my backbone!!
Praise Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua Ezra is Alive!! I Praise Christ Jesus-Yeshua as HE Saved my Life more than Once!!
GOD BLESS All my Sisters and Brothers in Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua and Your Families and Frineds!!
Love ❤ Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
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Look at you! A miracle too! How wonderful! Shalom!
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I cannot pass by without comment but there is nothing I can add to the beautiful and touching comments above. Ezra is a real miracle. He is a miracle formed by the love and devotion of his family, by the joining of hearts across the world, by the hands of brilliant doctors and nurses who refuse to give up and by the spirit that imbues him that comes from heaven above. I am privileged to have been able to share his story through the light and powerful words you craft. Thank you, Laura
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Oh. Osyth,
Thank you so much for your wonderful, loving comment! 💖😊
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We should never prevent our hearts from talking when they want to give voice 🙂
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[…] Today is the 8th anniversary of the most terrifying day of my life, the most miraculous, the most joyful! Read our story, Prayers For Ezra. […]
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[…] She became the youngest liscensed tattoo artist and piercer at the age of 13. She wanted to learn welding and began building railcars. She’s been a successful business owner. In college classes, made the deans list and is a phenomenal mother of Adalie and the super preemie miracle son, Erza, from my blog, Prayers For Ezra […]
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[…] https://alltheshoesiwear.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/prayers-for-ezra/ […]
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Very touching capture of events that touch emotions and help us realize how precious each life is. While we will not fully understand various circumstances in our lives we realize who is in control and He has a plan. What a blessing God has entrusted to your family and He knows you are the right ones for Ezra. You will never know the extent of how various lives have been touched, and are being touched by your story, including all those who prayed during these trying moments of birth and early childhood.
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Thank you so much! What a wondergul comment! Without fully knowing what exactly, there was at every moment the inner knowlege that God was doing something miraculous and special. I can only gratefully and in awe watch His plan and purpose unfold.
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Thank you. I guess that’s where faith has to step in when we don’t fully understand.
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laura! I am sooo happy he survived! What s pecial little boy! xo
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💗 he’s my heart
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The pictures remind me of my own Grandson, Jackson, who was also born at just over 26 weeks. He will be two next month and is also a living miracle – proof that God answers prayers. Thanks for sharing Ezra’s story.
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Amen! They are such special people. I am blessed to sit at the sidelines and watch how God will move in his life.😊
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Sobbing my socks off here but with happiness! What a wonderful story of hope 😊
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😊💗 He’s a not only a living miracle but he’s my heart.
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The pictures were SO. POWERFUL. Yes of course I read the words but now I need to just look at those precious pictures. Thank you for sharing with us. That last picture… oh, what an angel.
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Thamk you so much!😊💗 He’s been through so very much and yet he’s the sweetest, happiest most loving spirited person. He’s my heart!
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He’s a FORCE! Your hero, your heart! It was hard to look at the first pictures. I don’t know how you managed. You are very strong.
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I sure didn’t feel strong at the time…just cling to Hod and hope with everything in me.
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[…] Prayers for Ezra […]
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[…] All the Shoes I Wear […]
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[…] You might need some tissues for this one, such an amazing little boy and family via Prayers for Ezra […]
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Breathtakingly beautiful story, Laura and what a gorgeous boy your grandson is. Thank you Lord that you have a perfect plan for Ezra’s life and we praise you for it!
Hayley 😊❤️
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Oh thank you! Love your comment so much! 😊💗
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Wow, reminded me of when my son was born prematurely and we both nearly died. I could picture his tiny arms and hands while reading this. Thankyou for sharing your amazing miracle story.
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What miracles they are! Im forever reminded of it and the grace in these tiny lives. 😊💗
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What a story! It hits home for me because I too was premature. I was born at 24 weeks and 1lb, 13 ounces. God has a plan! “Thy will be done”
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Amazing!!!! God does have a plan to bring such special miracles into the world! 💗
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Amen! 🙂
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What a testimony, Laura!
Thank you for taking the time & effort & love to share such an intimate story from your life!
I pass on to you an Encouragement given to us when our Down Syndrome daughter with heart issues was waiting to be born (more than 18 years ago): God gifts special children to those families who are able to love & nourish them! We are the blessed ones!
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What a beautiful encouragement! And, how wonderfully and perfectly true! 💗
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