A Chance at Life

Today, according to my doctor's estimate, I am 24 weeks pregnant (my ticker is two days off, but it's close enough!). At 24 weeks, a baby is considered "viable" meaning that if "Baby Boy Who Has Yet To Be Named" was born today, he would have a better than 50-50 chance of surviving. It might not sound like that big a deal, but it is...especially for those who have lost before. From this point on, each week greatly increases a baby's survival rate and doctors will actively work to save a baby born at this gestation.

Now, while this is all very important to me personally, there is a story that I found recently that really made me think. Obviously, doctors do the best job that they can to save lives, but even the best medical science isn't always perfect. To my knowledge, the only person who truly knows all, who is omniscient, is God. And God doesn't always do what we expect. In fact, I think He probably takes great pleasure in showing us His power and might, particularly when modern medicine and all its research believes "it" cannot be done.

According to this news story, from February of 2007, a medical miracle took place. Sonja Taylor was a mere 19 weeks pregnant when she went into premature labor. She knew that doctors would not even attempt to save the baby at that early stage of gestation, but as the baby's mother, she had to try. So when Mrs. Taylor checked into the hospital, she lied and told the medical team that she was farther along than she actually was.

According to Dr. Phuket Tantavit, a neonatology specialist, "survival of babies that [are] less than 22 weeks of gestation is close to zero, if not zero". As a result, the medical standard is not to even attempt to resusitate a baby born at 22 weeks. Sonja Taylor knew this, and made her choice.

The doctors did their best to stop the premature labor, and were able to hold it off for 9 more days, but then the inevitable happened...Baby Amillia was born. Believing that they were dealing with a 23 week gestation baby, doctors did everything they could to save the tiny baby girl.

She weighed only 10 oz. and was only slightly longer than a standard pen. One doctor referred to her saying, "She was literally just a coke can under sterile drape." Technically, she was even smaller, since a coke can is 12 oz. Yet somehow, baby Amillia responded well to the treatments.

It was many months later that doctors discovered the truth...that baby Amillia was born, not at 23 weeks as previously thought, but at a mere 21 weeks, 6 days, a day shy of the 22 week mark at which a baby would not even be considered for resusitation, according to medical standards. (The true gestational age was discovered through the parent's fertility specialist's records.)

Tiny baby Amillia had shattered a world record. She was the youngest baby to survive such a premature birth...and be "perfectly healthy".

" 'When you look at such a small miracle, you almost have to believe there's something else -- there's a higher power -- that allows us to do what we do,' [delivering doctor] Lievano said."

And that pretty much says it all. Baby Amillia's mother (and father) just wanted their little baby to have a chance at life. Yes, it was a gamble. The baby could have died The baby could have had many health problems. The outcome was most definitely uncertain. But baby Amillia was given a chance ONLY because her mother lied about her age. Had this not happened, tiny Amillia would not exist...she would have been yet another statistic. No one would have even tried to save her. The doctors, in what I'm certain they believed to be their best judgement, would have allowed this baby girl to die because they "thought" it couldn't be done.

And yet, God had another plan.

" 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, ' decares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' " Isaiah 55:8-11 (NIV)

God ONLY knows when a life is viable and He can accomplish far more than any doctor or scientist can even fathom....when we get out of His way and let Him work. Yes, medicine plays a role in saving lives...a very big role. However, it does not determine who has the right to life and who is beyond hope. That role belongs to the Great Physician alone.