Gods Little Miracle

My son Matthew, who is now one year old, has experienced life as well as
death The life of Matthew has been typical. He starting sitting up on his own when he
was only a few months old, crawling around six months, and walking shortly after his
first birthday. Matthew has lived in a loving household with a father, mother, and older
sister. His grandparents adore him and people who meet him are often taken by his
uplifting smile. An abundance of toys was often found scattered about from playing with
his two-year-old sister. Matthew is mommys little angel, daddys only son, and Gods
little miracle.

The purpose of this writing is to demonstrate how the life of an individual can be
changed in an instant. If you have experienced much of life you likely know how quickly
it can change. Many situations in my life have changed in a matter of a day, an hour, or
even a minute however we can make the most of the new situation or the worst. Life is a
gift thats wonderful and there is always a way to make the best of a seemingly bad
situation. It is important to give thanks and glory where its due. My son is alive today
and that is truly a miracle, and one that I can never fully show my gratitude. While I write
many would consider my situation one where joy would be a difficult emotion to obtain
but I choose to have joy and peace. My son Matthew clinically died on February 19th but
didnt remain in that state, as CPR was used to restart his little heart. I cant begin to
thank the doctors and nurses enough for their part in giving Matthew his life. That day in
February was a blur and remains to be a blur. Matthew my only son, the boy that is a
spitting image of myself and who was completely healthy all of his life had a cardiac
arrest and stopped breathing.

Matthews mother found him unresponsive and not breathing in his car seat after
returning home from a shopping trip. Terrified she screamed for help and thankfully a
nurse lived nearby who heard the frantic yells and came to assist with CPR. I can only
imagine the emotions of the first responders trying to help my one-year-old son as he lay

there not breathing and the fear his mother must have felt. While I very much appreciate
the nurse who restarted my sons heart, I also have appreciation for the others that played
a part and are playing a part in his recovery. After having his heart restarted by the
courageous nurse, the ambulance and EMS crew arrive from a local hospital and
transport Matthew, who at this point has a faint pulse, to a local hospital.

When Matthew arrived at the first hospital the goal was stabilizing his condition
and running tests to assess his medical condition. The first hospital provided initial
stabilizing however a higher level of care was needed so an ambulance from another
hospital was required for transport to a higher-level facility. After arriving at the next
hospital and ensuring Matthew was stable more tests were performed to determine the
cause of his sudden cardiac arrest but the main goal was keeping him alive which
required life support devices such as a ventilator and many medications. Matthew had
several viruses that would require IV antibiotics however that would be a minor concern
compared to what was ahead. I was told that Matthew would be okay and was stable
however it would take some time in the hospital for recovery from the viruses that the
blood tests showed, in addition to recovery time from the cardiac arrest.

I believe it was day two at the second hospital when I arrived and discussed
Matthews condition with the doctor and he informed me that Matt had extremely high
liver enzymes, in fact, I was actually told by one experienced nurse that it was the highest
levels she had ever seen. I was concerned for my son and the condition of his liver. The
nurses mentioned they considered sending him to another hospital that offered an even
higher level of care and that the hospital actually had a liver specialist. The plan at this
point was to watch his enzyme levels to see if they would stay elevated or if they would
start dropping. I had a feeling that if these were the highest levels an experienced nurse
had ever seen that I might rather have him transferred, my thought was better safe than
sorry. I insisted that he be transferred to the hospital with the liver specialist but the
doctor tried to offer comfort and suggested the levels might have been caused by trauma

from his cardiac arrest and lack of oxygen to the liver. While the advice offered by the
doctor was considered, I still wasnt satisfied so I asked the nurses to call and consult
with the hospital that had the liver specialist. I am thankful for that feeling and for the
phone consultation. After the phone call with the other hospital it was even clearer that
Matthew could benefit from their care and he was scheduled for transfer later that night.

It was somewhere around 10 p.m. and it seemed that we had a long night ahead
because the next hospital was about three hours away, but due to the inclement winter
weather the drive would take even longer. An ambulance would again transport my son.
My mother and I would drive in my vehicle and meet the EMS crew at third hospital.
Matthew was scheduled to depart the second hospital and set out on the journey to the
third at 11 p.m. but at this point I was all too familiar with the time that is set and the time
that events actually take place. It was around midnight when the ambulance left the
second hospital and it took four hours to reach the third hospital. As I made my own way
to the hospital many thoughts overtook my conscious as I considered the different
decisions that I made and the decisions that would be required of me in the upcoming
days. I thought about whether or not I was making the right choice by sending my son to
yet another hospital. The hospital staff at the facility we just left seemed to think that I
was being overly cautious, many of which had more education than I, especially in the
area of medicine. I couldnt let negative thinking get me down and had to stay positive. I
made a decision and was going to stick with it, after all this is my son and it couldnt be a
bad thing to seek the highest level care possible even if I was being overly circumspect.

Upon arrival at the third and hopefully final hospital at the hour of 4 a.m.
everyone was exhausted both mentally and physically. The family arrived before
Matthew and greeted him at the door as medics rolled him in. We kissed him and gave
him our love as it would take some time before the hospital staff could get him settled
and do their initial assessment. My mother and I got a hotel room a half mile away and
was able to get a few hours sleep before going back to see Matthew in the Pediatric

Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The hour was roughly nine in the morning, when, after a few
hours of much needed sleep we arrived in the room with Matthew and was greeting by a
team of doctors and nurses from the many units within the hospital. Matthew had been at
this third hospital a total of five hours and already our family knew more about his
condition than we did the whole time he was at two other facilities, and it was at this
point I knew we had made the right decision.

The transitions Matthew would make at the third hospital would involve three
departments. The first department was the PICU and after that he was transferred to the
neurological floor and the last was the therapy floor where he would try and regain
function from the anoxic brain injury. I do not recall how long Matthew was in each
department however the time spent in the PICU was definitely the most intense. An
Intensive Care Unit is certainly not somewhere you want to see your child. My son was
helpless, and I wanted to help more than anything, however I felt helpless as well because
I didnt know what to do. I recall constantly asking questions when I would see medical
staff. Reading medical journals regarding anoxic brain injuries occupied any free time.

Matthew slowly made his way from the PICU to the neurological floor and finally
the therapy floor. After leaving intensive care, life support started coming off, and
Matthew was then able to support himself. I remember when I heard him cry after the
ventilator was removed from his throat. Matthews little cry could be heard throughout
the hospital room, which was a joyous noise that I had never appreciated so much until
that moment. It was a gift from God in which I am eternally grateful! Hospital life started
to get a bit easier after Matthew started regaining autonomic functions. Soon he would be
completely removed from all life support, including the precautionary feeding tube.

A discharge date had been set for Matthew upon arrival in the rehabilitation
department, which was a blessing, but at the same time scary. Thinking about the
continued therapy, which would be required, was somewhat overwhelming and better left

to medical staff. I wanted what was best for my son and after many discussions with the
rehab staff we agreed upon March 30th as the discharge date. Matthew was making
progress with his therapy at the hospital however it was the collective opinion of his
family and the medical staff, that at this point, his recovery would be more effective in a
familiar environment.

I was thankful that a discharge date was set and that Matthew was making
progress. He had made it so far in his recovery, yet many milestones that he had reached
such as sitting up and being able to walk, was lost. As a father, I wondered what I could
do besides read and ask questions. I certainly wanted to be there to love my son and hold
him. Helping with the little needs was all I could do. The help I could offer Matthew was
not enough. The doctors, nurses, and other medical staff played a critical role in
Matthews recovery, however even their help was not enough. We needed something
more, something that modern medicine could not accomplish. We needed the help of our
Heavenly Father. We needed God to intervene and help Matthew continue to recover.

Many situations in my life have been out of my control. Some periods of life can
be very discouraging, and during these vulnerable times it seems that one bad situation
leads to another, and on to another. What happened to my son is by far, one of the hardest
things that I have went through in my life. I had no control of the situation. I tried to
make good decisions involving Matthews health however I couldnt do much more than
oversee his care, and even then I was unqualified for such a role. I was in desperate need
of someone or something that would help my little boy. I am a Christian and have been
since I was very young. I most definitely prayed to our God many times throughout the
ordeal, and my prayers continue. It seems that in our most desperate and needy time, that
God performs some of His greatest miracles. My son desperately needed help, and it was
no doubt that our loving Father in heaven had already begun working. His life had
already been saved before we could utter the first prayer for his little life.

It seems many times we forget that our God is still performing miracles. We often
attribute healing to modern medicine and skilled doctors, however we need to remember
that our Lord is behind the healing. Modern advancements in medicine, as well as the
talent of medical staff given to us by our Father and Savior! We need to rely more on
God. I had to rely on him in the situation with Matthew, because I couldnt do anymore,
and the medical staff done all they could. It was a waiting game to see how Matthew
would recover. I was in a state of constant prayer, along with many others that care for
my son. What I need to get better at realizing is that by praying and being dependent on
God that I am doing far more than I ever could on my own. I give God ALL the glory for
Matthews healing! This situation with my son has taught me that prayer is not a last
resort. We should pray continuously all of the time and give thanks. God is responsible
for us waking in the morning and for allowing us to live to see another day. Everything
happens for a reason and God always has it under control, even when nobody else has the
slightest clue.

Jesus died for our sins, so that we might be able to dwell with him for eternity and
for that we are forever indebted. He does so much for us everyday without us asking.
Unfortunately, many times in our fast pace life we forget to thank our Father for the little
things. I thank God for my son and the many other miracles he performs on a daily basis.
I ask that whoever might read this article would pray for my son. The purpose of this
writing is for the reader to understand who is responsible for my son being alive. I hope it
is completely clear that ultimately God is responsible for him being alive today, and that
medical staff was merely a tool. God allowed some of the best doctors and nurses to work
with my son. I want people to know what God did for my son Matthew and for his family
by keeping him here. Matthew is here for a purpose. We are all here for a purpose! I pray
that we all find our purpose. While the future is uncertain we can be sure that God will be
there to see us through and He is still in the miracle business. I am so thankful for Gods
Little Miracle!