Prayer that saved a life | This post precedes after “The agony of waiting” post

Sebastian's mother Alicia comforting him after his second surgery. 

These events took place late at night on September 13^th, 2013.

Prayer was a constant companion of little Sebastian and still shadows over him. Friends and family across the globe in a chain of prayer combined the best in surgeon skill with Gods mighty strength.

We were privileged to have my Mother Hazel here in Nicaragua while Sebastian was born. She had come down to be with us for three weeks for what we thought would be a “normal birth”. It was anything but that. However my mother has a special calmness about her which no doubt comes from the fact she has had 10 children of her own, in addition to being a devout believer in our Lord and savior.

Photo I took in one of the hospital's chapels. 

She was my only blood related family member that was in Nicaragua during Sebastian’s first two surgeries, however I must say Ernesto and Dona Alicia although are not blood relatives are as close to being my father as any.  She brought a peaceful trust in God demeanor throughout the entire ordeal.  In one instant after we learned Sebastian would have to go into his second emergency open heart operation in the same day. she noticed even the veteran surgeon was nervous. I mean, originally in his first surgery there was only a 15% mortality rate, but now with him not even recovered from the first open heart surgery, having a second surgery would certain make his chances exceedingly more slim. All we could do was pray, but we were also fortunate that all the doctors on the team were such strong believers in Gods power. My mother asked the Surgeon if she could pray for his hands before he went into the operating room. With a pleading face he complied, and they prayed together in the dim lit hallway adjacent to the operating room at 11:45pm. God was no doubt the chief of the operating team. He blessed our little warrior with the strength he needed, when it seams little Sebastian would have only a pint-sized portion left.

My beloved son 

We slowly retired back to our base camp (the room), which was packed full of  loving family members who wanted to pray for our little Sebastian during these wretched hours.

You hear this phrase many times used casually, “felt like my heart has been ripped out”, however I believe Alicia and I experienced just that. If we let our minds wonder into the dark road of negativity about the future of our beloved son, it would become too much to bear. Even with our minds on the Lord, there was a paralyzing sadness and pain that seamed to resonate through us, as if our very bones were gelatinized. We found comfort during these excruciating hours in God and the warm embrace of friends and families. 

Sebastians Grandmother finally holding him after he came home to recover

The road to the following day dragged onward in a haze. However the next morning when our little warriors heart beat on, joy was like a mist in the air; cooling the nostrils of our soul in a soothing euphoria.  God was with our son the entire time.

This is one of the poems I wrote for him while he was in surgery.

My heart is weary
My love is strong
Tears stream.....
My son be strong

You are so small, 

weak and meek,

But your fathers strength I bestow
Your mothers love lightens your hard tow

With you we are now
Forever to be
Loving you now,

our tiny member of the family.

Beat on through this challenging hour
Beat on through this breaking life
Beat on though your heart be weary
Breath strong and step into your life