21 weeks into her pregnancy Abigail Ostrom was told her baby had a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a genetic defect that leaves a hole in the diaphragm between the chest and abdominal cavity. Doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy as the baby's stomach had now moved up into her lungs and she would die shortly after cutting the umbilical cord.
“My husband and I remained calm as [the perinatologist] explained all of this to us. She left to give us a few minutes to ourselves. Then I cried. Everything had been going smoothly—I never saw this coming. We told her that we were keeping the baby no matter what. They left her office and called their pastor and asked if he could pray for their baby and get others to do the same. That prayer movement spread and by the time Theodore was born people were praying in 36 states and 5 countries for him.
They named him Theodore because that means gift from God.
Theodore survived the birthing and almost immediately went into surgery. It was very touchy for a while but about 6 week later he came home.
“Theodore’s journey has really shown me that every life is a precious gift, not to be taken for granted or dismissed because of a so-called defect. Also, God is not limited by natural mechanisms or human efforts as He takes action on our behalf. We are also confident that God’s grace is more than enough to carry us through the good and bad times.”
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