They said he had maybe about a 25 to 50% chance of survival,
but closer to the 25%.
So, we were really excited about this 18-week ultrasound,
because we wanted to find out the sex of the babies.
During the appointment we found out
we're having a little girl
we’re also having a boy.
So the doctor came,
he came in and
he said that
twin A had something called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
There was a hole in his diaphragm muscle
which caused his liver and bowels to come up into his chest.
So he said that they were gonna refer us to
a clinic for high risk pregnancies.
So we go to this clinic
and at the end of the appointment
one of the doctors in the clinic came in
and said he had maybe about a 25 to 50% chance of survival.
Immediately she began suggesting
that we might want to consider having a reduction,
and I was like, wait a minute.
she is suggesting that we abort like, our baby?
We had a very strong resolve that we are for life,
that our God is a God of life and it is in His hands.
We're gonna pray really hard that God, if He chooses,
will save our little boy.
We went back to that clinic every two weeks or so
whichever doctor was on that day, you know, they would recommend again,
an abortion.
Then they started suggesting palliation that’s, you know,
we give birth to a little boy and they would,
they would let him die.
The very people that have everything at their disposal,
to save and protect life were the very people
that were advising us to give up.
Mauricio and I, we had to, you know,
fight for him, say, ”No, listen, we want you to save him.”
They don't see that these are real babies, with real value,
and yeah, they have the right to life.
I don't think there was a lot of fear at that point.
I knew that
the team at the hospital was ready. You know, they were ready to receive
Nathaniel and intubate him.
I mean, I knew we were, our lives were never gonna be the same.
That it was gonna be hard,
and that he was gonna be definitely
fighting for his life.
Going to the hospital that day, I was emotionally heavy,
and I cried before the Lord,
“God, what if something happens today?
and things don't go as per doctor's plans?”
And God gave me a verse,
I am the one that goes before you.
And sure enough,
God took care every step of the way.
When he was born, I actually heard him cry,
and then that's the last I heard from him for weeks.
The nurses rushed him over to the,
the NICU team that was there, ready to receive him.
And they began working on him, intubating him.
And he did better, better than expected.
So it was just the first of many steps Nathaniel had to go through where God with him.
It was definitely amazing to be able to take Nathaniel home with us.
Once he got home, you know, he,
he really started to thrive.
The doctors had promised that we would have all these complications at home
and, and we didn't.
I'm just so thankful that God showed us,
you know, that we didn't, we didn't have to give into fear.
So today Nathaniel is five years old.
He is this guy that has this beautiful smile on his
face.
He's the healthiest little guy you ever saw.
He's never had
any issues with his lungs.
It's quite remarkable.
Just how God's completely has healed him.
And he has always been, always will be a special gift
from God.