Fabio Gabriel

I ask you please to be in prayer for Fabio Gabriel, because there have been some problems after surgery. He was recovering well, quickly left the ICU and was discharged in four days. But the stitches began to be secretive, and on Saturday Fernanda wrote me that all stitches have opened, he had to return to the hospital and remake them. Despite the big scare, Fernanda said he is all the time with a good face. But of course they are all very concerned.

May God give them strength and give the doctors wisdom and discernment to do the best for him.

Around here, our beloved Vitoria is doing well. She spent a few days very angry with her tummy. Things were no longer very well, and after 30 days of antibiotics last month, her stomach and intestine did not react well. Fortunately we went to a good nutritionist who prescribed a diet and a specific treatment to restore the mucosa and the intestinal flora. Vitoria is still not 100% but is improving. Not to mention that the teeth continue to grow - a few - and sometimes I don't know whether she is complaining of teeth, colic, or the dreaded infection. We continue to periodic urine tests, thank God everything is fine.

Fabio Gabriel is doing well!

Thank God, everything went well during Fabio Gabriel's surgery and he is recovering well. The surgery went this morning and lasted three hours. He is recovering in ICU, has already been extubated and is with oxygen.

Fernanda sent me a very happy and relieved message, thanking God.

Thank you for your prayers!

Fabio Gabriel: overcoming challenges

http://fabiogabrieldedeus.blogspot.com/

Here are some recent photos of Fabio Gabriel! As a reminder, he is a baby who received the diagnosis of acrania during pregnancy and after birth he was also diagnosed with anencephaly. But different from what medical literature and statistics say about this malformations, he was born alive, began to breathe and is almost six months old, exceeding expectations and overcoming challenges.

He and his parents live in Barbacena, Minas Gerais (a state in southeastern of Brazil, near to Sao Paulo). Fernanda recently created a blog to share Fábio Gabriel´s story (in portuguese), describing all the joy and love for her son's life. http://fabiogabrieldedeus.blogspot.com/

When Fabio Gabriel was already at home, Fernanda and Fabio learned that, after he was born, on April, 8th, 2011, at 1:30 pm, he was left in a small room of 1 meter by 1 meter, with little light without milk and without the love that his family wanted so much to give him. Doctors were wainting for his death, since he had been "scheduled" for 2 hours of life. As he was still alive, at 6 pm he received milk through a feeding tube and also received serum and antibiotics through an umbilical catheter.

Fabio Gabriel with his mother, when he was born (April, 8th, 2011)

Fabio Gabriel stayed 12 days with Fernanda in the hospital, when he received treatment with antibiotics. He was able to breastfeed for a week, but he got very tired and, for his comfort, he started to be fed by a feeding tube. After twelve days he could go home.

His parents had considered the possibility of doing his surgery (reconstruction of the skull with skin) in July, but the preoperative exams indicated a heart risk, and they decided to wait, since he was doing very well.

Fabinho started to receive a small daily dose of antibiotics to prevent infection. He also had to go to hospital to receive ferrous sulfate in the vein once a week for five weeks for treatment of anemia, because he was rejecting this medication orally. Thank God he always had a good answer to every treatment and care he received.

Recently, he began physical therapy and speech therapy at home, and was able to remove the feeding tube. Now he's nursing all the milk in a bottle! In physical therapy he is also having progress, he can sustain his head better and can lift it when in prone position. He just wants to sleep in parents' bed and during the day he wants to stay in his mother´s lap all the time. More evidences of how he feels and answers all love he receives from his family.

Like us, Fernanda and her husband Fabio have also faced challenges in search of competent, ethical and empowered dotors, that respect Fabio Gabriel´s life and give him the same treatment that every child is entitled, regardless of disability or malformation. The right to fight for life, receiving stimuli, care and dignity.

The last few weeks, Fabio Gabriel began to have an accumulation of liquor in a region of his opening in head, and his neurosurgeon said that now they can not wait more: it is necessary to do the surgery soon because he is running too many risks. But the anesthesiologists evaluated that it is too risky to submit him to general anesthesia.

Along with Fernanda and Fabio, we are praying and asking God to direct them and doctors on the better way to take care of Fabio Gabriel and operate him. May He continue protecting his life, which was received by his parents with gratitude and joy.

We also ask prayers for you all.

Seeing the huge smile on Fernanda and Fabio's face, I realize that there is no need to describe all their joy in loving and taking care of Fabio Gabriel. May God bless them and guide them to always do the best for their little angel.

two months old

http://fabiogabrieldedeus.blogspot.com/

Fabio Gabriel three months old



with his aunty Ana Luísa

Fábio Gabriel (five months old) with his speech therapist Elisa

She is very dedicated and has great affection for him

Great news about Fabio Gabriel

We have good news and beautiful photos to share about Fabio Gabriel, a little friend of Vitoria who also received the diagnosis of acrania during pregnancy and was born on April 8, 2011. He is a beautiful exception, since, unfortunately, in most cases babies don´t live so long after being born.

Fábio Gabriel's parents have been very blessed with this beautiful and warrior little boy. He is already 2 months and 20 days old, and thanks to God he is going so well!

With the grace of God, Fabio's at home, growing and surpassing all expectations. In his first month of life, he had some complications, such as breathing difficulties, and Fernanda had to take him to the hospital. Initially the doctor identified a heart problem, which actually was just a little and unimportant heart murmur. Then they discovered what was causing his respiratory distress was a gastric reflux, and he began to receive a thickened milk. Now he is great and doesn´t need oxygen support anymore!

Fernanda says he is very hungry and cries every two hours for milk. Recently, he started crying throughout all day, the next day as he continued to complain constantly, Fernanda took him to the pediatrician, who requested a blood test, and it was found he had a principle of infection. Fortunately, after a week of antibiotics the infection was tackled and he got happy and peaceful again. What a smart boy that tells his mom he needs to see the doctor!

It's been a great joy for me keep in touch with Fernanda. She spends night and day in this wonderful mission of being mother of this precious baby, so she could not stop to send these beautiful pictures that were taken from him a month ago. She always expresses the immense joy she is feeling for Fabinho´s life (as he is lovely called). They are planning the surgery to close his cranium for July, although there is no scheduled date. This is a very difficult decision to be made.

We praise God for Fabio Gabriel´s life and keep in prayer so that God can lead his parents and doctors about the best cares for him. May the Lord continue to bless and sustain him, giving many happy days with his beloved family. We ask that you who read this blog join us in praying for his life.

 

 

  

What a beautiful baby!

Happy days

peaceful sleeping

clothing with Mickey

Beautiful family photos

What a precious gift from God!

Prayers for Fabio Gabriel

I´d like to ask prayers for this precious baby called Fabio Gabriel.

He was born on April 8th, 2011 in Barbacena, a very small town in Minas Gerais, Brazil. He is still alive, at home with his parents Fernanda and Fabio.

They found out during pregnancy that their first and beloved baby had acrania. When he was born, he was also diagnosed with anencephaly. Despite this difficult and terminal diagnosis, he showed conditions to live: he was born well, big and strong, and could stay with his mother in the maternity room. He spent 12 days at hospital, when he received antibiotic like a preventive measure, and he was also submitted to some exams. He could be breastfed for one week, but he was getting very tired and needed a feeding tube. After that, he started to be bottle-fed with a special milk to prevent vomiting.

Now he is at home spending amazing moments with his family. Fernanda is a nurse and she changes twice a day the dressing in his head. Doctors suspect he has a heart problem too, and in some moments he needs a bit of oxygen.

Fernanda found Vitoria´s blog during pregnancy, and since then we kept in contact. She was very nervous but she and her husband decided to love and wait for their baby, respecting God´s purpose for his life. Now she told me she is living the best moments of her life with her first son. She told Fabio Gabriel is so sweet, he cries loud and stop crying when she kisses his face, and he also loves to take bath, when he gets calm and open his eyes.

We pray that God bless Fabio Gabriel, and guide his parents and doctors about the best way to take care of him. We hope they can live many more precious moments together.

I also pray that, hearing about Fabio Gabriel´s story, many other families feel encouraged to love their babies with acrania and anencephaly, and decide to respect the precious time of life God has planned for them.

The story of baby Davi

I will give you praise, O Lord, with all my heart; I will make clear all the wonder of your works.
I will be glad and have delight in you: I will make a song of praise to your name, O Most High.
 Psalm 9:1,2
 

O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth!You have made clear your strength even out of the mouths of babies at the breast. Psalm 8:1-2b

A few days ago I received news that filled my heart with joy. This beautiful boy you are seeing is called David, he is one month and 21 days old, he lives with his parents in Terra Roxa, a small town in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and he is a precious miracle from God!

During  pregnancy, his parents, Daniela and Leandro, found out that Davi had anencephaly. Despite many uncertainties and contrary opinions, they decided carry him to term. They kept on loving and waiting for him. Waiting in God.

A great friend from his family, Isabela, began researching more about anencephaly at internet after Davi was born. She found out Vitoria´s blog and contacted me. She and her husband Wilton are very close to Davi´s parents and have followed very closely his pregnancy and his first days of life.

We were immensely happy with their contact and asked them for the privilege of posting Davi´s story on Vitoria´s blog. Davi is just a few days at home, and his parents are very involved, getting used to the new routin of a newborn at home.

Davi was born in Bebedouro, a city close to Terra Roxa, where he still needs to go for appointemetns and all special cares, as when he pulls the feeding tube out, because where they live there are not health resources. We ask everyone to join us in prayer for this precious baby and his family. May God bless Davi everyday with health, that he grows strong and happy, and may God bless his parents in this wonderful mission of taking care of him.

I share with you this beautiful and exciting story, very similar to Vitoria´s story, but yet so unique and wonderful. A story that is being written by God, because it was not cut short by men.

Well, it all started with trying to get pregnant, after six months of trial, if I'm not mistaken, one beautiful day we received the news that Dani was pregnant with her first and long awaited son. My husband and I were with them in the first ultrasound. What a joy to hear his strong heart beating.

In the second ultrasound, the news: it was a boy, but there was a problem, he had anencephaly. My husband had driven her to make the exam, because her husband works far and would arrive only at night. When he arrived home, at first I thought that was a bad joke, but when I saw tears in his eyes I knew it was serious. This ultrasound was done in the third month of pregnancy

Since then we went through many moments of doubt and uncertainties. Dani, who had never attended any church, felt a strong need to look for God to understand what was happening and what God wanted from her.

The doctors advised her to terminate pregnancy, because they said she was also putting her life in risk. They said the baby could die in her womb, her belly would grow too much because of excess amniotic fluid and, if she carried the baby to term, he would die right after be born.

But, trusting in God's grace and in the power of His Word, she told doctors and everyone who had told her to terminate pregnancy, that if God had given her this child, she would carry him to term, and that only He would take his life back, if it was His will.

Daniela, during Davi´s pregnancy

 So months passed, and David grew with the grace of God.

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Daniela´s pregnancy was a blessing, and she didn´t have any health problem

On December 15th, David was born. He weighed 2,450 kilograms and measured 47 cm. Everybody in hospital treated him very well, giving him the most possible comfort. He stayed in the incubator for one month, and during this time he could not receive visits. He received oxygen in the incubator and he was nursed through a feeding tube. On his first week of life, he was bottle-fed, but he vomited a lot and he got very tired, so doctors decided it would be better for him to use a feeding tube. Nurses changed the dressing on his head twice a day.

Daniela with David, still in hospital

On 15 January, one month after his birth, he was released to home. We received him with so much love, joy and thanked God for the grace of his life and for allow us to live such a beautiful miracle.
Davi´s parents´s life is so busy, but I think the joy of having the presence of this miracle renews theirs strength every day.

We hope that, with one more example of a baby alive with anencephaly, one more prove that God exists and still performs miracles in our lives nowadays, many other families choose to carry their babies to term, even facing a difficult diagnosis like anencephaly. May many people understand that for the one who believes, nothing is impossible.

Daniela and Leandro with their first son Davi at home



 

Davi has just pulled his feeding tube out

Isabela Vieira - 02/05/2011, Terra Roxa, SP, Brazil

Davi´s feet and his dad´s feet when he was a baby

Isabela visiting Davi



Wilton and Isabela, close friends to Davi´s parents, receiving Davi at their home