Vitoria on TV

Dear friends,

This is a link for a video about Vitoria's story that was released in a newscast of a Christian TV channel yesterday in Brazil - it is all in portuguese, but there are beautiful images.

http://noticias.cancaonova.com/noticia.php?id=285811


Next April 11th, there will be an extraordinary vote in the Brazilian Supreme Court to decide whether or not the release the abortion in the case of anencephalic babies and babies with severe brain malformations that are considered incompatible with life.

In Brazil abortion is not permitted, but in cases considered incompatible with life there are judges who authorize the anticipation of the birth by an injunction - which usually gives the mother more time to think about this decision.

For this reason there has been much awareness about the issue and some media have contacted us to tell the story of Vitoria, since her survival contradicts the medical predictions.

Prayers for Fabio Gabriel's Surgery

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Salmos 91:1-2, 4

Dear friends,

I ask you please to be in prayer for our little friend Fabio Gabriel who will make tomorrow the surgical closure of the skull (like surgery that Vitoria did when she was 4 months).

He was diagnosed with anencephaly at birth, but has resisted to medical prediction that he would be incompatible with life. He is now almost 10 months old, bringing so much joy to his parents.

His parents, Fernanda and Fabio, took a long time to decide for this surgery, because they were afraid about how Fabinho would react to this procedure. Now they finally decided to operate him, trying to offer him a better quality of life and protection against recurrent infections. They are very nervous, of course.

We pray in the name of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit give them lot of strength and peace during tomorrow, and that He may be present in the operating room leading doctors and blessing the recovery of Fabio. May his parents take him home again recovered from surgery, and live still many beautiful moments, walking a lot and giving him lots of love, care and joy.

The surgery will be done in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil.

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

Prayers

I ask you all prayers for Leandro and Daniela, baby Davi's parents,. With so much pain in my heart I received news that this precious baby went to Heaven on Sunday, 4 pm, due to an unexpected breathing problem.

We pray that God can bring comfort and peace to his parents' heart , and to all people who had the privilege of being close to him. We are so thankful for his life and for the precious time God allowed his parents to live with him.

We cry with them, and hope in Jesus for the day they will meet him again in Heaven, when finally there will be no more tears.

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



 

Marcela's story part 2

This is part 2 of the video about Marcela de Jesus Ferreira, an anencephaly survivor.

Marcela's Story