After the miscarriage of her second child, my sister was so excited to learn that she was pregnant once again. She had a five-year-old son and was anxious to give him a little brother or sister. This pregnancy would soon become a nightmare as well.

At 23 weeks, Kathy started getting very sick and having contractions. Fearing another miscarriage she immediately went to her doctor. He checked her, told her she was fine that it was "all in her head" and to go home and continue doing housework and go about her normal routine. It was December 31st, and several days after that doctor's appointment, Kathy had barely made it past the 24-week mark of her pregnancy. It was this fateful New Year's Eve when the ambulance was called. Kathy was in full-blown labor. Riding in the back of that ambulance hearing the sirens roar all that she could think was "When am I going to wake up from this nightmare?"

Kathy was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, the closest hospital equipped with the kind of staff and medical technology to handle this kind of emergency. She was told that she had a terrible infection. If they did a c-section on her, the baby would have more of a chance of survival but there was the possibility that the infection could spread throughout her body and she would be in life threatening danger. She could have natural childbirth but as tiny as the baby was, it would surely never make it through the ordeal. Kathy opted for the c-section, risking her own life to save the life of her baby.

The first thing Kathy was told was, you have a baby daughter, and she is very tiny. She weighs only 1 pound, 8 ounces, and is only 13 inches long. (That is the same height as a Barbie doll) Her lungs are not fully developed so she cannot breathe on her own.

Her chances of living are slim to none. She probably won't even make it through the night. If she does make it through the night she will have less than a 10% chance of living after that. If she does live, the medical bills are going to be astronomical, the emotional strain will be hardly bearable; furthermore, she will very possibly be severely retarded and will be challenged with so much more than most children in life. Now the question presented to my sister was this, "Do you want us to do all we can, or nothing?" In other words, we can turn her life support off and let her lay there and die, but we have to have your permission. It was the kind of thing where you think, I know what they just ask me, but did they really ask me THAT?? Needless to say Kathy told them to do anything and everything possible to save her baby, even after all the discouraging words told to her. After all she had been through, how could she just give up on this tiny little miracle now?

I guess that first night was the longest. Every church within a sixty-mile radius was praying. We all got through it one minute at a time. Then came the morning and little Elizabeth Nicole Hale was still hanging on, fighting hard for her life. Doctors were still very pessimistic telling Kathy not to get her hopes up. Beth still only had a 10% chance of survival.

Facing reality, Kathy had to go back home an hour and a half away, to take care of her husband and five-year-old son, leaving her tiny baby in the neonatal nursery. She visited as much as possible, which was only 2 or 3 times a week. She called every day however, 7 or 8 times a day. Her first phone bill she could literally stretch across the entire length of her house. That was ok; the money was the least of her worries.

The next major hurdle for Beth was at two weeks old when they discovered a heart murmur that would not close up on its own. Beth had lost down to 1 pound and 4 ounces, she was too small to be under anesthesia so they would have to paralyze her tiny body and do heart surgery. Once again we hung on minute by minute until we found out that Beth was out of surgery and doing ok.

It was touch and go for the next 4 months. It was the week before Mother's Day and I will never forget it, when my sister, her husband and her son were on their way to bring little Beth home from the hospital. She weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds. The doctors constantly warned Kathy that Beth would be challenged and a slow achiever.

On June 8, 2002, the little 1 pound, 8 ounce miracle who was given less than a 10% chance of survival will graduate 15th in her class with high honors. She has already been accepted into the college of her choice. If she is a slow achiever, as the doctors said, I would love to see her at full speed!! She is tall with blonde hair and blue eyes that glow with the beauty that is her future. All or Nothing? Beth is going for it ALL!!

Reviews:
***** [Jul 12, 2007] by Wayne
I have a feeling Beth's best story is still to come!

***** [Jun 30, 2007] by Michelle
Very inspirational...i love the story..