Author: Testimony,
"Love One Another!" 17/2010 → A testimony
As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a wife and a mother. When the first part of my wish was granted and I became a wife, my husband and I agreed that we would not rush into having children.
We were very young (just 23 years old) and we wanted first to put our economic affairs in order, which seemed very important to us if we were to enjoy marriage fully. But God had other plans. All of a sudden, we found ourselves so filled with love and a desire for a child, that we stopped worrying about the future, but rather placed our trust in God. In our prayers we asked Him for the great gift of parenthood. How overjoyed we were when we learned we were going to have a baby! How incredibly blessed I felt! I imagined the little one growing inside me. Every USG was a huge experience for us. We could see the child’s beating heart, the little body “frisking” its limbs and growing rapidly.
Finally, after nine months, on October 14th, our son Marcel came into the world — a healthy pink little tot, without whom we could not imagine living.
But our joy suffered a test. During the pediatrician’s support visit we learned that our son might have sleep apnea. Naturally, as young parents we took this very much to heart. We immediately took our ten-day-old newborn to the hospital. Fortunately, everything turned out to be all right and we were all smiles again. But soon afterwards it came to light that Marcel had a postnatal hemorrhage over his left eye that needed to be controlled. They suspected it was the “setting sun” phenomenon, which is often associated with hydrocephalus. We were terrified. Why was this happening to us — we asked. Like all parents we wanted our child to develop properly and put on weight. We began consulting doctors and praying for our son’s health. Fortunately, this too turned out to be a false alarm. After putting our child through a battery of tests, the doctors assured us that everything was all right.
The next six months were a happy time for us, even though Marcel was a poor eater and rather underweight. We made a note of every milliliter of milk he drank. Marcel and I got along swimmingly; before long he was able to recognize me. The first smile, the first grasp of the rattle, the first tooth — all these things were a great joy and a special event that we carefully recorded in the family album and photographed for posterity. We delighted in every moment we spent together as a family — at play, on walks, etc.
The first year passed quickly, though it brought with it fresh challenges. At a year old Marcel could still not sit up (most children begin to walk by then). We went to the neurologist where they confirmed that our son was underdeveloped for his age. That was when the hard work began: regular visits to the neurologist, the psychologist, the logopedist, the rehabilitation center — all this to improve our child’s psychomotor skills. Again we began the ask the unhappy question: “Why our family?” The moment of epiphany came at the rehab center. I noticed how many children came to this place needing professional medical help: children with serious psychomotor delays, and most of them totally dependent on their parents. It was then that I turned directly to God and thanked Him for Marcel. I realized how much I loved him just as he was — God’s gift to us. It did not matter any more that Marcel would not develop as well as other children. The important thing was that he was our child, whom we would always love regardless of the circumstances and daily hardships.
Marcel will soon be two years old. He is a healthy, happy, and beautiful child. Despite the hardships, we are not discouraged; on the contrary, our love is continues to grow and arouse in us a desire for more children. Today, as I write this testimony, I am in a state of ecstasy. We are overjoyed to be expecting our second child. We know life has it ups and downs. Life writes its own script, as they say. Nevertheless, we want to accept with love and meekness every conceived child God bestows upon us and thank Him for the generosity and love with which He surrounds us. Glory to the Lord!
Anita Mazurek
The article was published with the permission from "Love One Another!" in August 2016.
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