The medical prognosis for Sarah Young is not good. Still in her mother’s womb, Sarah suffers from complications that threaten to impair her life. Her parents, Alan and Kendra, have chosen to keep their daughter and give God a chance to do a miracle. Here are some of the words from the expectant parents:
We are at 30 weeks as of Thursday (Oct. 19). We had a follow-up ultrasound on October 12. Sarah is still just slightly smaller than normal for her stage of development, but well within the normal range. All of her limbs and organs seem to be fine except for the defects . . . .
The plan is for Kendra to deliver Sarah by cesarean section at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill (about 30 miles from here). They should decide on a date in about a month. Our specialist said that most doctors would advise a conventional delivery at our local hospital and just attempt to keep Sarah comfortable, since the medical prognosis is so grim.
However, a cesarean delivery will be safer for the baby, and UNC has pediatric neurosurgeons on staff. If she was born in Raleigh and survived, she would have to be transferred to Chapel Hill for surgery to repair the lesion on her head. Our specialist works for UNC Healthcare and said he would refer us to surgeons that shared his and our belief that God can and may work a miracle for Sarah. We are so thankful that God led us to a doctor that has hope for Sarah in such a hopeless condition.
They will not be able to tell any more about [Sarah’s] mental condition until after she is born. Until then, they can only monitor her growth and function of various organs (heart, kidneys, stomach, etc.). Once she is born, they will know if she has any chromosomal or genetic problems that will not allow her to survive. Also, only then will they be able to evaluate the status of her brain. The most optimistic medical predicted outcome is that she would be severely mentally handicapped, most likely with no conscious awareness or motor skills.
Of course, the medical odds were 50% + that [Sarah] would not live to be born, so she has already beat the odds to get this far! And even more powerfully, God has no problem breaking the rules and working miracles. So, we are going to let God do what only God can do!