Crystal’s Story: Beating the Odds of Premature Birth

***Crystal is a friend and beautiful spirit that I've had the pleasure of knowing for many months now! She is founder and visionary of Overcomers Anointed Outreach Ministry (Uniquely Made).  She has a heart for others with disability, both child and adult alike. She has overcome what doctors professed would destroy her-prematurity.  She was so kind to bless me personally by sharing her story, and accepting my request of featuring it here on the blog.  By reading about her beating the odds of premature birth, I hope that all of my preemie mom sisters are encouraged by her story, and gain some hope in God's ability to work miracles for your preemie while you're still in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and beyond your preemie's discharge, because we all know that you still have to deal with the affects of premature birth even AFTER discharge from the NICU.  

Crystal is also a fellow blogger at: Anointed2Write.wordpress.com where she shares christian/inspirational encouragement for your soul and heart. Feel free to head over and read, like, share and support after reading her amazing story!***


" I was the smallest baby to survive in Minnesota when I was born.” – Crystal R. 

Ezekiel 37:1- The hand of the LORD was upon me.

I was born in my mother’s 5th month of pregnancy, which in turn made me 4 months premature. I weighed 1 pound and 3 ounces at birth. After I was born I had a brain hemorrhage that almost took my life, but the doctors were able to get it under control. I had my first surgery being just hours old. The surgery was to close a valve in my little heart. I was supposed to be born in August but I came early.

I stayed in the hospital for the first four months of my life. While in the hospital my skin was so transparent that no one could hold me except the nurses and doctors that cared for me. My parents and family were not allowed to touch me because they could have peel off layers of skin which would have been very painful for me.

My eyes and ears were still fused to my head and my digestive system was not fully developed at the time. When I was finally able to go home I had a heart monitor attached to me so that my parents could watch to see how my heart was working.

I had no sound in my voice. When I cried no one knew unless they saw me with a sad face with tears in my eyes and down my little cheeks. When I was born the doctors thought I was not going to make it. They told my parents that they were going to put me on my mother’s chest and let my family and loved ones say their final good-byes, and then wait until I died.

After having gone through this hard and almost fatal experience, I have learned to overcome the way I walk and talk. From this obstacle I have also learned to accept my disability-mild cerebral palsy. It affects the way I walk and talk. From it I have left side paralysis, I’m half blind in my left eye, I walk with a limp, and I talk with a low-raspy voice.

Through all these obstacles I have learned to live life to the fullest, to not take anything for granted, and to cherish every special thing that happens to me in my life. Life to me is saying that I am worth something, because I fought and did not settle for death, but was determined and willing to fight to stay alive and live. I did not do this for myself, but for my family and loved ones that were praying and helping me survive by being there and caring for me. I can now say that I can overcome all things because on April 13, 1983 I overcame and beat the odds and lived.  I was the smallest baby to survive in Minnesota when I was born.


Blessings,
Crystal R.