Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Remembering Faith

The first night we spent at St. Christopher's was hard on us both, of course. We were given the "dorms" to sleep in. This meant I had to sleep in a room with up to 3 other women and Si had to sleep in a room with other men. Well, at the time we still hadn't celebrated our first wedding anniversary and had never been apart for the night. Do you think after just giving birth to our baby and not sleeping that first night at all because of him problems that I was really going to be able to sleep away from my husband in another room? No! I needed those nights more than ever. So - Josiah decided that I was going to sleep in the room with him. There was stuff in the room that showed someone else was staying there but no one showed up. So I did, we put the little mattress things on the floor so we could sleep beside each other. The next night, however, we did the same thing and this man came into the room. I felt very bad about being in there and so Si asked him if it was okay. He said it was fine with him. We found out that his wife was still at home because of a C-section. This started a friendship between David, his wife Ada, their little girl Faith and us. We enjoyed the fact that God brought us together and their little girl’s name is Faith and we chose the name Dillon because it means “faithful”. David was a refugee from Liberia and his wife was from another African country. They are both saved and love the Lord. They had tried to have a baby for ten years - and then they found out they were pregnant! During the pregnancy the Doctors saw that Faith had water on her brain and wanted David and Ada to kill her. They could not kill the little girl they prayed for ten years to have, though. Faith was born about a week before Dillon with the water so compressed that she had a brain stem but basically no brain. She was a beautiful little girl who moved her arms and legs and eyes. We were told that all her movements were neurological – in other words she was not purposefully moving anything. Faith went through many tests and procedures but to make a long story a little shorter she was still in the NICU when we left. At one point the doctors wanted them to take her off the ventilator to die. Faith was trying to breath during the day, it was only at night that she let the machine do all the work. Again, her parents could not play God and take her off. They were praying for a miracle and if it never came they were at least going to let God decide when to take her home. For the last couple weeks we were there Faith and Dillon were so close together I sat with Dillon and watched little Faith at the same time. I received an email last night from my mother-in-law (who was still emailing David and Ada – I didn’t know they had the email address other wise I would have been emailing them as well). Faith had the same surgery Dillon had – the feeding tube surgery. However, I guess there were complications from it. David and Ada spent three days holding little Faith before she died in their arms. August 10, 2006 Faith went home to be with the Lord. I told Dillon his friend from the NICU is waiting with Jesus and will see him, and us, one day. I want to write David and Ada and ask them for a picture of Faith to keep, if I get it I will post it so that everyone can see how beautiful she was and remember too pray for her parents.

3 comments:

Si said...

We think alike sweety. I posted this on my blog about the same time you posted.

In Memory of Faith Jallah
June 14th - August 10th 2006

David and Ada were a couple who prayed for this little one and God gave them Faith their first child after 10 years of marriage. Faith was born without a fully developed brain. Her name was special to us as we named Dillon because it means "Faithful"

Whenever David would ask me about Dillon, he would ask, "How is Faithful today?" We spent many sleepless hours with this sweet couple in the NICU as our babies lay in the hospital beds close in the same room night after night, day after day until the blessed day we were able to take our little Dillon home. They stayed and Tiffany saw them on occasion during trips back to the hospital in Philly; then we didn't hear from them for a while. I received the following note from them yesterday:

"Thanks so much for keeping us in your prayers.

Sorry that I didn't get back with you as soon as possible.

The Bible says that in all things we should give God thanks for that is his way concerning us.

It is good to hear that Dillon is in stable condition inspite of all the other conditions.

Actually, Faith went to be with the Lord on the 10th of August. She had some complications during the operation to place a feeding tube in her stomach.

It was a difficult time for us. We spent the last three days of her life just holding her in our arms as the Doctors had already given up on her.

She died in our arms.

We thank God for giving us faith after 10 years of marriage. Eventhough She didn't stay long with us, we are greatful.

We will keep you all and Dillon in our prayers.

Lets stay posted.

God Bless you.


David and Ada Jallah"

Job 1:20 ¶ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Kristi said...

What a sad story. I'll pray for this couple. I know it makes you hold Dillon a little tighter and a little longer.

~Kristi

Anonymous said...

DAvid and Ada are the sweetest couple, and Faith was a beautiful little girl. I am sorry to hear this happened, I am still crying for their loss. I am glad her parents never gave up on her and were there for her. Tiff and Si have many memories of the NICU and the heart breaks they saw, can not ever be understood to many of us. Praise the Lord Dillon is home and with his loving parents.

Love you both Dad and Mom S.