I am SOOOO excited about UPDATING my BLOG from HAYDENS BIRTHDAY WEEK! BRENT AND I ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS FIRST YEAR. We have SOOO Much to Blog about. I will do it this week. Today, I have a much more important blog to write about. Today I need to ask a favor. I need my friends to start by BELIEVING in MIRACLES. I then need you to PRAY for a MIRACLE. I then need you to ask all of your friends to PRAY, BELIEVE, and HOPE!

In 2004, I was introduced to a guy and a girl at a funeral. Little did I know that they would become my closest friends. Little did I know I would be her Maid of Honor a few years later. Long story short, not only did we become friends with Josh and Lisa but their families. We have barged in on many family occasions. We have spent many days, nights, and vacations with their entire family. We have developed a love for their daughters that is indescribable. We also spent many of nights hanging out with their cousin Little Bryan. He was so much fun to hang out. Bryan eventually got married to Amy. I had never heard of Amy Williams. They had a sweet little boy two years ago. I would speak to her at birthday parties etc. Just a simple hello, how are you? Nothing more.

In December, I saw her at Chloe’s birthday party. She was eager to come speak to me. Yes, I am sure it was difficult because she was pregnant and introducing herself to a mother of a terminally ill child. She had to have COURAGE to come speak to me. God was telling her what the right thing to do was. I hear so often that people just don’t know what the right thing to say is. Luckily, Amy was not one of the ones that looked at me like “I feel sorry for her.” She welcomed me with open arms. She informed me that she was a nurse. She informed me that she would help in any way possible. She gave me her CELL PHONE number. WOW, WE BECAME INSTANT FRIENDS. (I have found out that some of the people that support Brent and I the most are friends we’ve met throughout this difficult journey.) I couldn’t believe how KIND this girl was. How she treated my child like a normal healthy child.  She looked at him in the same way I look at healthy children. Wow that’s such a great feeling. Unfortunately, it’s a stab directly in the heart when people treat us differently. Remember treat everyone as you want to be treated.

Within the next month, we became close friends. She constantly checked on Hayden. I will never forget the day she texted me a message. She said I need your strength. Wait, what? I was so confused. I got off the eliptical and went to the treadmill so I could gather information. She informed me that her doctor was sending them for test. Test of a rare disorder. A terminally ill disorder. I instantly lost it. How can a family that I am close to ENDURE the same pain and heart ache that my family is enduring. I prayed and begged for the test results to be negative. Unfortunately, they were not. Ava Grace Oakes will be born two weeks from tomorrow with Trisomy 18 and Spina Bifida. I feel like I AM suffocating. I DON’T like seeing a family so dear to me enduring heart ache just like my family.

Ava Grace has an awesome family. A family that will support her through the good and bad days. A family that will love her. The problem is she has to FIGHT! FIGHT Angel Baby FIGHT! The doctors are not God. They are only basing her prognosis on research. God is the final decision maker. I AM asking you to spend the next two weeks praying for this entire family. Please pray for Bryan and Amy to have strength. Please pray for Ava Grace to be a beautiful healthy baby girl. A girl that the doctors shake their heads at. An angel that the Doctor’s can’t believe the miracle before their eyes. I beg and pray she doesn’t suffer. I beg and pray she comes out screaming and hollering. I beg and pray that GOD grants Ava Grace a miracle. I AM asking you to pray with me. I AM asking you to beg and plead with me. God answers prayers. God is the final decision maker not Doctors. Please pray the Doctors are wrong. Please pray for the extended family and friends. I AM at AWE that GOD would place a friend in a similar situation. I believe this is an example of God working miracles. God Bless Each of You!

Please remember in the next few months to hold onto each other. Hold onto Faith. Never stop believing. PRAY without ceasing. Keep your HOPE. Keep your LOVE for each other. Lean on the ones that are supporting you. They will be your backbone. And last but not least don’t hesitate to call for anything even if it’s to cry, yell and scream. We are praying without ceasing for a beautiful Earth Angel to be born a miracle two weeks from tomorrow. As for you Amy, I AM so BLESSED to call you a friend. Without, these challenges, I would have never known you. I now consider you a close friend. I wish our circumstances were different, but I do thank God for you! Now as I conclude this blog, please start praying for this precious family!

If you are thinking negative about this blog. If you dont have much Hope for this story, I'd like to ask you to look at this PHOTO. Fight for Ava Grace and Hope for Hayden bracelets. The pink is Ava Grace in Amy's belly and Hayden is in the background. What is Hayden doing? He is smiling:) Hayden has HOPE for Ava Grace and we hope you do too!