Stephanie

Stephanie came to us extremely malnourished and with a serious abdominal infection. She had a two week old baby who was dehydrated and underweight. Stephanie was not really breastfeeding the baby much because of her health situation. She couldn’t find the strength or motivation to try to feed him. Also her milk supply was drying up. 

I met Stephanie in the female post-op ward and started her on post-natal vitamins and encouraged her to drink lots of water. When she was able to eat normally I came every day to make sure she was eating. At first she was completely unresponsive to any interaction. She would just sit in a wheelchair and stare blankly. Even as she started to get better it seemed like we were talking to a brick wall. She wouldn’t answer or even do what we told her. She was stubborn for sure. I felt so frustrated over the situation and prayed for a kind spirit and for God to help me know how to get through to her. I started the baby and supplemental formula for a few days to keep him going, and helped Stephanie keep nursing him until her milk came in again. 

Soon we were able to take him off formula, he gained some weight and Stephanie continued to get better. And as she improved physically, her attitude and spirit started to change. She actually talked with us, and smiled and eventually would laugh and interact and joke with us. Her persistent, sassy personality came out. Esther and I both rejoiced over the improvement and spent lots of time with her. I taught her how to knit so she could have some handcrafts to do and possibly sell. She had not given her baby boy a name, so she let Esther choose. Esther named him Thomas, after our grandfather.

After Stephanie was discharged from the hospital she still comes to see me several times a week. I told her to keep bringing Thomas back so I could see how he was doing. I am so thankful for this girl and how God has changed her and brought her back to life. She goes to church regularly but I am praying for the Holy Spirit to renew her and lead her on to truly follow Jesus in her life.