Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time there was a woman who was afraid of everything. She was afraid of heights, she was afraid of closed spaces. She was afraid of flying and most of all she was afraid of hospitals.

Now this woman wanted a baby. She tried, but it just wasn’t working. So she had to brave her fears, and have surgery to find out why. She faced that fear, had the surgery and found that she would need help to get pregnant. After many months of drugs and doctors the first miracle happened. She conceived.

She thought the worst was behind her. Then she got sick. Back into the hospital for four long weeks, that passed in a nightmarish blur, while she battled a virus and battled to stay pregnant. The virus receded and her pregnancy was still viable. A second miracle.

When she was finally better, she went home and things got better. Her pregnant was picture perfect. She was happy, the baby grew day by day and all was well. All her fears had receded and life was good.

A month before the baby was to be born, she found a lump. With growing trepidation, she went to the doctor, who sent her for tests. He feared the baby was breech. The lump turned out to be the baby’s foot that was caught under her rib. Not breech, but something else was discovered. The baby was not going to be able to be delivered in the normal way, because the channel was covered, and to go into labour would surely kill the baby and probably the mother as well. It was a third miracle. His foot probably saved both their lives.

The mother, now terrified,was sent home to bed, not to move until a c-section could be arranged. Her worst fears were coming true. A surgery to deliver, more hospitals, more doctors.

The day came, and she cried all the way to the hospital. She cried as they hooked her to the monitors. She cried until there were no tears left and her fear was numbed.

At 3 p.m. on January 27th, they took her to the operating room, and 27 minutes later, they delivered a

healthy, beautiful, baby boy and she saw her son for the first time. Her miracle baby. Her dream come true.

Life changed that day. Oh the woman was still afraid of everything. She still struggled each day to enjoy life instead of looking at it with fear. But that child changed her. His very existence helped her to face those fears because she wanted so much out of life for him. For him she would face anything.

Ironically, on the dark side of the moon, where this woman now lives, there is no more fear. Nothing scares her any more. All the fear has disappeared. Her therapist says it’s because her son is gone, waiting for her on the other side. So in this life there is nothing left to fear. The worst has happened.

Once upon a time there was a woman who had the most precious of son’s, a truly special person who changed so many. Unfortunately, unlike the fairy tales, there is no happy ending here. Just a long long wait until she can hold her precious son once again.